Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/832212
60 CINEMONTAGE / Q2 2017 mother who overcomes a troubled background of sexual abuse and illiteracy to become the winner of American Idol in 2004. Other musical productions Lillian has worked on include the Suzanne De Passe-produced tribute Motown 40: The Music Is Forever (1998), directed by Yvonne Smith and Hart Perry. A recent passion project Lillian co- produced, wrote, directed and edited is Amen: The Life and Music of Jester Hairston (2013), a documentary about composer, songwriter, conductor, singer, educator and actor Hairston. About her second film as director, Lillian says, "Every type of popular music we listen to today has its roots in the songs of the ancestors: the spirituals. Jester Hairston spread that knowledge as he taught and performed. We are simply carrying the tradition further." A similar statement could be made about Lillian's own life; she continues to spread knowledge as she teaches and creates. Lest all these credits are not enough, Lillian is also a stalwart editor of major dramatic television series. She brings to these assignments the professionalism, cooperation and dedication that characterize all her editing work. Throughout 2016, she worked on three episodes of Dick Wolf 's Chicago Med on NBC, and continues with the series in 2017. Last year also saw her at work on Oprah Winfrey's OWN network series Greenleaf (2016), which relates the misdeeds and dark secrets hidden in a mostly African-American megachurch, led by the Greenleaf family. Lillian related her experiences on this job with those who attended ACE's EditFest, sharing advice on how she got hired for the series and the demands of editing episodic television. After 20 years in Hollywood, Lillian attributes her success in network episodic drama to "being a little bit stubborn and… hardworking. I don't take no for an answer," she affirms. "But it did take a long time." In all genres, Lillian's editing is conceived in service to the story, the characters and the director's vision. She rejects the idea that she has a single personal artistic style, preferring to deliver what individual projects require. At ease following a precisely written script, required in stock footage- heavy documentaries like Eyes on the Prize, Lillian can also swing with dance action in Beyond the Steps: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (2006). Her work includes formulaic non-fiction television, episodes of A&E's Mysteries of the Bible (1995-1998), and small, personal films made with no money for "someone who loves me." She has the chops to make good actors' performances better and talking-head academics' pontifications interesting. Lillian is a master of classic "invisible editing" — a rare and