Meet Paul Giret | Video Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Paul Giret and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Paul, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
There was a time when my work consisted of making coffee and bussing tables and I couldn’t wait for my shift to end so I could get back to plugging away at one of my video projects. Then I went through a phase in college where all I did was creative projects. These days, I get paid to do video projects of all types and I can’t wait to get home so I can work on one of my creative projects. I suppose that the balance hasn’t changed much, except that now I get paid during the day to polish my craft and then have fun with it off the clock.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art is the result of a multi-disciplinary process in which I combine digital animation, cinematography, electronic music production, editing, filmmaking, projection mapping, live visuals, circuit bending, motion capture, and live audio video exhibition. All culminating in what I like to call the TV MONSTER. I started toying with electronics when I was young and now 30 years later, I am still messing with everything as the technology continues to evolve. The big difference is I now have a profound understanding of their functionality as a tool to express a narrative. There is a big learning curve when it comes to all of those crafts. What made it seem easy was that I was having fun while I was learning. I definitely faced some hard lessons while working to master each trade. Opportunities to work on projects in some of those spaces in a real-world environment can be hard to come by. A lot of the time I would have to create the opportunities myself. I took out loans to fund some films so I could have footage to practice visual effects and edit. I couldn’t afford to hire a producer or a cinematographer, so I learned to do all of that myself. Also, the gear can be expensive and at the time there just wasn’t a lot of information out there about what to buy or what worked with what. You just had to buy it and hope it was the right choice. Consequently, I leaned many things by mistake which has formed my artistic style. A hot rod custom culture vibe applied to the visual arts medium.
There was a time where I was so hungry to learn that I would work on any artistic project that I came across as long as they fed me. It became a joke, and I would bring a cardboard sign to networking events that read “I will make film for food”. Which eventually led to the name of my company, Film for Food. My company’s logo was taken directly from a picture of that cardboard sign. It reminds me of where I come from and keeps me humble.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Whenever I have people visit San Diego, especially if they are here for the first time, I take them to Ocean Beach straight from the airport through Point Loma and over the hill on Narragansett Ave. The view of the ocean and the pier from the top of that hill is breathtaking. I would stop at Nico’s Mexican food for a California Burrito to go and then search the cliffs for a good spot to eat. Throughout the week I would fit in a show at Rady’s Shell and do the Gaslamp and the Bar on top of the Hyatt. An afternoon at Balboa Park with some food and drink along 30th Street by bicycle in North Park is a must. A few hikes would be on the agenda as well, Torrey Pines and Cowles Mountain for sure. Round it all out with a bonfire on fiesta island with some music and friends and the hopes that there are some Sea World fireworks happening that night.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There is absolutely no way I would have made it to where I am without the love and support of my family. I struggled with alcohol and drug addition through my late teens and all through my 20s. I was in and out of rehab, overdosed on ketamine, went to jail a few times, and was on probation from 19 years old to my late 20s. I was always focused on making video art but definitely was my own worst enemy. By no means did my family enable me but they were always there to help me when things got bad. They never gave up on me. When I was finally ready to straighten out my life, there they were. Now here I am, 10 years clean and sober still working on video projects except now I am monetizing my work and have had my business up and running since 2016, seeing growth every quarter. Finding God and walking with Jesus has also been an immense help in changing my life for the better. Studying the Bible brings me peace and allows me to forgive myself for my past and look forward with hope.

Website: https://www.filmforfood.tv/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulgiret/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-giret-81694710b/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PaulGiret