Meet LA-based Editor & Filmmaker John Allen Soares
John Allen Soares is a Los Angeles, CA-based Emmy-nominated motion picture editor, independent filmmaker and writer. Visit his website: www.johnallensoares.com
CATHOLIC ARTIST CONNECTION: Where are you from originally, and what brought you to your current city?
JOHN ALLEN SOARES: I am originally from Hughson, California. I lived and worked on an almond farm for about 30 years. I came to LA to work in film. I am currently an editor at Warner Brothers.
How do understand your vocation as a Catholic artist? Do you call yourself a Catholic artist?
I am a Catholic and I am an artist. Therefore, internally, I suppose I think of myself as a Catholic artist. I don't always introduce myself that way, but I think it is fairly obvious if you get to know me or look at my work.
My personal mission as a Catholic who is working in the arts is, first and foremost, to do my work well. I think this ideal is overlooked far too often. A Catholic plumber, for example, should have a moral imperative to do plumbing well. Not necessarily to do "Catholic plumbing." (Although I would argue that good work is Catholic work.)
A secondary mission that I have given myself is to not censor my personal work in order to get ahead. Much of my own work naturally takes on Catholic ideals, and the culture of my Catholicism seeps through whatever I do. I decided a long time ago that I would not censor this aspect of my work, unless it is actually bad or doesn't contribute to the end goal of the work itself, which is usually just to entertain. But to stifle these aspects just to get a film or a tv show financed is not something I'm willing to do. It has made the process more difficult for me in terms of financing and distribution, but I don't think I could live with knowing I suppressed what is important to me just for the opportunity to make something I never really wanted to make.
Where have you found support in the Church for your vocation as an artist?
I find support in the Church primarily in the Sacraments. To have such a thing available to me with such convenience is more than any Catholic could ever ask for. But I have also found other forms of support.
For instance, about seven years ago, I was struggling with my ego and my desires concerning the impending release of my first feature. I was afraid of releasing it without overcoming these issues, so I ended up staying at a monastery of the Cistercian order a number of times. The monks there helped me to detach from every expectation I had about the release of the film, which may seem like an abstract statement, but I really think I avoided a bad mental situation as a result.
Catholic Charities helped me get through one of the worst periods of my life as well. I've never felt unsupported by the Church as an artist. Perhaps not in the ways some artists hope for, but definitely in every way I need.
How can the Church be more welcoming to artists?
I think that the Catholic Church is historically and globally welcoming to artists on an unprecedented scale. The greatest art in existence, in my opinion, is all Catholic art. In every instance where a Catholic community can spare the expense, even the poorest communities, you see the emergence of varied and beautiful and ambitious art. Can the Church be more welcoming to artists? Maybe. But I think it is hard to say just how much more.
How can the artistic world be more welcoming to artists of faith?
For the artistic world to be more welcoming to artists of faith, the artistic world will have to start practicing what it preaches. There is a general language of diversity and acceptance and open-mindedness in the greater secular world of art, but in practice there are certain voices that are ignored or even openly despised.
For instance, certain big entertainment corporations love to make animated films that they claim are "love letters" to Mexican culture, but they are averse to the idea that 90 percent of Mexicans are Catholic. This is reflected in these films in which practically every reference to Catholicism is obscured, misrepresented or outright removed.
Hollywood loves a Catholic horror story unless it is written and directed by an actual practicing Catholic. They don't want principles getting in the way of any desire they have to butcher and manipulate public perception of the culture. This kind of discrimination is not isolated within the popular art world either. You encounter this among all circles of people who call themselves artists, particularly in America, as they are all heavily influenced by the corporate art world, whether they'd like to admit it or not. In order for the artistic world to be more welcoming to artists of faith, artists themselves need to start acting like the people they claim to be.
Where in LA do you regularly find spiritual fulfillment?
I used to live in Glendale in the middle of the Armenian Catholic diaspora. I found their powerful and fearless cultural presence to be a wonderful reminder of who I was. I was also a member of a primarily Filipino Catholic parish there called Incarnation. It was just around the corner and across the street. The constant parish activity made me feel like a living and breathing Catholic. Not just a theoretical believer. I have since had to move outside the city, though, and I am still getting my bearings in my new community.
