We were lucky to catch up with Serena Florez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Serena, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

My most meaningful project is one that I am currently working on. Right now, I am editing my senior thesis film, “the end of the bay,” and have dedicated it to my family for everything that they have done for me.

For my documentary film, I sat down with some of the most important people in my life and had a conversation with them. Their conversations dictated the visual language of my film, and I am currently in the post-production phase and going through old family archival tapes. It’s a blessing to see how far we have came, and how close we all still are.

Growing up, it has always been family. I am extremely grateful and blessed to have such a loving and supporting family. All of my most fondest memories are family. This film is to show my appreciation and love towards them, and to show the world that family, whether blood related or not, is what gets you through life. They have supported me into my world of filmmaking and taking the leap into art, and most importantly, the struggles of life and navigating through it.

I would not be who I am today without them, so as thanks, I have created “the end of the bay,” which will release in December.

Serena, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hi! My name is Serena Florez. I am a filmmaker and editor. I am about to achieve my Bachelor of Arts degree at California State University of Monterey Bay in Cinematic Arts and Technology in December. At a young age, I have always been into the world of creating films and editing them together to create a story.

When I was a kid, I found myself using my parents old Canon Camcorder and recording my dolls, creating a story with them. It excelled when I aged and began making more movies on the family iPad, and then creating short edits with random anime footage found online. I did not know it at that point, but that was where my journey into film started.

As an editor, my goal is to help bring peoples visions to life. Through my college career, I have helped countless of other student thesis projects as their editor and made their story come true. It’s always such a unique feeling to have these other students thank me for helping them achieve their vision. The more I do it, the more I know I want to do this for life.

I am extremely proud of all of the projects I have edited and worked on. More precisely, projects such as “Man in Headlights,” directed/produced by David Fernandes and produced/cinematography by Angel G. Manriquez, and “The Distance Between Us,” directed, produced, and edited by Ezekiel Lazaroo. I have learned so much from working with these people, and I am extremely grateful they allowed me to help them with their projects.

As I am getting closer to finish my college career and ending it by editing my own student thesis film, “the end of the bay,” I begin to look forward to helping more filmmakers in the near future and creating beautiful films.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an editor is definitely being able to sit down and finally watch the end product from start to finish. It’s at that point where you can come to peace with all of your struggles and all of the blood, sweat, and tears that went into the project. It’s so rewarding to see all of your hard work pay off, and to especially see the project take off and be able to be shown around the world.

Even with all of the hardships that come with making a film, the moment you see the final piece, you want to do it all over again, and the cycle repeats. It’s very push and pull, but I would not trade it for the world.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I knew earlier on that editing softwares, such as DaVinci Resolve Studio, host online webinars, workshops, and certifications all throughout the year! For other fellow editors, Blackmagic Design is a great place to get some teachings on how to use programs. Registration is free, and they even offer the classes in different languages to give everyone the chance to learn something new. If I knew of this sooner, I definitely would be more advanced at DaVinci Resolve than I currently am. It’s a great plus to add to applications if you’re certified in the program!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://serenaflorez.wixsite.com/serenaflorez
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/serena-florez/

Image Credits

Ezekiel Lazaroo
Juan Dominguez