Meet Xander Komnick | Filmmaker/Producer/Editor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Xander Komnick and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Xander, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I believe the most valuable currency in the creative industry is connections and relationships. It is all about who you know and who they know.

I used to be a pretty quiet and somewhat shy kid. I did not like talking to people I did not know very well. When I joined marching band in high school, I feel like that is where things changed for me. I became more talkative and cared less about the opinions of others. I made a lot of new friends and talked to a lot more people.

I started out filming at local race tracks. Houston Motorsports Park is where I really found my passion. I met Chris David of Race On Texas, a company that records and live streams racing from all over Texas and Louisiana, built on the foundation of keeping the struggling sport and racing community alive. I wasn’t making a lot of money at that time, but I didn’t mind because of my growing love for the sport of oval track racing. Later on, Chris introduced me to Robert Harrington, owner of Bella Media. From there, everything just kind of fell into place. I have grown and learned a lot in the last 2 years. Working for those two companies has really brought me to where I am at today.

Success can mean a lot of things. For me though, I believe my success is being able to have a job that does not feel like a job. I have the opportunity to travel, meet a lot of great people, and tell amazing stories. All of that is possible, because of the people I talk to.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Filmmaking / photography is not an easy job. It is way more than just pointing a camera at a subject and pressing record or hitting the shutter button. It is finding the right angle, adjusting exposure and color, setting up equipment in the right place, picking the perfect music, putting the clips in order, and most importantly, telling a cohesive, engaging story.

Today, the filmmaking market is very saturated, especially with how big YouTube has become. Everyone is vlogging, making videos of cars, makeup, tutorials, reviews, unboxings, and many more. That doesn’t mean it is impossible to become successful as a filmmaker, it just means more work has to be put into it. If you can do that and not give up, anything is possible.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
In a week long period, we would definitely be hitting up some of my favorite food spots around Houston. A sandwich from Antone’s, bbq from Corkscrew BBQ, and a melt in your mouth chicken fried steak at The Republic Grille are a few of my favorites.

The Woodlands Waterway is a beautiful place to walk around and hangout at during sunset and in the evenings. Plus, they sometimes have live music right next to more restaurants and bars.

With me being a car guy, we definitely need to go checkout some of the local car meets and car shows. It is a great way to see unique cars and get some great photos and video.

Last but not least, we would be spending a Saturday night at the local oval race track. Houston Motorsports Park has some of the best racing at one of the best facilities. Not far away though is 105 Speedway in Cleveland, TX, a long standing dirt track, which has some of the most competitive racers sliding around the turns of that track. Some good old fun in the country.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The most important people that need to be recognized are my parents. My dad, my mom, and my step-dad, Mike. They bought me my first couple of cameras years ago along with many other accessories and equipment. They would drive me to the race track to film when I was starting out. They have always had my back and supported my passion of filmmaking. I never felt like I was really tackling this industry alone with them by my side.

I also would like to thank my high school AV teacher, Mrs. Hobbs, Race On Texas, and the Bella Media team for assisting me in becoming the best filmmaker I can be.

Website: www.raceontexas.com | www.bella.media

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xander.k.productions/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xanderkproductions

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/xanderkproductions

Image Credits
Kenneth Montgomery Rachel Plant Zachary Howard Bella Media Josh Thornton