meet the team / our friends ✺ 

  • Nicole Valencia

    Director, Writer, Photographer & Owner of so blur

    Nicole is a self taught director, photographer, and dp who has always loved stories. After receiving a B.A. in Comparative Literature from UCSB, she worked as a marketing director for fashion and streetwear brands before leaving the industry to pursue photography and filmmaking.

    She directs, shoots, and crews in the stills and camera department for a variety of independent, commercial, and corporate clients. With a focus on underrepresented narratives and naturalistic imagery, Nicole’s recent work includes her two narrative short films “Like Honey” (2022) and “Farewell,” (2022) which are active in the festival submission circuit. She is currently in pre-production to direct and dp “Angel” (2023), a short film about a surrealistic encounter with the divine.

  • Justin Burquist

    Director, Writer, DP & Owner of Broken Swing

    Justin has directed James Kyson (Heroes, Lovecraft Country), Cara Mitsuko (Man in the High Castle, Westworld), Kaleti Williams (Stretch, House), David Fernandez (End of Watch, Sons of Anarchy), and worked with stunt man Hans Marrero (Creed, The Hangover III). He recently DP’d the forthcoming feature film Hemet, Or The Landlady Don’t Drink Tea.