Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1487730
74 I M PS E . O R G generation of those entering into the field? PL: What inspired the choice to do something on these collaborative relationships? SS: I've found that it's all about communication, collaboration, and trust. These values and skills are not unique to our industry. In a creative field, coming together to make art, there are also many egos at play and this becomes an interesting dynamic. The idea about collaborative relationships was something not talked about. Exploring the interaction of these four career composers, music supervisors, music editors, and picture editors has always been intriguing for me. I thought it might be the same for others as well. I hoped to reveal truly insider information and stories that would inspire and excite the reader. PL: How did your career as a music editor and/or educator affect the choice? SS: Being a music editor for many years, I had an experience of each of these four key players, but only from my perspective. I knew workflow and how to get the job done right, but I also appreciated there was more to it than that. I know everybody has their own unique story and at the same time, a perspective that made them successful or perhaps struggling to be successful. How they worked through their approach in their professional life, as well as home life is what I suspected makes them tick. I will say that being a music editor and having interactions with each of these careers afforded me spontaneity in the interviews. Their answers in many cases led to new questions that I hoped would dig a little further into their inner thoughts or experiences. That is part of the book that will be most fun to read—something unexpected. PL: Did you find similarities in working relationships among the groups of collaborators you interviewed, and if so, do you feel they speak to the current state of the business? SS: I absolutely did find similarities among the interviewees. Many revolved around how they got started, the serendipitous paths and turn of events that led them in sometimes surprising directions. Many have related perspectives of what it means to be successful, balancing home and work life, and showing a way to others who want to enter into the industry. As difficult as it is to choose examples of this, let me share a few with you from the book Patrick Don Vito says: "I would say, 'If you can be happy doing anything else other than entertainment, do it. It's a hard business.' If you say, 'I'd be just as happy being a teacher as I would being a film editor.'—go be a teacher, you'll be much happier. You have to really, really, really want to do it.'" William Ross shares: "I believe that ALL of us are lifted to whatever level of success we achieve by the people we encounter in life. I can't think of any exceptions to that principle. Our life 'paths' are there for us to see." Kris Bowers says: "I feel it's definitely been an interesting thing to navigate especially in the last few years—I just got married last year. Even before we got married, it was the first relationship that I wanted to try to strike that balance. I think that especially now, being not only in this marriage but also in a situation with work where I'm working from home, I'm trying to find that balance in a space where you have to be really intentional about carving out that time. Having to be really intentional with figuring out how to structure that balance has been such a learning curve for me and also I feel just very appreciative of my wife helping me with that and dealing with that." workings of the music and movie industry. Coming out of music and film schools, students were often taught technical skills and workflows of music and media, yet there was a missing component. How was one to become integrated in the field, what was it really like. How was one to navigate and understand the importance of those connections, collaborations, and the skills necessary to sustain and network effectively. Lastly, the COVID pandemic that turned life and work upside down and became an opportunity rather than just a void. While the availability of work dried up and forced many projects to be on hold, I could feel the itch to honor some creative work. This time of reflection brought up the questions: Why this career with all its challenges, how had others experienced their work, and how could we support the next "Whether in the cutting room, at the composer's studio, on the recording stage, on the set with song playback, or at the dub stage for the final mix, those experiences cannot truly be replicated remotely via Zoom or other interfaces."