URI junior plans for a success in filmmaking

John Yacano has transformed himself from an amateur videographer to a professional filmmaker.

Yacano, a junior film major at the University of Rhode Island from Quincy, Massachusetts, found his love for film while making YouTube videos as a youngster. This love carried with him through high school where he decided he wanted to pursue a career in Film Media. He not only chose URI for its “campus feel” and location away from home, but also for it’s outstanding film media program.

“When I was younger, I really wanted to be an athlete, but I wasn’t so good at the sports thing,” Yacano said. “So I asked myself ‘What are ways that I could get involved in sports, but not play them?’ Filmmaking was it.”

Yacano said he realized the courses he completed in high school really put him ahead of his fellow students and he learned a lot on his own.

This past summer, Yacano worked as an intern with GLP Creative, a commercial production studio, located in his hometown. While interning, he worked on creating sports-related commercials, including a commercial for Puma. Yacano said that he can’t go into too much detail on the commercial because it’s not out yet but he really enjoyed the experience. He hopes that because of the experience, he can possibly be rehired as their assistant staff producer and if that does not work out, he will start freelancing and work his way up in the field.

Yacano explained that he is inspired by some of his favorite filmmakers, including Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan and Wes Anderson. He described each of their work as amazing and hopes to be as exceptional one day.

In the past, Yacano has filmed one short film through the URI film media program, and recently, he shot three videos for a childcare center, Imajine That, located in Lawrence, Massachusetts. One of Yacano’s good friends, Jake Bartlett, had the chance to work at Imajine That as a teacher and spoke highly of the center. Yacano embraced the experience and enjoyed working in a professional business.

According to a study by Forbes, film, video and photographic arts has a 12.9 percent unemployment rate for recent grads. Yacano highly disagreed with this, claiming “videos are booming right now.” He said the key to success as a film major is to always keep working and improving material.

“The URI program is really about what you make of it,” Yacano said. “All the professors are great resources. There’s also really great resources here, but you just have to utilize it.”

Other than film, Yacano is also apart of the URI fraternity Zeta Beta Tau and works for the school’s ITMS department. He found that through working at the department he was able to make even more connections.

Currently, Yacano said that he is working on filming a promotional video with the Graduate School of Oceanography that will be able to spread the word about the school.