Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick Garcia
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
Well, I graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2010 with a degree in animation. That education and a pinch of providence landed me my first “Hollywood” movie job doing previsualization for feature films. I worked on several high-profile films, such as “Now You See Me,” “Pete’s Dragon,” “The Maze Runner 2”, and “Fantastic Four.’ I continued to do a mixture of that and video creation and animation for Marketing for 10 years. In 2020, wanting a career change and hoping to be closer to my family back east, providence reared its beautiful head again and opened a door. I left California and moved to South Carolina to pursue a new career in Videography and Video Editing, which has panned out fairly nicely. Now, instead of traveling 2+ hours in LA traffic to try and make a living, I mostly get to work out of my own home. It’s quite remarkable.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s a challenging road. One would hope that attending a prestigious school would prepare you better for the realities of the workforce and adulthood, but sadly, that’s not the case. There was a lot of on-the-fly education that I had to pick up along the way. More often than there probably should be, I found myself up against career roadblocks that were placed in front of me. For instance, despite always wanting to work in the film industry, I can’t say that “previs” was the discipline I wanted to get stuck in. When I attempted to shift more into production animation, I was often told to “stay in my lane.” This was frustrating, and trying to find a way to navigate through those obstacles was a challenge. But hindsight, being what it is, became more potent for it. My dreams had to shift and evolve, but it forced me to pick up so many skills that one might now say I’m overly competent in many disciplines. There isn’t much in the way of problems I haven’t encountered and overcome. As a result, I can now translate those skills and problem-solving abilities into helping clients overcome their obstacles.
We’ve been impressed with Cinema Dolce, but for folks who might need to be more familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart?
I operate my own video production business called “Cinema Dolce.” We specialize in creating captivating and high-quality video content tailored for corporations, real estate ventures, and businesses of various sizes. Our core services primarily focus on videography and video editing, but we also offer some drone videography and motion graphics opportunities. We recognize that every client and project is unique, so we take a personalized approach to each assignment. Whether crafting compelling promotional videos, documenting corporate events, or showcasing real estate properties in their best light, we ensure that our videos effectively communicate the intended message and resonate with the target audience. What sets us apart from others in the video content creation space is since I am an FAA-certified drone pilot and possess a rich background in both the film and marketing industries, we can offer our clients the expanded opportunity to capture and incorporate stunning aerial footage that adds a dynamic perspective to our videos, as well as integrate motion graphics elements into their content. At Cinema Dolce, we are storytellers and strategic partners, and our drive is to help businesses thrive in this modern digital landscape.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Oh, man! I must shout out the FilmBar community in Greenville/Spartanburg. They are a group of filmmakers, marketers, and anyone involved in making videos. They get together at least twice a month to connect, hang out, or teach each other different aspects of this industry. People who do anything in the film and video industries can tell you that, at times, it can feel lonely. But the FilmBar community has managed to help change that. It has become a great support group, networking opportunity, and educational resource, not just for me but for so many in the upstate. I can’t say enough good things about them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cinemadolce.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cinema.dolce
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cinemadolce
