Yorkville University’s Franklin Briceño is already being touted as “Toronto’s Next BIG Director” – a title the Bachelor of Creative Arts student is determined to earn.
“Being recognized by Creatives Canada was an incredible honor and a huge surprise. It’s amazing to see the work I’ve put in be noticed in this way,” said the Panamanian-born-and raised music video director, who earned high praise from the media platform in a September post on Instagram for his recent string of hit videos.
“Now, my focus is on meeting and surpassing the expectations they’ve set for me and continuing to grow as a director.”
Briceño’s biggest hit to date came with the release of OTRA VEZ, a video he directed for Latin singer-rapper Esco. The viral video, which features popular Raggaeton artist Bebeboy, racked up more than 100,000 views in just five days upon its release back in August.
Touting the project as a ‘major milestone’ for him, Briceño said he first approached Esco – whose talent he’s admired since the two met about a year ago – about directing the video for OTRA VEZ shortly after the singer first posted a snippet of the song.
“I commented, ‘This deserves a music video,’ and shortly after, he reached out and we started planning it,” he said, noting that the video marked his highest-budget project at the time and remains his most-viewed video on YouTube.
“I think the video resonated so strongly with audiences because of its story – a breakup and the longing to return to someone special is deeply relatable. The addition of dancers, a compelling narrative, and a feature by Bebeboy, a well-known Canadian reggaeton artist, also contributed to its success.”
The video shoot itself, he added, was a great learning experience – especially when it came to working with dancers, which necessitated pre-shoot rehearsals.
“I edited the video myself in less than five days, and seeing it go viral was surreal,” Briceño said.
“It reached 100K views in just five days, which was incredible to witness. I’m so happy that all the hard work paid off.”
Born and raised in Panama, Briceño first moved to Toronto when he was 18 to study Film Production at Yorkville affiliate, Toronto Film School, in pursuit of his dream of working in the creative industries. It was in his third term in that program, he said, that he decided he wanted to be a director.
It was also around the same time that he came to recognize that music videos would be a “natural entry point” to begin building his portfolio and start working with talented artists.
“I’ve always loved music and enjoyed watching music videos, so directing them felt like a natural fit,” he said. “Music videos also allow for fewer creative limitations compared to other mediums, which has given me the freedom to explore unique storytelling.”
Briceño’s strategy starting out was to find artists, offer his directing services for free, then parlay those projects into bigger, paid projects – a plan that has since begun paying dividends.
His resume now boasts an impressive list of projects, including a second collaboration with Esco, NTRE NOSOTRXS, two music videos for rapper, singer and musician Jev – THE SAMURAI’S MONOLOGUE and BLACK BENZ – and POLAR BEAR, among others. And there are even more in the works – a Morado Music video by Papi AQ is set to be released later this month, and Richie by OVO Riicch is slated to drop in January.
With all his recent success, Briceño has also launched his own visual media company, Fibsion Media, whose purpose is to “give the authors behind the art a voice in every visual medium possible, including, but not limited to, music videos, documentaries, vlogs, album covers, photography, short films, and more.”
He said his studies in the BCA program have given him the tools he’s needed to make a successful go at running his first business.
“The BCA program has been a great experience. It’s allowed me to focus on learning the business and management side of running Fibsion Media,” he said.
“Both (the Film Production and BCA) programs have complemented each other well and have been pivotal in helping me grow as a filmmaker and entrepreneur.”
Learn more about Briceño and watch his videos by following him on Instagram at @franklin_isaacb and@fibsionmedia, and on YouTube.
