We recently connected with Gonzalo Torres and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Gonzalo thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

As you may have heard, this year two strikes shook the film industry to its core. The changes made, and the ones that are still being worked on, were long overdue and a necessity if we want this industry to continue to flourish. That being said, it was a hard year for many, including me. Work was slow to say the least and when you work as a creative and you don’t get a call, your projects don’t sell and there are months without any movement it’s hard not to take it personal.

I am incredibly fulfilled as an artist and absolutely love doing what I do. Though, this year I have asked myself on many occasions what it would be like to have a 9-5 salaried job. We are a family of 5 and having 3 kids is a constant pressure to figure a way out. As a creative, I believe, the main drive should be to create, not feed. The stress creeps in and we are unable to create as freely as we know how.

So yes, I do wonder what it would be like to have a “regular” job and when I get that call, write a script, or release a new video, the feeling is unmatched and I am reminded of why It is that I do what I do. I believe that creatives have no other option, we wonder what another job would be but can never actually do it (the stress is always present tho).

Gonzalo, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am someone who loves to tell a good story. Be it as an editor, creative producer or director, I absolutely love finding a story and the best way to tell it.

When I was 13 I knew I wanted to work in film/video and studied in Uruguay’s Dodecá Escuela de Cine. I naturally veered towards editing, mainly because I thought I needed to learn more to direct and because I only needed a computer to edit and not a whole crew! I now have a production company that develops Latin focused content and works with many clients as an editor and in development.

When I work in development I am the one crafting the sizzles that my clients use to sell shows or movies. They come to me with an idea and I build a video that helps shape what that show/movie will look and feel like. From crafting the story to choosing the music, the style, color and shots used.

As an editor I have worked on fiction, documentary and non-scripted shows. When working on these projects I invest myself completely in the edit and will have a constant back and forth with the creative team in crafting the story. I am also proud of the way I work with music in my edits. Having mainly focused on music documentaries with A-list artists like Tyler, The Creator, Bad Bunny, Rosalia, and more.

When I am not able to edit on a project and still want to be on it I come on board as a creative producer to help craft the story beforehand and steer the project until delivery.

In any capacity that I am involved in a project I always remember that we are all here for the story. To do that it is important to have a solid team that is motivated and encouraged. Be nice to the people you work with! IT IS HARD WORK! I always make sure there’s a good simbiosis in the team and everyone is working to their potential.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Having started working as an editor and now producing a film there were many pivots I made that I saw as a necessity to stay on my toes and relevant in a flooded work ecosystem.

I feel like there are many different types of pivots and situations where one can shift. I had learned to edit on FCP 7 and premiere was a natural shift but the jump from premier to AVID seemed astronomical at the time. I felt like I wasn’t getting the jobs I wanted and felt stuck. As a result, I learned AVID and now it is what I edit on almost exclusively. It is what opened the door to editing broadcast shows and larger projects. Now it seems like an obvious path and natural growth but it was an important decision that I had to make and take the time to do.

One thing you have to remind yourself on every single project is that the work we all do is to make the project the best it wants to be. This means getting rid of ideas you really want to be in there or realizing that what some people want isn’t always what the project needs. This means there is a never ending pivot happening within an edit. You might be convinced that what you are doing and the story you are telling is the best way to do it when you realize that it is not. You must let go of that and look for another avenue. It’s hard at times but always pays off.

The pivot can be as big as taking on a massive project like developing/producing a docu-series all on your own because the industry is at a standstill and you need for this to happen. You know the story needs to be told. So you figure out how to make a movie in another continent.

I think the trick is to always reinvent yourself and be able to pivot without having your ego pull you back.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Having mentioned the massive pivot of figuring out how to develop and produce a movie abroad, I think it’s important to mention that I am only able to do this by realizing that we are working in this really difficult line of work. Some more experienced than others but our journeys are down the same path. So pick up your phone and make a call and send emails. If you are good at what you do, you are nice, respectful and ask for advice, you will get it. And more times often than not, you will get help.

I wish I knew this much earlier in my career. I always thought this was a battle I had to do on my own and this year is the first time I really started reaching out for advice, help, contacts and when you begin, those calls come right back to you.

It’s a wonderful community because what we do takes a lot from you and the life we choose to live can be stressful so why not help each other out?

It also helped ground me. I have asked for work, help and advice and many times have received an unexpected answer: “if you know of anything let me know, I’d love to work with you again, too.” One day you are on top and another day out making a phone call.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.towers.media
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/_el_ninio
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/torresgonzalo/
• Other: https://vimeo.com/towersmedia

Image Credits
Portrait photo is by Damien Guerras, The rest of the images are stills from projects and a screenshot of the website.