Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1543164
16 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 LINDSAY HUANG ASSISTANT EDITOR Q: Where are you currently employed? I'm working for Little Monster Films, a production company founded by Academy Award-winning directors Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. [2018 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, "Free Solo"] Q: Current projects? A NatGeo (National Geographic) docu- mentary about skier and mountaineer Jim Morrison's recent achievement on Everest's north face, where he became the first to ski down the mountain's hardest route. Q: Describe your job. In general, my role is to facilitate the editing process and ensure a seamless collaboration within the team. It comes with technical, organizational, creative, and communicative responsibilities. The technical aspect includes knowledge of various software, troubleshooting tech glitches, and comprehensive understand- ing of the workflows. The organizational component exists in every aspect of the job. It can refer to the setup and maintenance of the project, record-keeping of stock footage, naming and tracking visual effects shots, etc. It's highly satisfying to see a clean and organized project. Depending on the project, creative responsibilities can include sound design, music editing, dailies assembly, and temp visual effects. Another very important part of the job is communi- cation. I see the assistant editor as a bridge between production, editorial, and other post-production departments. Compiling and relaying information is crucial to the whole process. Q: How did you first become interested in this line of work? After grad school, I got my first oppor- tunity to edit some short projects that I worked on with friends in 2021, and I really enjoyed the process. During this time, I was working full-time as a production manager, which required strong organizational and time-management skills. These skills also paid off in assistant editing work, and ed- iting provided a more creative outlet that I really enjoyed. Q: Who gave you your first break? Aacharee "Ohm" Ungsriwong referred me, Ulysses Guidotti interviewed me, and Leslie Converse hired me as an assistant editor on the feature "White Noise." I feel so fortunate and grateful that they offered me my big break right when I had decided to transition into editing. Q: What was your first union job? It was "White Noise," directed by Noah Baumbach and edited by Matthew Hannam. It's an adaptation of the 1985 novel by Don DeLillo. The film stars Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, and Don Cheadle. Q: What credits or projects are you proudest of, and why? "Preparation for the Next Life" and "Fa- miliar Touch" are probably the two projects I'm proudest of. "Preparation for the Next Life" is adapted from a novel and tells the story of a Uyghur woman trying to build a better life in New York. "Familiar Touch" follows an elderly woman as she transitions into assisted living and learns to navigate a new chapter of her life. Both films remind me why I wanted to work in film in the first