Life & Work with Junseong Park of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Junseong Park.

Hi Junseong, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
The road to film editor was never straight. It was the process of continuing to show up, saying yes when the opportunity arises, and learning by bumping into each other.

At first, I wanted to be there, so I jumped into internships and volunteer projects. I emailed industry professionals asking for Coffee Chat, asked them a lot of questions, and did everything I could. I didn’t cover documentaries, commercials, narrative films and vertical series. I couldn’t afford to argue, and I just wanted to learn.

I followed the post-production pipeline from scratch to become an editor. As a DIT, post-production assistant, assistant editor, I learned on the spot how the story actually ended up. Along the way, I was able to participate in meaningful projects like Netflix and Pickock feature documentaries and the KXLA TV series. Each piece helped me develop in a different direction.

I am most grateful for the people. I feel very lucky to have had good mentors and collaborators. I have been able to make it this far because of all the people who trusted me and entrusted me with my stories. I have always been good-mannered and sincerely tried to be helpful. I think it has done more than I thought. And right now, I’m most pleased that I’m able to do this professionally with people I respect

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
To be honest, it wasn’t easy.

I was an international student from Korea, so surviving alone in the U.S. was a challenge. Even harder than the food and cultural differences, I didn’t know anyone. The first few years were really lonely, and I had no one to tell me how to set foot in the film industry. I started with no information, no connections, no direction.

This is especially true of the film industry. Things are already working out between people who know and trust each other. But I didn’t know a single person in that circle. I didn’t even know where to start.

There were no cars on top of that. Anyone who has ever experienced it would know what it’s like to live without a car in L.A. Two and a half hours each way, five hours round trip on a bus to go for an internship. It was tough, but that was all I could do at the time, and I had to do it.

Looking back, I think those times made me feel so precious. I didn’t get anything easy, so each one felt more precious.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a Los Angeles-based narrative film and documentary editor, and I’m a member of the International Documentary Association (IDA) and the Alliance of Documentary Editors (ADE). I’m specialize in post production, especially editing. I decided to become a film editor because I loved the process of turning filmed and recorded materials into a complete story, like putting together a puzzle.

I’ve worked on a variety of projects, from documentaries to independent films to branded content to television series. In the Threshold documentary on Peacock, which featured Patrick Dempsey as an executive producer, I joined the post production team. I also gained experience in post-production with Netflix and Tremolo Productions projects Breakdown: 1975 and Lalisa. And now I’m looking forward to starting a new Netflix series project soon. I think it’s going to be an important next step in my career.

My specialty is narrative and nonfiction storytelling through editing. Trimming real people’s stories, real moments in the editing room through documentary editing always keeps me focused. I’m also very interested in scripted projects. The experience of editing more than 200 micro TV series episodes in total has helped me greatly to have the speed of editing and the ability to collaborate with others at the same time.

If there’s one thing that sets me apart from other editors, it’s probably my perspective. As an editor who grew up in Korea and Thailand and works in Los Angeles, I have a cultural sensitivity to language, emotions and what the audience needs. I think it’s quietly incorporated into everything I’ve edited.

My proudest moments are when a story I’ve worked on is on a festival screen, or it’s on a streaming service. The moment the story touches someone, that’s why I’m editing.

What do you like and dislike about the city?
DEAR ABBY: My favorite people in Los Angeles are people. I came here without knowing anyone, and I honestly was pleasantly surprised to see so many people who were much warmer and more open than I thought. The people here are curious, creative and have a lot of willing people to share their time and experience. It really gave me a lot of strength.

And of course, the film industry and its culture are not to be missed. You can still feel the energy while you’re walking down the street. The conversations we have at cafes, the people we run into at film festivals, the stories that follow after the screening. I don’t think there’s a better city for someone who wants to make a movie all their life. There are festivals and events, creative and talented filmmakers, and opportunities for them. Also, the weather in Southern California is fantastic.

On the other hand, what’s most regrettable about this is public transportation. This comes from my personal experience. When I first arrived in LA, I had no car, so I took a five-hour bus ride back and forth to go on an internship. But sometimes the bus came half an hour late without any notice. For a big, lively city like this, I still feel really bad about the transportation system. Still, LA is still good.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm15418557/