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<\/p>\n\n\tAbout 25 minutes into our conversation, Aser Santos Jr. casually mentions that as he was transitioning away from camera operating, he sold his Steadicam to DaBaby.<\/p>\n
\n\tDaBaby, the Billboard-charting \u201cROCKSTAR\u201d and \u201cBOP\u201d rapper from North Carolina? Yes, that DaBaby. In Santos\u2019 previous life as a cinematographer-slash-producer of music videos, doing the equivalent of a casual Facebook Marketplace transaction with a rapper would have been par for the course. Over the course of roughly a decade, Santos rose through the production ranks, from grip intern to camera operator to executive producer of music videos for the likes of Mike Posner and Shaboozey. He got up close and personal with rock legend Carlos Santana and operated cameras on the videos for Post Malone\u2019s \u201cSaint-Tropez\u201d and DaBaby\u2019s \u201cBOP,\u201d the latter of which garnered nearly 600 million YouTube views.<\/p>\n
\n\tNow, he\u2019s the custom furniture maker behind Juniperwood, crafting elegant coffee tables and midcentury-modern-inspired nightstands out of materials like cherry, ash and walnut. And in many ways, he sees it as an extension of his earlier work. \u201cThe creative process is the same,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s like, what do I want the viewer\u2019s eye to look at first? And that\u2019s where I\u2019ll put a lot of the focus and attention and then build from there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThe story of how Santos, now 30, left his entertainment career for woodworking begins with the return of his panic attacks. He\u2019d first experienced them in college at Cal State Fullerton, where he was pursuing a business degree and attempting to live up to the high academic expectations he believed his Filipino immigrant parents had for him. Meanwhile, he wasn\u2019t working on his real passion, a small photography and videography business he had built. But something wasn\u2019t clicking, and a school psychologist diagnosed him with a panic disorder, anxiety and depression. He confided in the psychologist that he wanted to enter the film industry, and she offered another insight: He probably didn\u2019t need a college degree for that. With his parents\u2019 blessing, he dropped out and broke into the industry the old-fashioned way: by getting on set and networking. <\/p>\n
\n\tOnce on set, Santos climbed the career ladder. After interning in production then working at a rental house, he became a freelance camera assistant. Then came the transition to camera operator, leading him to steady work in music videos and commercials. Amid the COVID pandemic, as crews got smaller, Santos fulfilled his dream of becoming a DP. Since he already had a small company and insurance for his gear, he slipped into producing, too. <\/p>\n
\n\tBy 2025, his company, Juniper Visuals, was a trusted production partner for artists, working closely with Posner and Shaboozey and co-producing videos for LL Cool J, Sum 41 and Fat Joe. But for all the progress on paper, as the producing, noncreative side of Santos\u2019 job began taking over his life, the panic attacks returned. When he ended up in an ambulance headed to the hospital after one acute episode, he knew what it meant. \u201cI understood the parallels that were happening between 10 years ago, when I was in college, to now,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd it made me realize, \u2018I think I\u2019m in the wrong place.\u2019 \u201c<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\tAser Santos Jr. operated the camera for the 2019 music video for DaBaby\u2019s \u201cBOP\u201d (600 million views on YouTube). Post Malone in the 2019 video for \u201cSaintTropez,\u201d Steadicam operated by Santos. Kevin Powers and Shaboozey\u2019s music video for \u201cMove On,\u201d executive produced by Santos<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tScreenshot<\/p>\n
\n\tHe started woodworking in 2023. In fact, the entertainment industry led him to it. That year, he and a few collaborators invested in a warehouse with the intention of starting a film studio, and Santos bought his first miter saw to build flats (film set walls) and jacks (supports for those walls). Furniture-making, which he largely taught himself to do, was a natural extension of that work and became a favorite hobby. In just a few months, he was getting commissions \u2014 a credenza and a coffee table for an office, a wine box. By the time he decided to fully leave the film business earlier this year, woodworking had already proved to be a lucrative side hustle. He decided to focus on it exclusively. <\/p>\n
\n\tWhile he\u2019s not yet able to make a sustainable living \u2014 his workshop is a room in his parents\u2019 house \u2014 Santos says that in a couple of months he has made about as much as he made in entertainment. He dreams of living off a custom business, but in case that doesn\u2019t work out, he\u2019s taking a furniture-making course that he says counts toward the license required in California to install cabinetry.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t A live-edge table built by Santos, which sold for $2,500. <\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Aser Santos Jr.<\/p>\n
\n\tSo far, his production skill set is paying off. As with entertainment, relationships are key. He\u2019s using his filmmaking expertise to create social media content around his creations and nab a few brand deals. And he\u2019s bringing his cinematographer\u2019s eye for lighting to the design process. \u201cMy approach for lighting when I was DPing was work with the shadows, basically,\u201d he says. \u201cA lot of my pieces have a certain angle they like to get hit at with light.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThe transition doesn\u2019t always feel comfortable. On June 28, Santos posted on Instagram about his career pivot: \u201cI\u2019m sad. I\u2019m depressed. I\u2019m anxious. And I don\u2019t know if I just made the worst or best decision of my life.\u201d The post went viral, with people in similar positions posting personal stories in the comments. <\/p>\n
\n\tAs we sit in his workshop a month later, he sounds more relaxed about his new direction, saying he\u2019s grateful he gets to continue to be creative and transfer his skills: \u201cNothing is ever a waste of time. There\u2019s some type of evolution to be had from every experience, good or bad.\u201d <\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t A shell side table made by Santos for his company, Juniperwood, goes for $500.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Aser Santos Jr.<\/p>\n
\n\tPROUDEST HOLLYWOOD MOMENT<\/p>\n
\n\tPlaying my part in allowing everyone to utilize their skills and passions for their own professional livelihood gave me an unmatchable feeling of fulfillment. Helping people live their dreams and make their ideas a reality was my favorite part of production. <\/p>\n
\n\tPROUDEST POST- HOLLYWOOD MOMENT<\/p>\n
\n\tI am proud that I took the time to step back and identify my values so I would be able to make an informed decision on putting myself first before I lost myself fully in the hustle of what it takes to thrive in such a volatile environment.<\/p>\n
\n\tBIGGEST HOLLYWOOD LETDOWN <\/p>\n
\n\tThe biggest Hollywood letdown, which I learned the hard way, was definitely the stereotype that it is difficult to get paid for your work. Whether it be small clients, big agencies or multibillion-dollar corporations, rarely does the financial side of things go smoothly. <\/p>\n
\n\tANY REGRETS? <\/p>\n
\n\tEvery moment and mistake I had in the film industry has been a lesson that I\u2019ve taken to heart. The industry has brought me some lifelong relationships, and it\u2019s hard to regret anything that brought those connections into my life.<\/p>\n