As a young boy growing up in San Antonio, James Borrego used to love watching his brother Jesse act in local plays. James’ passion for film and theater grew from there, and after serving in the Air Force for four years after high school, his creative drive led him to filmmaking and, ultimately, to helping others bring their stories to life as a professor at San Antonio College.
“Who doesn’t want to be part of production? It sounds like fun, and it’s a pretty fun job. Stressful and challenging but fun. You create something you’re connected to, and that’s satisfying,” says the 57-year-old filmmaker and program coordinator for SAC’s Radio, Television and Film (RTF) program.
Borrego has been working on expanding the film track for the RTF program to integrate animation, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and digital content creation. He says the film industry has gone through many transformations as streaming content has taken over, and he is trying to expand and improve the college’s film curriculum and offerings to align with industry needs.
“In all discussions so far, everyone wants this, so we are using that momentum to change our program.”
— James Borrego, RTF Program Coordinator
“It could be a show, a podcast or a television program, but people are not watching like they used to,” Borrego told SAC Student News.
After completing his enlistment as an Air Force medical specialist after high school, Borrego returned home to study film at San Antonio College for three years before transferring to the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Radio Television.
“The students at UT Austin, we worked and helped each other get jobs,” Borrego said. “We stayed in a network.”
Borrego stresses that networking is essential for artistic and professional growth. He gained experience operating a camera when he worked at Austin TV station KTBC. That experience helped him find work on feature films, including “Selena,” “Why Do Fools Fall in Love,” “Miss Congeniality,” and “All the Pretty Horses.” He has worked as a producer, cinematographer, assistant director, and editor.
He also worked at the University of Texas at San Antonio as a senior video producer, and he received his master’s of education from UTSA in 2016.
James said as he works to expand the film program at SAC, there are three major obstacles he and the college have to address to build a great program that can help establish a thriving film industry in San Antonio.
“The Three Pillars we need are studio production facilities, access to equipment, and the most important one are the students — the creators,” James said. “There is a movement among other institutions of higher learning who, in tandem with SAC, are making efforts to meet the needs of this initiative. Additionally, there are talks going on with various stakeholders to develop specialized facilities to serve the film industry.”
James said SAC leadership has to meet the challenge of economic developments around the city to help generate industry and business stakeholders. Grants and resources are needed to help with start-ups.
“In all discussions so far, everyone wants this, so we are using that momentum to change our program and start to put an emphasis on that,” he said.
Borrego said SAC is on the right path with the RTF program since it has TVSA — a network of television channels featuring public, educational, and government content — and KSYM, a radio station. These provide practical-application opportunities for students to learn and practice fundamental skills.
Borrego said a major step will be to establish certificates and micro-credentials within the program that will make students more credible and appealing to potential employers.
SAC student Antonio Gonzales received an award for a short film, Tripp, in Baltimore, Maryland, and he created his short film, Apache, in one of Borrego’s production classes. The film was screened at the Guadalupe’s CineFestival this past summer.
Apache is a 10-minute short film about a troubled young kid who is given a second chance to redeem himself but is tested when an unforeseen event occurs.
“Whenever I discussed my ideas with Professor Borrego, he helped me make them better or find issues that I couldn’t see,” Gonzales said. “He is a mentor that I am blessed to have in my life, and I am grateful to still be learning from him.”
Borrego advises aspiring film students to always keep themselves open to the many career options and professional opportunities within the entertainment industry.
Borrego still produces films in his free time, and he is currently working on a documentary called “Finding the Westside Sound.” The film is about the unique Mexican-American musical style of San Antonio’s west side.