Where in LA do you regularly find artistic fulfillment?
The Cathedral of Los Angeles is a cultural ark filled with Catholic art and sacred relics. There is an original Gustave Dore painting hanging in there. The tomb of Saint Vibiana is in the crypt. Spectacular examples of Catholic art, old and new. You can't go wrong with the Cathedral if you are looking for some inspiration. Few people know that the original Catholic town from which Los Angeles grew still exists in the middle of the city and it is a beautiful thing to see.
How have you found or built community as a Catholic artist in your city?
The truth is that it has been very hard to find other Catholic artists. It's one reason I've been interested in Catholic Artist Connection. I've tried repeatedly to network with other Catholics working in my industry and it almost seems like they are all in hiding.
What is your daily spiritual practice?
I try to pray the Rosary once a day. I don't always succeed and I've had whole years where I struggled with it, but I find that when I am able to do it regularly, it makes a profound difference for me. I like to stay at monasteries, particularly with Benedictines or Trappists, but I have not been able to do this for several years.
The Sacraments have always been at the center of my spiritual life though, as I suppose they should be for any Catholic.
What is your daily artistic practice?
It's difficult to make films every day. It's an expensive and clunky art form, and I only occasionally get the chance to get into any kind of real flow with it. But I try to write every day and study film and story in some way every day. I recently built out a smaller cinema camera that I can carry with me more easily, and I try to just get it out and film things on a whim. Just to try to keep the flow going.
A friend of mine recently came with me out into the desert and we burned through a bunch of Super 8 film. I suppose it was just an exercise in appreciating the medium itself without having any kind of specific project to justify it. Sometimes that sort of thing helps a lot. Obviously I am editing film every day at work and this actually does help to hone my skills and keep them fresh.
Describe a recent day in which you were most completely living out your vocation as an artist. What happened, and what brought you the most joy?
I recently held a table read for the BOOK OF LIES feature script at my house. One of my oldest filmmaking friends came out, my composer came from Sweden, my prop-making friend came out from LA. A bunch of people joined us remotely. It was one of those rare moments where I felt like I was doing what I was made to do.
How do you afford housing as an artist?
I work full-time as a motion picture editor. I'm currently at Warner Brothers. I've found that the only way I can do any of my own art realistically is if I'm paid to do art for others. A steady income makes my own work possible, but full time work makes it harder to find the time. It's the classic dilemma.
How do you financially support yourself as an artist?
As I said, I have a day job, but it doesn't always cover the expense of doing my art. I used Kickstarter to raise the budget for my BOOK OF LIES proof of concept.
As far as finding jobs goes, I've always found editing work by literally just emailing companies directly with my resume. It seems weird, but that is the only way I've ever gotten a job here. I go to a company's website, find an e mail address and send them a resume and a reel.
Ever since I got into the guild, though, I've been working at Warner Brothers. That was a little trickier, but I had met some people in the company before I got into the guild and once I was accepted it was like they were ready to hire me. It has been a pretty good job. I've been there for about 5 years and hope to be there for quite a while.
What other practical resources would you recommend to a Catholic artist living in your city?
I always bring up Catholic Charities. They practically saved my life with counseling and psychotherapy when I was living out of state. Never hesitate to pick up the phone and just ask them if they can help you. Doing so was one of the best decisions I ever made.
Los Angeles, specifically Glendale, was a lovely place to live, but I was eventually driven out of LA County by COVID policies. Nearly every local business I patronized there was forced to shutter permanently, my job has been done remotely for nearly two and a half years, and living there was suddenly not worth the expense. I am not that far away, but I rarely do business within the county anymore.
I do still hold a membership at a small studio in Montrose called MyStudioMontrose. It has a green screen stage and some other amenities, and monthly memberships are inexpensive relative to the cost of renting a studio for a day. I like to film experiments there. Highly recommended.
What are your top 3 pieces of advice for Catholic artists post-graduation?
Well, I never graduated from anything other than high school. But my advice would be to make art. Don't make any excuses. Don't call yourself "aspiring." Don't wait. Just make art.