Meet Salvador Pérez García

Today we’d like to introduce you to Salvador Pérez García.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Salvador. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up thinking that I wanted to be a film director, but I always really enjoyed editing from an early age, putting together home movies I did with friends and family as best I could and with the few resources I had at hand. I eventually did an undergraduate film program in Mexico, and during that time I edited a short documentary that I also directed called “La Huerta”. That experience was amazing because it revealed to me the true power of editing to craft a story in a very deep way. That ended up cementing my passion for it and my choice for it as career. I was later accepted into the American Film Institute in LA for a master’s degree in film editing, and from then on I have been able to continue to carve a path in feature films, episodic, documentary and commercial work.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I don’t think there’s such a thing as a smooth road in the film world. One of the hardest things about it is that it always comes with a degree of uncertainty. I feel lucky to be at a point in which I’m consistently working and know that I will continue to, but even being in that position you never fully know what exactly will come next, how it will develop or what shape it will take. Navigating that can be a challenge, but it’s also part of what keeps it interesting.

When it comes to the actual day-to-day, one notable struggle is just dealing with the arduous hours associated with this type of work. It can be exhausting even though it’s also very creatively fulfilling. You need to find a balance as best as possible, both physically and mentally.

On the creative side, it’s common to run into issues like not having enough footage to craft a scene the way it was intended, calibrating or building an actor’s performance for maximum effect, playing with the structure of the film when you realize the intended script order may not be the best way to tell the story because of the way certain things fell into place while filming…every project and every scene has its challenges, but that’s what makes the work so engaging and exciting.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
My focus is on film editing, and I think what I am most proud of and what sets me apart is that I’m able to take on any type of project and really tune into the director’s sensibilities in order to create work that is faithful to their vision, that tells the story in the best and most emotionally engaging way, and that also incorporates my own sensibilities, storytelling skills and craft,

I’ve been lucky enough to do everything from social dramas like the HBO film “Icebox”, offbeat comedies like Kyle Dunnigan’s “Shit Kids”, Francisco Lupini’s “I Killed My Husband!” and Max Barbakow’s upcoming “Improv Guru”, a Disney Channel/Duplass Brothers show called “Shook” about a young girl who dreams to be a dancer, an upcoming documentary series about hidden gems in travel, LGBTQ shorts like “BobbyAnna” and “Writhing”, various commercials…a whole spectrum of work in different genres and styles that I think showcases the range I have as an editor.

On a human level, I feel enriched by the fact that I’m able to dive into such different worlds and work with such different people, with whom I get to build creative friendships that could only blossom in this particular context. I think that’s very unique and special.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
“Improv Guru”, directed by Max Barbakow and which I edited, will be coming out this year. A documentary series from the Duplass Brothers’ DBP Donut, which I’m currently editing, will come out this year as well, and I have various other things on slate but it is too early to talk about them. The plan is to continue editing and expanding my range with even more different types of projects.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.spgediting.com

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