What are LSC-CyFair’s former Falcons doing now? We are excited to share the academic and career success stories of a new alum each month here in Cy’s Spotlight. On occasion, we will also include successful achievements about our Falcon faculty.

Leonardo Castillo

January 2026: A passion for photography that began as a child capturing images on his mother’s flip phone became a career in visual and cinematic storytelling when Leonardo Castillo graduated from LSC-CyFair in 2023 and founded his own production company, Lion Castle Studios (@lioncastlestudio).

As a first-gen college student, Leonardo earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Video and Post Production (Magna Cum Laude) offered through LSC-Westway Park Technology Center.  

“I think what also makes Lone Star’s Video and Post Production program unique is leaving the program with a portfolio,” Leonardo said. “It was one of the most important pieces to have because I could use that in my search for other video production gigs.”

Additional benefits of his degree program included working hands-on with equipment, collaborating with other creatives on and off campus, and the personal 1-1 interaction with professors, he said.

One of the highlights of his program experience was creating a 10-second clip of his class getting hit by a car as part of an After Effects class project.

“If you’re a movie lover like I am, it’s so rewarding to re-create the special effects we see in action films in a school parking lot like we did,” he said.

The biggest lesson Leonardo said he learned while in college was to take risks and try things because “the worst that can happen is realizing it's not for you.” He also advises giving more than what’s expected because someone will notice the passion and hard work.

“Lone Star impacted my career by giving me the confidence I needed to go out and advertise my skills as a professional,” said Leonardo, who is focusing on his director of photography and producer skills.

Once in the industry, Leonardo realized he wanted to do every part of filmmaking such as pre-, pro- and post-production. Working on a wide range of film and photography projects, including with Actuality Abroad, he travels extensively as reflected in his freelance portfolio with work in Bangkok, Paris, London, Las Vegas, Atlanta, New York and Wisconsin.

“What I love the most about my job position is that I get to work on so many different projects with different crews, which help me stay excited about the next project,” he said.