Aaron Bencid fell in love with movies at a young age. Growing up in Caracas, Venezuela, he was enthralled by the films that arrived weekly at his uncle’s video store. It was natural that he would make his short films and edit them.
His love of film led him from his home in Venezuela to Los Angeles, California, where he majored in film at the Art Center College of Design. His classmates often sought him to edit their projects, and he soon established a name for himself outside the school.
Bencid landed an internship at the esteemed Rock, Paper, Scissors, a post-house founded by David Fincher’s former editor, Angus Wall. There, he learned the “intricacies behind commercial post-production.” Later, he interned under the creative director, Rick Vargas at Apple, Inc., where he learned and assisted through “all facets of a production.” This led to other opportunities.
Post-graduation, Bencid became a part of the team at Rosewood, a creative agency. “I was the lead editor and colorist for its Apple Music team, here I edited and colored content for internationally acclaimed and/or recognized artists such as Christina Aguilera, Janelle Monae, The Chainsmokers, Charlie Puth, Years & Years, among others,” he says.
A significant accomplishment and a breakthrough in his career came when My Brother’s Keeper (MBK), hired Bencid through the company Wildchild for the We Are the Ones campaign. Bencid describes it as happening overnight and immediately flew from Los Angeles to New York.
The next morning, he started editing in the post-production room. As new material featuring Stephen Curry, Chance The Rapper, and Barack Obama was shot, he had to incorporate the new scenes into the video. The project utilized his technical proficiency and ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
This wouldn’t be the last time he’d face such a challenge. While working on a film for Prada, he was based in Los Angeles, and the shoot was in Miami. The footage was being uploaded as quickly as it was shot, and Bencid had a full crew of producers and assistants working with him around the clock.
Bencid recalls the biggest challenge was a Prada event at the Art Basel in Miami. The event wrapped at midnight Eastern time, and Bencid and his team had to edit the film recap to release it at 7 AM EST.
Bencid has also worked for other high-end fashion houses like Louis Vuitton. He has also worked with Marco Prestini and Malcolm Duncan of Virgin Soil Pictures videos for Golden Goose Deluxe Brand.
Known for his versatility and creativity in editing and post-production, Bencid has worked with other music artists such as Camilla Cabello, Ty Dolla $ign, and Olivia O’Brien. Kygo’s What’s Love Got To Do With It (featuring Tina Turner), Not OK, and Think About You are some of the videos he’s edited that have received millions of views.
Bencid also worked with Prestini on one of the first music videos for Tierra Whack. Mumbo Jumbo was nominated for Best Music Video at the 61st Grammy Awards in 2019.
Bencid has also edited the short films I _____ YOU and Untangled for director Sarah Bahah, with whom he worked on Kygo videos, and for the Hyperion company.
In more recent projects with Rosewood, Bencid also contributed to the Lobos 1707 campaign which featured LeBron James and Victoria Justice. Additionally, he worked on the Compton Cowboys campaign for Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s Gin and Juice brand, which creates pre-mixed alcoholic beverages. Both of these high-profile collaborations showcase Bencid’s role in shaping the visual content of some of the industry’s biggest names.
The country where he spent his childhood certainly shaped his creative vision.
“Being born and raised in a third-world country amid extreme levels of crime, violence, corruption, and poverty but also on the other hand being exposed to vast landscapes, an abundance of nature, and a colorful culture led me to cultivate and bring a fresh perspective into my work and the type of creative I have become,” Bencid says.
Bencid continues the creative journey he started long ago in Venezuela at Harbor Picture Company. He plans to continue to “explore innovative, cutting-edge projects that challenge traditional storytelling methods in post-production.”
