We had the good fortune of connecting with Sebastian Urrea and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sebastian, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The thought process was “If others we look up to can do it, so can we!” The goal was to build a successful brand that would support the life we wanted and not have to work under someone else.

There were many directors I admired in college and I felt that if they could succeed and have their own company then so could we. We were next in line, part of that process was getting organized.

To be honest it moved rather quickly, we were young college students and didn’t know much about business but knew what we wanted to do! We got a meeting in Atlanta with a well known artist and my business partner’s father who was a lawyer at the time helped us file for the LLC. It really helped having that guidance, we went to art college and were creatives. Didn’t know about business.

What should our readers know about your business?

Our name is Motion Family. We are a directing team consisting of myself, David KA and Diwang Valdez. That alone separates us from other directors, we are three point of views that share very similar interests. I think it’s really hard to find that synergy and we were blessed to find each other. Since starting our initial company we have also started a production company called Samacan where we produce and help other creatives bring their visions to life.
We started with the focus on music videos and photography, it’s a passion that we all shared and at the start we aimed to put all our efforts on mastering just that. Our business partner Diwang Valdez is a very talented photographer who had been working in the industry for some years before David KA and I. It really helped get us into rooms and get into certain events to be able to network with the right people.

It wasn’t easy but it’s always been passion driven for us. We shared the love for making music videos and creating impactful art. When starting we would shoot, light, shoot and edit all of our work and it gave us a look that became our own. Three point of views capturing and coming together to form one piece. It’s worked smoothly and effortlessly for us throughout the years and it’s been a true blessing.

Because we didn’t really come up under another director or team that could guide us, we had to learn a lot on our own, trial and error, failures etc but it really allowed us to grow. We remained selfless with the goal to grow the brand and till this day we operate with that mindset.

We would love the world to see and appreciate our body of work, admire our longevity and ability to keep creating. We’ve managed to evolve and stay in the production world throughout the years. Starting with music videos and moving more towards branded content and commercial work in the last five years. We’ve grown our production company and have been given great opportunities to produce and create for other creatives. It’s been a great journey so far and we’re so excited where things are taking us.

We also own Atlanta Worldwide Gallery located off the beltline in the city, we started the store in 2021 and it’s been great to be able to showcase local art and keep expanding our camera inventory. We carry lots of Atlanta memorabilia, books & magazines and much more. It’s an experience for sure!. If you haven’t stopped by yet or are in the city please come by and see us!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

I would most likely start with food! There are so many great options to eat in the city and so many different cuisines. Personally the flavors you can find off Buford hwy are my favorite. I’m born in Colombia so I would start with Casa Vieja off of Shallowford Road. Authentic food and so delicious.
In the city, I really like Kevin Rathbun Steakhouse, Sotto Sotto and The Third Space for food options! But honestly I could go on there forever, so many great places.
 
I really love the outdoor activities in and around Atlanta. Having Stone Mountain and the blue ridge mountains, I always recommend a trip out there for a good hike. Also Piedmont park for a relaxing park day or walking the Beltline is also really nice. I feel like you can walk the Beltline in the city and really get a lot of options to eat, drink and see the city.
If we are talking about things Atlanta, I have to mention our place Atlanta Worldwide Gallery. Right off the beltline and filled with a lot of things Altanta, including local art, cameras and film. Great place to walk to and get inspired!
Some of my latest favorite nightlife spots are El Malo, Palo Santo and JoJo’s Lounge. Brunch at the Wylie hotel in Atlanta is lovely and has great music on Sundays.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Our family, friends and peers! We wouldn’t be here without the support of our immediate families. My two older sisters helped me push forward throughout the years and I couldn’t be where I am without their support.

Website: www.motionfamily.com , www.samacan.co , www.atlantaworldwide.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motionfamily , www.instagram.com/samacan.co , www.instagram.com/atlworldwidegallery

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/motion-family

Twitter: @motionfamily

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/motionfamily

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@motionfamily

Other: www.samacan.co

Image Credits
Matt Swinsky and Jorge Sigala

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.