Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1515786
15 W I N T E R Q 4 I S S U E W H A T O U R M E M B E R S D O the visual eects process, with notes going b a c k a n d fo r t h b e twe e n e d i to r i a l a n d visual eects until it is ocially approved and final. Another part of our job is to create temp visual eects to help tell the story until we have actual eects to cover the shot. So a lot of the early stages of post are spent making temp visual eects. Then we transition into working with PostVis, a much cruder and cheaper version of visual eects that helps to flesh out ideas the filmmakers want in the film before it goes into the much more time - consuming and expensive visual eects process. Q: How did you first become interested in this line of work? I did a crude version of visual eects ed- iting in a project called "Wireless" for Quibi in 2019-2020. At the time, I didn't know that "visual eects editor" existed as a job, and I spent more than a year essentially rein- venting the wheel and figuring out how to do that job without knowing anything about it. It was great experience but probably very inecient. When I decided to try to make the jump into film and started to apply for assistant editor jobs, I f igured I should keep my options open and applied for visual eects assistant editor jobs as well. I lucked out and got onto "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" as the visual eects assistant editor — and I fell in love with the work. It's a great balance between creativity and very techni- cal, data-based work. I get to do temp visual eects, which can be creative and fun, and work closely with filmmakers and witness the creative process firsthand. At the same time, I get to scratch the very technical side of my brain that, for whatever reason, loves spreadsheets, databases, and organization. Q: Who gave you your first break? I f w e a re ta l k i n g f i r s t b re a k i n t h e industry, that would have to be a small com- mercial visual eects company, Eight VFX. They gave me an internship that turned into a production coordinator job. But if we're talking about breaking into my current path, film, I would credit my current boss, Warren Hickman, and the "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" team. They took a chance on me even though most of my work experi- ence was in unscripted television and I only had one dubious visual eects editing cred- it. But Warren took me under his wing and taught me all about the job, and now I love it. Q: What was your first union job? The Quibi project I mentioned, "Wire- less," that came out in 2020. Q: What credits or projects are you proudest of, and why? "Wireless" was such a fascinating show to be a part of. Essentially, we had to edit two films — one vertically oriented, one horizontally oriented, and both synchro- nized to the same audio track — that not only each told a full story separately, but also complemented each other to tell a larg- er story together. The show was made as though it was a film but was then broken up into short 10-ish-minute "quibis," of course. There were many visual effects in that series, which was my first foray into visual eects editing. "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" was the first feature film I worked on, so that also belongs in this category as it was the first time my name was on the big screen. Q: What was your biggest challenge in your job (or on a particular project) and how did you overcome/solve it? I think the most difficult part of the visual eects editing job is navigating the often opposing demands of the editorial and visual effects departments. There's a lot of figuring out priorities and work- ing to bridge the gap between the two departments. Sometimes you have to tread carefully so as to not step on anyone's toes. You want to try to give everyone what they want and need, but that isn't always pos- sible, so trying to walk that line and keep everyone as happy as possible is the biggest challenge. Q: What was the most fun you've had at work? I'm not sure about one specific event that would be considered the most fun I've had at work, but it's the people that really make working in this industry great. When you're spending 50+ hours a week with your co-workers, you've got to make it fun; otherwise, it's not going to be a good time. I love bringing in little treats I've experi- mented with baking at home, going out to grab a drink after work on occasion, and just having a good time with my co-workers. My boss likes to introduce a movie review board to our crews where we each put up our reviews of movies we've seen, which is always a fun way to start conversations about the one thing we all have in common: movies rock! Q: Jobwise, what do you hope to be doing five years from now? In five years, I'd love to be a visual eects editor (not just assistant) working on some cool big-budget movies. Q: What are your outside activities, hobbies, passions? Crafting and baking. I love working with my hands and making something out of nothing. I dabble in woodworking, l o v e c ro c h e t i n g , s e w i n g , a n d m a k i n g d e l i c i o u s d e ss e r ts fo r my f r i e n d s a n d co-workers to enjoy. Q: Favorite movie(s)? Why? "A Night at the Roxbury." I know. I get looks whenever I say this, but I can quote pretty much the entire movie. I've loved it since I was in middle school. Additionally, pretty much every John Hughes movie. And "Singing In the Rain." When I was growing up, I danced competitively, and my favorite solo tap performance that I did was to "Singing In the Rain," so that musical has a special place in my heart. Q: Favorite tv program(s)? Why? I tell everyone I meet that they need to watch "Dark" on Netflix — it's so, so good. Some older shows that I love are "Buy the Vampire Slayer," "Frasier" (the original; it's a perfect sitcom), "The OA" (let them finish it, Netflix!), "Chernobyl" (absolutely perfect in every way; I wouldn't change a thing), "BoJack Horseman," "black-ish," "The Good Place," "New Girl," and "The Handmaid's Tale." I also have a soft spot for most house reno(vation) shows on HGTV, and competition shows like "America's Got Talent" and "So You Think You Can Dance," SEE PAGE 60