Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/790371
32 CINEMONTAGE / Q1 2017 giving me more to cut," she says. When they got back to Los Angeles from the film's location, Helfrich continued to give her notes to keep changing the cut. "Brett took notice of my work and liked it," says Wong. According to her, Ratner had a lot of friends working on low-budget movies and was constantly trying to help them out. When one filmmaker friend needed a recut on his movie, Ratner recommended Wong and, again, she got the gig. "I did it and I guess he thought I did a pretty good job, because he gave me another low-budget movie," she remembers. "Both Brett and Mark were constantly testing my mettle." Step by step, says Wong, she worked her way up to what was her biggest movie, Ratner's X-Men: The Last Stand. She next cut Good Luck Chuck (2007), a movie directed by her mentor Helfrich. "My relationship with Mark continues to be a very rewarding one and he's watched out for me," says Wong, who notes that they still work together, most recently when they were co-editors on Ratner's Hercules. Wong's career has also involved working in television as well as feature films, including Prison Break (2005-09), Reckless (2104), and most recently, MTV's Ken Jeong Made Me Do It (2015), directed by Segal. "I like working in both film and TV," the editor concedes. "Sometimes, after I'm on a feature for eight or nine months, instead of going into the next big project, it's nice to do a pilot for five or six weeks. And I get to meet new directors. It's fun and different." Being versatile is especially great, she adds, in an era in which "TV has gotten really great." Becoming a member of ACE two years ago closed the loop for Wong, whose career got its first boost from the organization. "Mark Helfrich and Mark Goldblatt recommended me for membership, which made me very proud," she says. To make the circle even more complete, Wong has voted on the Student Editing Competition, taking her back to her own beginnings. In November 2016, she was invited to join the Academy, sponsored again by Helfrich as well as editor Dorian Harris, ACE. "There's been a push this year at the Academy to be more diverse, and I think it's great," she says. "I've only been in for several months, so I'm still learning about all the different committees. It made me think about what's important for the future of the industry." Wong is currently working on The Domestics, directed by Mike P. Nelson, about a couple in a troubled marriage navigating a post-apocalyptic world and, in the process, rediscovering the meaning of their partnership. "I just recently finished my cut and showed it to the director," Wong recounts. "He said it's a lot funnier than he thought it would be — and he liked it. That might be from my comedy background. I just wanted to have fun with it. Even the most serious film could use those clever moments that make you laugh." f