Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1538125
43 F A L L Q 3 I S S U E B O O K T A L K Simon: John and I met sometime in 2017 or so, and he hired me as a second assistant on "Ad Astra." I gravitated towards him for a multitude of reasons: his warm presence, his mentorship mindset, and of course, his creative and emotional acumen. It became very important to me to foster that rela- tionship because I could see a rewarding future working with and learning from him while having fun. We share a similar sense of humor, too, so working together feels very natural. As stressful as this industry and these jobs can get, working with great people makes it less taxing. John has long been involved with the ACE Internship program and has included me heavily in the process. Between my involvement with him in that program, and my having taken more than half the notes that became the book in his cutting room, asking John to write the fore- word was paramount to me — not just to frame the book accurately, but also to honor him for all he's given to me and so many people behind the scenes over the years. He's a champion of many in the community. I like developing a shorthand across multiple projects because it helps me build a rapport with the editor. I can be more proactive when it's easier to anticipate their needs and preferences. That makes me more efficient, and I also build trust and learn how the editor likes to approach material. I've been fortunate thanks to John and Leslie's generosity. They've entrusted me to help assemble scenes and enact notes, which helps me develop further as an editor. I earn elevated credits (like additional editor) and interact more with the director and every part of post-production. I feel like I've been championed while building a foundation for my whole career, and it's motivating and inspiring to see meaningful progress towards a life goal. CineMontage: How did you choose to structure the chapters and why? Simon: I always knew I wanted to keep it fairly linear to match the process of working on a feature film. This became clearer after I leaned into the conceit that the reader was shadowing me on the job, which was the tone I chose when I wrote the book. I felt that it made the book more accessible and approachable than a typical textbook. Originally, back when these were just my notes, I had turnovers at the very end as an addendum. My colleague Marco Gonzalez, who made the illustrations for the book, recommended restructuring chapters so that "wrap" came last and "turnovers" was placed after visual effects because, in keep- ing with the continuity of shadowing, that's when things start leaving the cutting room. I wanted to open with establishing the role of the first assistant editor. That was something I was unfamiliar with when I was starting out and an important distinction I make regarding the perspective of the book. There's a much more managerial aspect to that specific role that I felt I could speak to that I hadn't seen expressed previously, and there was a lot of common advice I found myself sharing when people shadowed me. Then I wanted to introduce the tools we use on the job, so I collected all my Avid best practices, and instead of giving away an intricate database, I wrote about how and why I built mine the way I did. The hope is that peeking into the workflow and mindset of another assistant editor's process can be a catalyst for others to reevaluate their approach. I think this also makes the book more lasting as, even in its specificity, it establishes principles that can be applied to any tool. CineMontage: How do you hope other assistant editors will use your book? Simon: The way that I would! Flipping through it, annotating it with my own notes and Post-its. I love having this on my d e s k— i t 's f u l l y i n d exe d a s we l l a s cross-referenced, so I can pick it up and flip to exactly the section I'm looking for, then to any contextually relevant sections thanks to the cross-references. It's similar to how I used my original notes, which acted as a sort of wiki with hyperlinked bookmarks. I hope it can be used on the job and in the room when trying to accomplish something that's right on the tip of your tongue. We've all done dailies, but to have a checklist and matching rationale for the workflow can be very helpful. It was important to me that there be a resource written by an assistant editor for other assistant editors. I've been part of the ACE Internship Program — interns shadow me at work — as well as MPEG's Lift Up Women mentorship program. The book has been heavily influenced by my experience mentoring others. I love this community. I really do. It makes this competitive field feel less cut- throat. "A rising tide lifts all all boats," and when I see a friend or mentee succeed, it feels like a shared win. ■ This interview has been edited for length and clarity. LOOKING UP: Jared Simon at his work station. P H OT O : C O U R T E S T J A R E D S I M O N