Meet Daniel Perez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Perez.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Daniel. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
Ever since I was a kid, I was already surrounded by the TV and Film world. My mother is a producer for a news channel, my father was an editor for the Spanish news. Starting when I was seven years old, I started acting in theatre plays and watching films as much as I could. I knew I wanted to be involved in this industry, but at that time I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to.

Eventually after watching the crime film “Heat” I realized I wanted to be both in front and behind the camera. I fell in love with acting and directing on an equal level. Fast forward a few years later, I got a letter that I got into the New York Film Academy. I was beyond excited cause that meant moving to L.A. and learning every day about filmmaking. I have graduated with a Master’s degree in Digital Media Production and have directed many short films.

My latest short that I’m very proud of “The Land Of Mad Men” has won numerous awards including “Best Crime Film” and “Best Director.” I am trying to experiment with a little bit of everything, and I learn new things every day. I have directed a short documentary, something that I never thought I’d do and now I’m planning to direct a new short in another country with a genre that I never tried before.

Has it been a smooth road?
It most definitely wasn’t a smooth road at all. Life is about ups and downs, and it’s also about learning how to get yourself up and stay standing. One of the struggles was learning how to keep focus on the goal and not get distracted by any negativity and negative people.

Yes, there are obviously genuinely good people in L.A., but at the same time, there are other people, who want to bring you down. People, who don’t want you to succeed, who try to convince you that you are no good. It took me a bit of while to just ignore all that and keep the focus on myself and my future goals. That’s part of life.

I have learned from my experiences with people, from the mistakes I have made. Most importantly I have learned who I am, what are my strengths and weaknesses, and how to silence these weaknesses. Either way, I am blessed. Life has been good to me, and there are many more blessings to come.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I am a filmmaker, actor, editor. I love everything that is about cinema. The movie theatre is my church. I’m a movie geek, but I also like to simply go out and have a good time. Not many people know this, but I used to play guitar, now I’m trying to get back to it. In a way, it’s like meditation.

What I’m most proud of is that I got direct a story that I have wanted to shoot for a long time. I’m proud of how far I have come as a person and filmmaker. And seeing how far I have come, I’m obliged to go even further.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
One big positive yes! L.A. is the mecca of filmmaking. I tell my friends that they have to move to here because this is where it’s all that, and I advise them on keeping their mind on their goals and to keep the company of people that inspire them to be better, cause that’s the company worth keeping.

Los Angeles is not for everybody, it does have a reputation for having a serpent society because there is quite a big number of shady individuals. But it’s all about not letting anyone bring you down, not care what anyone thinks of you and keep that strong mentality. You do that, nobody can bother you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://machoddaniel.wixsite.com/danielperez
• Email: machod.daniel@gmail.com

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