Videographer, Editor, and Post-Production Maestro

Santiago Ospina is a videographer, editor, and adventurer in our Bogotá, Colombia based post-production studio. He began his WhereNext journey three years ago and has worked on projects with us throughout Colombia and in Antarctica. In this WhereNext People interview, he shares stories of traveling through South America to study film production and his emotional experiences shooting on the Frozen Continent.

Tell us about yourself.

I'm Santiago Ospina. I was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and I'm a videographer and editor in the WhereNext post-production studio. I've now been working here full-time for more than a year after starting working on some projects part-time three years ago. I love to read, and I think that this hobby makes me quite a peaceful person. I used to play the drums in punk bands, and that gave me a good sense of how to edit videos with music. Music is such a big part of my life, so whenever possible, I go to new-wave Colombian music concerts and electronic music shows, mainly Drum and Bass. Also, I love cycling, trekking, and birding. Homebrewing beer has recently become another hobby.

Tell us about your most memorable travel experience.

The most memorable travel experience was Antarctica. That was my first trip out of Colombia, working for WhereNext. I'd been waiting patiently to travel outside of Colombia for work, but I could never have dreamed that I would get the chance to visit such an incredible place. I have to admit that I cried a couple of times!

Dead or alive, who would you like to join you on an adventure?

My partner in so many adventures: Laura.

What are your travel equipment essentials?

My equipment essentials: comfortable underwear is vital. Depending on the destination, I like to use light pants because, as a travel videographer, I need to move fast, and this allows me to run and jump and move around quickly. Also: quick-drying shirts, comfortable shoes, swimming shorts because you never know if you'll have the opportunity to go into a river, sea or maybe a swimming pool. On the other hand, for filming, I used to work with a DSLR camera, but nowadays, I also use Sony FS7 and a DSLR (Canon/Sony) to take pictures. The lenses I use are 24 mm Rokinon, 35 mm Rokinon, and 24-105 Canon.

When did you feel happiest?

I feel happiest when I see the results of what I do with love and passion as a professional. And if this can help others to improve their lives, I feel doubly happy.

Who taught you your biggest life lesson, and what was it?

I think you learn many big lessons in life, but I always remember when I was traveling overland across South America. It was the first time I had left Colombia, and I was with my girlfriend, Laura. We started by crossing the border into Ecuador, and we planned to go to Uruguay, passing through Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. We planned to spend more or less three months getting to Uruguay; this is because I planned to study at a Film School there. But in Quito, Ecuador, Laura told me that she wanted to stay on a community farm for six months or more. This made me very sad because I wanted to be with her, but I had made plans to study. Those were hard days for me; I was waiting for the moment that she told me that she wouldn't keep traveling with me. But at that moment, I realized that I could make my dreams come true without depending on someone else. Happily, she didn't leave me, and I ended up studying in Río de Janeiro, Brazil.

You can teleport to any restaurant on earth: where do you go and what do you order?

Ocio, a Colombian restaurant in La Macarena neighborhood in Bogota. My order would be Arroz endiablado, a traditional dish from the Pacific region that contains different types of shellfish and seafood.

Tell us about the most adventurous food you ever ate?

The most adventurous food I ate was Tucupí in Leticia in the Colombian Amazon region. It's a traditional kind of sauce made from cassava brava (a variety of yucca grown in the Amazon), flavored with ants and hot chili peppers.

Drink of choice?

Lulo juice.

Where do you feel most at home?

I feel most at home in the mountains.

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