Life & Work with Bryan Uvaldo of North Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryan Uvaldo.

Hi Bryan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Ever since I was 3 years old, I’ve always said I’m gonna be a movie director. I have loved big scale action movies my entire life––Happy Feet being one of the earliest movies I remember watching, Baby Driver being the movie that inspired me to edit, and Mission Impossible Rogue Nation selling me on the idea of practical action––but it was only in college that I discovered I wanted to go into blockbusters. I started editing in high school and later directed two action shorts during my time at NYU, and my time making these short films led me to figure out that my pathway to becoming an action director is through editing. I am inspired by Peter R. Hunt, the original editor for the Sean Connery James Bond movies. He set the style and tone of what it means to edit a Bond film, and later was given the opportunity to direct the next Bond, George Lazenby, in Her Majesty’s Secret Service––which is my favorite Bond film!

Living in LA for a little over a year has helped me form my pitch when networking: My long term mission in life is to hang Tom Cruise off a plane––but in order to do that I want to learn how to edit a film that deserves satisfying and jaw-dropping sequences like that. I want to fully delve into editorial and understand how movies on that scale are crafted, and how to make them the most emotionally satisfying as possible.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There were many times in the first 8 months I was in LA where I struggled , but I never lost sight of my end goal. I bought my one way plane ticket to LA –– without a car, a job, or a place to live! I took a leap of faith believing that I’ll figure it out (the very next day, a friend of mine said someone was looking for a roommate — and I replied saying “Great I need a place to live!”) I spent my first 8 months in LA going job to job, working retail at Warner Bros to freelance editing commercials, and sending out as many cold emails and job applications as I could. After 70+ coffee chats later, I was given my first proper industry opportunity to be the Post PA on High Potential by the amazing Phil Fowler. It took a lot of hustling and persistence to be where I am now, and I’m only just beginning.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I edit and direct action movies! I’m most proud of my latest Action Comedy short, Playin’ Around. It is my NYU Thesis film I completed last year, and it just finished a successful global festival run. We won a few awards for Editing, Sound Design, Production Design, and Outstanding Originality. We screened in New York, London, Atlanta and we finished off strong right here in LA! I am most proud of the fact that this film was an opportunity to give back to my community. My team and I reached out to various toy companies and received hundreds of free toys that we were able to use in our production design for the film. After we wrapped, we donated all the toys to a family shelter in Brooklyn and a children’s hospital in Harlem. I was also able to film in my hometown Mamaroneck, NY, where I was able to get high school students from the same class I took when I was there and have them be on set to experience what an NYU Senior thesis film set was like. It was an experience I am incredibly proud of providing these students, as they had the biggest smiles on their faces every day on set. I want to inspire! I am dedicated to making blockbusters and this film really solidified that for me. It was an incredible opportunity crafting such a fun action film with an incredible crew and I couldn’t be prouder of the final product.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
Emily Dombroff was my High School Video teacher, and she is the one who taught me the importance of figuring out what story I want to tell before I make a movie. She was my biggest supporter in high school and provided so much guidance that helped me get into NYU and make my storytelling that much better.

Chris Frith is an assistant editor who worked on some of my favorite action movies. He gave me unforgettable insights into the industry and guided me onto a proper path of how to successfully network.

Phil Fowler is the Producer/Editor on High Potential who hired me for my first Post PA job, trusting I could do the job well and supporting me through my first proper network tv show.

And of course where would I be without my Mom. I wouldn’t be here without her endless love and support my entire life, always being the one that believed in me most.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bryanuvaldo.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buvaldo218/?hl=en
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-uvaldo-59827a1b9/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNDFgziSeSvF3CjxJxo7esg
• Other: https://youtu.be/_W2Kq_nPOPg?si=dPxcMwBSRCn-uQF4

Image Credits
Ari Isenberg
Muhil Vaseekaran
Ruben Sevilla