About
I’m Kai Grijalva, a Florida-based film student learning how to turn ideas into images. I studied Digital Media Technologies at Santa Fe College, where I gained hands-on experience in cinematography, lighting, audio, editing, animation, and post-production, including After Effects. Each project has helped me build my skills—and shown me how much more there is to learn.
I grew up around professional photo and film sets, which gave me an early understanding of how collaborative and problem-solving-driven filmmaking really is. I’m drawn to character-focused stories and darker themes that are handled with intention rather than excess.
Filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, David Fincher, Sergio Leone, and Edgar Wright inspire me because of how deliberately they tell stories. Their work balances edge with precision—strong visual direction, purposeful editing, and tone that supports the narrative instead of overpowering it. That approach shapes how I’m learning to think about film and the kind of storyteller I want to become.
Right now, I’m focused on learning as much as I can, experimenting, and developing a voice of my own—one story at a time.
Following is a smattering of my work over the years… like all the way back.
Exposure
I grew up tagging along on photoshoots. Cameras were always around, capturing moments, voices, and things people don’t realize they’ll miss until they’re gone. Somewhere in that background noise, I learned how powerful film can be—how it freezes what’s quietly slipping away.
These early edits are where it started. Unpolished, a little chaotic, made while learning Premiere and being reminded not to waste a so-called “God-given talent.” They taught me that film isn’t about perfection—it’s about what lingers.
Finding My Way
I finished high school feeling unmoored. New place, same me. I didn’t need a change of scenery—I needed a reset.
So I walked the Camino de Santiago. Five hundred fifty miles from France to Spain, following yellow arrows and roads older than most countries. No tech, no shortcuts—just boots in ancient grooves and a lot of time to think.
This is the visual record of 35 days on the Camino, walking paths shaped by millions before me, and figuring out my own way forward.
Life Lessons
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Create amazing stories through film.
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Not leveraging my mom’s direct connection for an internship at Epic Games.
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When people offer to connect you to someone they think can help you get a leg up, that’s a gift. Be thankful, and take them up on it.
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Your moment is now. Don’t spend time focussing on the nothing and miss the something.
Write me an email or message me on Snapchat (Kai Grijalva).
If all else fails, you can call me: +1 (954) 258-7573
All art, visuals, and content herein are mine, mine, mine.
Kai Grijalva, Copyright 2020