The Ibiza seasonal worker community is integral to the tourism industry on the island, from restaurants to hotels, to clubs to bars. These are the people that make your great holiday and fun times possible.
In the second of our weekly series, we bring you more stories and tips straight from the people in the thick of it.
With Ibiza being an island where many creative types flock to make a name in the dance music scene, this week we bring you two workers, Ruairi and Camilo who set up Funk Soul Media.
Ruairi Cahill and Camilo Sepulveda
Hello guys, so tell me a bit about yourselves?
Ruairi: I'm 27 years old and I'm a creative director and project manager, co-founder of Funk Soul Media. I'm from a place called Newry in Northern Ireland.
Camilo: I'm from Colombia originally and I'm the director of photography and also creative director within the partnership.
How many seasons have you guys done together?
Ruairi: This will be our fourth season together. We met on the Space dance floor one night at a techno party called Onyx. We got to discussing TV and film projects and ended up working together in what was to be our survival year.
Camilo: It was our survival year but it was also the year that taught us we can trust our instincts to support ourselves and do what we love at the same time.
How is this season shaping up for you both?
Ruairi: This season is quite interesting actually because we have really stepped up our game. We're now producing feature-length and short documentaries and a TV production called Where's Rawri? which is about world music origins.
In four years we've gone from making after-movies for Carl Cox to being hired by some of the biggest dance music brands in the world. So we've come from making short advertisement pieces creating more in-depth material.
What does a typical day in your job entail?
Camilo: We have three types of days. One is our in-office day, where we talk with clients, close deals and secure our income. On our shooting footage days, we always arrive early, set up and meet with the client to ensure they get exactly what they want. The other days in the office are solely focused on editing to make that footage come together into one video.
Ruairi: I think Camilo's perfectly described the logistics of what we do; I'd like to add that it's very exciting doing what we do. One day we're filming Vaganbudos at Amnesia, the next day someone's wedding, the next day the Woodstock festival at Las Dalias. Every day is different.
Camilo: I think overall we are good at striking up and securing relationships with our clients. Because we do everything from the heart and we are genuine, its easy to be able to gain that trust you need in a creative project.
What's the best thing about your job?
Ruairi: The best thing about my job is the complete soulful essence of what it gives us as a team.
Camilo: Learning what other people have in their creative mind and trying to put their ideas into a fantastic video; making dreams real.
What would you say is the worst part of your job?
Ruairi: There's no worst part of the job because if you love what you do you'll never work a day in your life because you're passionate.
Camilo: What is a challenging part of our job is the amount of pressure we have in delivering high standard material to big-name clientele. Also, after doing so many productions, it's also a challenge not to repeat yourself, but that's also what makes the job exciting.
How did you both get into the industry before Ibiza?
Ruairi: Well my video career started in Stoke on Trent in England after university. I got the chance to make a documentary through a friend of mine about the famous Shelley's Laserdome nightclub. Following on from that I started working for underground nights in the city, specifically at The Move. I utilised one contact I made there to get my first gig in Ibiza and as they say, the rest is history.
Camilo: I had been raving for a long time before film making, but I noticed that none of the artists that came to Colombia ever got filmed. I told the owner of the club where I used to rave that I would like to film on the basis that if he wanted to use the footage then I'd get paid. If not I'd have the experience of filming in a club. He did like the movie and fast forward a few years of doing that and here I am!
What's your track of the summer?
Ruairi: Because I'm feeling disco fresh this summer, I'm going to go for Kornél Kovács - Pantalón but its a rework by a pretty unknown producer called Lemin, but it's proper funky.
Camilo: I don't have a track from this summer because most of the tracks and I listen are either old or nobody knows them. But this one track called Shady Love by Leftwing & Kody is really cool - been listening to that a lot.
Top tip for workers in Ibiza?
Ruairi: Find your focus and find something that you're gonna get paid for. Get your job, show up and work hard, survive and enjoy the island. I would also say always be positive around people and opportunities will also come your way.
Camilo: Value yourself for definite. Value what's important to you whether that's your creativity or your art. Value your time, if you value yourself then people will take you for what you really are worth and treat you accordingly.
And finally, what is your favourite Ibiza memory?
Camilo: My favourite Ibiza moment was my 31st birthday. my girlfriend and I spent the whole night at a beach near San Antonio camping out, laughing, eating and telling each other stories of our lives, just laying there on the beach.
Ruairi: One of the funniest moments was being up at the San Miguel pirate tower at sunrise. Everybody was dressed in funky pants and groovy wigs, the silliest attire you could wear. Watching the sun come up and being able to share that time with good friends, my heart and soul was truly satisfied and I then knew what this island's energy was all about.
Check out more of Funk Soul Media's videos here