Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1504875
20 C I N E M O N T A G E W H A T O U R M E M B E R S D O — everything, all of it digital) and send it to two different teams: picture (our online house) and sound (our post-production sound team). It's also my job to update those materials in new smaller turnovers if there are any picture changes later. This is a long and complicated process, and although it's not necessarily difficult, it can be easy to make a mistake if you're not paying attention. Some assistant editors love turn- overs, some hate them. I'm still learning to love them. Q How did you first become interested in this line of work? I've been working on visually creative projects all my life. My first NLE (non-linear editing system) was Windows Movie Maker back when computers were secluded in the home office and Justin Timberlake was still in a boy band. I was the kid making elaborate school projects and stealing my parents' old camcorder to record videos with my siblings. As a Los Angeles native, I was always aware that the film industry was right in my backyard. But the first time I considered building a career doing something visually creative, it wasn't related to film or TV at all; I wanted to be a graphic designer. So as a teenager, I taught myself Photoshop using an old installation disc from 1999 that my dad borrowed from a friend. I even chose my university (UC Davis) based on the fact that they had a program specifically for graphic design. But when I landed at college, I wasn't able to start my graphic design degree because of an administrative issue, so instead, I took a different class called "Filmmaking Foundations," a hands-on film production class. As it turned out, I really enjoyed making TV and movies, too. During my time at UC Davis, I worked at an on-campus studio making promotional content for the school as a videographer, editor, and eventually technical director. I directed/edited a web show, and I co-di- rected/edited a short film that went on to win a Best Screenplay award at the annual Film Fest @ UC Davis. By the time I grad- uated and went back home to Los Angeles, the decision to work in the entertainment industry felt like the most practical (and enjoyable) one. Q Who gave you your first break? There have been a few times in my career that felt like a "first break." The first time was when I got an internship out of college after cold-messaging several employees of the company I wanted to work for (including the CEO). That was the first time I got paid to edit in the "real world." Another first break was when I shifted into the TV space by landing a job as an assistant editor working on promos, which helped get me my union hours. But perhaps the most relevant and/or significant break came from a fellow MPEG member who is actually a Foley artist, John Roesch, who gave me a connection at a studio where I eventually landed an assistant editor job on the show "Robot Chicken," my first job in scripted TV. Q What was your first union job? My first union job was season 2 of "Su- perman & Lois." Q What credits or projects are you proudest of, and why? I'm definitely proudest of my animatic editor credit on "Robot Chicken." There were 20 episodes that season and I was an assistant editor on all of them, but I received an animatic editor credit for episodes 19 and 20. The two editors I had the pleasure of working with (Becca Berry and Jeff New- man) were very supportive of letting me edit. Animated projects take a long time to make, so we had more time to work together and get to know each other compared to many live-action projects, especially in tele- vision. I had been cutting comedy sketches the entire season (the show is a sketch show done in stop-motion animation), but when it really came down to the end, Jeff Newman was vocal to our producers about getting me a credit. I think the reason I'm proudest of this is that editors really have to believe in you for them to support you. "Robot Chicken" was my first scripted show, and I didn't have a background in animation. So for my editors to let me gain experience cutting and then to have my back when asking for a credit meant a lot to me. It made me feel like I was doing a good job, that I truly deserved to be there. Q What was your biggest challenge in your job (or on a particular project) and how did you overcome/solve it? Working on "Superman & Lois" was a new challenge for me in two ways: 1. It was my first live-action scripted show; and 2. It was entirely edited on Avid Media Composer. (Previously, I had only ever worked in Premiere Pro.) I jumped on the show mid-season and had to learn Avid very quickly on the job while also keeping up with the fast-paced environment of television -- specifically, a visual-effects-heavy superhero television show. It was hard! There's no other way to spin it, but I owe everything to my fellow as- sistant editor (and editor in her own right) Isabel Yanes, whose limitless patience and constant willingness to jump on the phone with me whenever I had a question is the No. 1 reason I survived. Q What was the most fun you've had at work? There was a sketch in "Robot Chicken" that I had the opportunity to cut. In it, Batman catches his reflection in a mirror and, because he's afraid of bats, has a bit of a comedic meltdown. I remember laughing when I read the script and had a very spe- cific vision for how I wanted to cut it. When it finally got in front of the producers, the entire room (well, Zoom meeting) laughed and there were no notes! Q Jobwise, what do you hope to be doing five years from now? I want to be an editor in the scripted comedy world. I love to laugh, and I love making people laugh. It would be a dream to get paid to do both of those things. Is five years enough for that? I don't know. But five years ago I was an unemployed recent grad hoping to edit something — anything — I could get my hands on, so let's shoot for the moon this time. Q What are your outside activities, hobbies, passions? Anyone who follows me on Instagram SEE PAGE 52