Meet Jason Mendoza: Aspiring Director and Gorilla Creative Film Scholarship Recipient

Jason Mendoza’s journey into filmmaking didn’t start with a film class or a fancy camera. It started with a love of storytelling and a leap of faith. After high school, uncertain of what path to take, he found himself producing video content for his church, capturing events and helping tell stories through video. He attended a college with a lot of his friends and coworkers. “After getting my associates at this school I realized that I wasn't excited or proud of the path I was going down. I had a big passion for storytelling, and it's something I always wanted to do because I genuinely love every minute of creating a story through film. The potential of it reaching someone else is so powerful. I knew that if I wanted to really pursue filmmaking that I needed to transfer to a different school,” he says.

Eventually, Jason realized he needed a fresh start to fully pursue his passion. That realization led him to Diablo Valley College, where he enrolled in the Film, Television, and Entertainment program. Even though transferring meant none of his prior credits would carry over, he chose to begin again anyway. “At 20 years old I felt I was too late,” he recalls. “But I knew this was what I wanted to do, and that it’s never too late.”

It was The Secret Life of Walter Mitty that first made him fall in love with storytelling through film. “That movie made me want to explore filmmaking more because of how original the story was and how uplifting it is in general,” he says. “It snowballed from there. I just kept falling more in love with different filmmakers and stories.”

Today, Jason’s passion lies in directing, where he finds joy in collaboration, vision, and leadership. “I’ve always had a thing for leadership,” he says. “You can have this big idea and the final ends up being completely unimaginable from what you had envisioned because of how everyone working on it just comes together and collaborates to make such a beautiful piece.”

One moment that affirmed his path came during his very first short film production, I’m Good. The crew was working on a lengthy, emotional monologue scene that required several takes to get right. “It was the last shot of a long day,” he recalls. “And getting it the way I envisioned it—the emotion, the look, the confidence—was the best feeling. In that moment, we all celebrated. Seeing everyone so happy and excited brought me joy. That’s when I knew I was on the right path.”

Through these experiences, Jason has learned that great directing starts with authentic leadership. “It’s easy to watch or read about someone else’s directing skills,” he says, “but what’s important at the end of the day is that you’re still you. Being comfortable in who you are gives your crew confidence. Trust yourself, your team, and your vision.”

While directing remains Jason’s primary goal, he’s also interested in exploring screenwriting, cinematography, lighting, and camera work to expand his skill set and better lead a crew. “There’s so much to learn in this industry,” he says. “The more I understand each role, the better director I can be.”

Jason recently completed the FTVE program at Diablo Valley College and will continue his journey this fall at San Francisco State University, where he’ll pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema. Looking ahead, he has his sights set on earning a Master of Fine Arts in Film and Television Production at USC, continuing to build the skills and experience that will shape his future as a filmmaker.

The team at Gorilla Creative is glad to be a small part of his lifelong journey. Aside from the scholarship funds he has received to support him, we will be conducting a personal AMA where he can spend time talking with the team at Gorilla Creative to learn more about video producing from working professionals. We love seeing the next generation becoming inspired to work in the same field we do. Congratulations, Jason!