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Pietro Barba – Crafting Stories Through Editing

Pietro Barba
Images internally provided

When did your passion for creating stories begin?  

My passion for writing began during my elementary school days and was greatly influenced by my Italian teacher in middle school, who encouraged me to explore this love for storytelling. Writing, for me, has always been a refuge where I can face reality, rework it, play with it, and explore my thoughts, emotions, desires, and the world around me without worrying about others’ judgment. In high school, I discovered the world of cinema and realized that I had the ability to bring my stories, which were once just on paper, to life. So, together with my friends, we started making short films. Whenever there was a project at school, whoever was in my group knew that we would be making a movie. All this was possible thanks to my first camera, gifted to me by my grandfather. 

Have you considered following your family’s vocation for medicine? How did it turn out?  

Despite my strong interest in the world of cinema, with a father who was a dermatologist, a sister who was a dermatologist, another sister who was an osteopath, and only my mother who was an artist of patchwork, I decided to follow my family’s vocation and try to get into medicine. I took tests for a year, but perhaps because I didn’t really want to enter, or perhaps it was fate, I didn’t get into any schools. I was left with two options, either to go abroad to study medicine or to find a way into the world of cinema. It was then that a short film I made was noticed by a producer who commissioned me to make a video for a congress against cyberbullying.
Pietro Barba

Tell us about your first experiences as a video maker.  

The short film “Behind the Keyboard” marked the beginning of a collaboration between me, my friend Giovanni Perolo, and Dr. Guadagnini. Together, we made a TV series called “Se solo sapessi” (If only you knew) that was broadcast on Telearena for two seasons. After finishing the collaboration with “Se solo sapessi,” I started working for a well-known multimedia agency in Verona as a camera operator and video editor.

How did you arrive in Los Angeles?  

It all happened during a family dinner when the parents of a childhood friend recommended the contact of a guy who worked for a well-known American film academy. Excited by the proposal, I flew to the United States, to Los Angeles, to get my degree in cinema and follow my dream. 

What are your professional experiences in the world of film editing?  

After completing my degree in film, I had the opportunity to work on numerous short films for various directors in Los Angeles, many of which have won awards in competitions. Editing has always been one of my main passions, as I see this process as essential to bring a film to life, using programs such as Resolve, Premier or Avid to impart that vital spark to the plot and characters. Later, I found work at a multimedia agency, where I was in charge of editing masterclasses and trailers for TV series. I also edited numerous videos for commercial spots, documentaries, and many other narrative works. 

Current projects and future job prospects?  

Currently, after 3 months of work, I am in the process of refining a feature film on which I also worked as a gaffer. It was the most important formative process I have undergone in my career as an editor, and as a result, many other opportunities have arisen. In fact, I have just started working on a new feature film as an editor and have several short films in the pipeline. Due to the many work commitments, I have decided to create a team so that I can manage to complete everything in the best possible way. One of my future goals is to open an editing company. 

Where can our readers find you online? 

Email: pietrobarbafilms@gmail.com 

Instagram: @pietro_barba 

Website: pietrobarba.com

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