We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Anthony Perez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Anthony below.

Anthony, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

From a young age, I always found myself drawn to creative things and art. Whether it be through the films I loved, the music artists I found myself interested in, or by the talented people around me. My mom is one of those people who helped put me in front of a lot of art. She went to school for art when I was a kid, and would do art herself. Being around that, and her taking me to art shows or stage plays, really helped to give me appreciation for art. Outside of that, I eventually found myself playing music myself and wanted to do that for a living for a long while. While that didn’t pan out and I eventually found myself discouraged in that world, I eventually found myself in love with film criticism through YouTube. The ability to turn on a camera and share your passion for film enticed me. I sat on the idea of a channel for many years, and eventually dove in. I had a lot to learn about editing my own videos and formatting my reviews in a digestible way, but the skills I’ve gained and experiences I’ve had since starting my journey have been worth it.

Anthony, 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?

As a kid, I fell in love with film. Long before I ever had a critical eye or any desire to share my thoughts with others. Films had this ability to capture my attention and take my heart somewhere else. Sure, they were great for escapism, but they also had the ability to teach me things about others and the world. Shortly after graduating high school, I fell in love with film criticism through YouTube. I found myself seeking out the popular channels on the subject, where I’d find a lot of my inspirations, while it also leading me to discovering smaller names in the world of film discussion. It opened my eyes to the wide array of ways someone could discuss a film. Some tackle things with more professionalism, some with a lot of humor, and all with their own style. It took me many years to “grow a pair” and finally just dive in. When I started in late 2018, I didn’t even have to confidence to film at home, since I lived with others. I was self conscious about them being able to hear me fumble my words or make videos. I started by reviewing films in my car while driving to and from my day job. Over time, I learned more about editing, lighting, formatting, and finding a style. Since then, I’ve accumulated over a thousand videos on my channel, with most of those videos being reviews for various films and series. On top of all that, I eventually got myself connected with small studios that were willing to send me early screener links for indie films that were coming out, which has now led to me being a part of the Critics Association of Central Florida. What started as a silly hobby and passion on YouTube has now become a more legit film criticism process. I’ve now gained access to early screener links and in-person screenings for studios like Sony, Disney, Shudder, Warner Bros., and more! I do my best to make my channel a reliable source for professional reviews that also celebrates the difference of opinions that every film will receive. I’m grateful for the journey so far!

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Of course, and most of that comes down to just finding my voice. When I first started filming videos, I’d often do and say things that I’d now consider to be “cringe worthy”. On top of that, it wasn’t just about discovering my voice and becoming comfortable in front of a camera, but also learning about quality content. The earlier part of my channel certainly could’ve been elevated by better equipment. My lack of reliable audio quality and proper lightning held me back from making videos that even I care to revisit all these years later.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

It’s a tough situation, because the world is absolutely filled with so many creative people who want their work to be seen. Social media has undeniably done incredible things for so many talented people, in terms of their ability to find an audience and grow. However, the world of content creators and artists is incredibly saturated, which can make growing very difficult for many. What I’d love to see more from society is support from those who know the creatives. I think a common thing you’ll hear from anyone who does creative things is that their friends and family slowly lose interest. You tend to find that those who support you the most are people who don’t know you personally. While all creatives do, of course, have friends and family who support them plenty, it tends to be a small minority.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://youtube.com/@anthonyaperez?si=E82mPgjYkZR_lUR7
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theaaperez?igsh=MWtkbGF3bHljMnloaQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheAAPerez/media
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@anthonyaperez?si=E82mPgjYkZR_lUR7
• Other: https://linktr.ee/AnthonyAPerez