Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/990701
39 Q2 2018 / CINEMONTAGE the proper mix for them. The songs were by Boots as well, which was a unique experience that I loved. We spent a lot of time together looking at certain scenes. CM: Does having the director as composer add another layer? MAY: It does. Because he's a musician, Boots' ability to hear not just the music but the whole sound experience during the mix was so specific. You can hear the quality of a dripping sound hitting a desk or the balance between the sound design and the music. He could articulate so specifically that it made all of our jobs easier. It's a joy when that happens, rather than testing out all the time: "Is this right?" "Do you like this?" It also felt like the songs were still being written as I was editing them. There were a lot of phone calls with Boots' audio engineer in the Bay Area. Boots would ask for another version of the song: "The drums are different here; it's not loud enough; what about a little bit of the background vocals?" I felt like I was in the middle of a studio — part of the music production of the actual soundtrack — while I was on the stage editing and it was being mixed. I think we really gave it the attention that it deserved. It was highly ambitious given the time frame, but I think we nailed it. I wish it was like that more often, how freely ideas are tossed around. It can get down to the wire to change things at the last minute, but at the same time, it really did feel like we were being creative to the maximum potential in the allotted time. I think at the end of the day, we're all in it for that reason, for sure. CM: Tell me about your mentors? How did mentorship fit in with your shift into film music editing? MAY: I am fortunate to say that I have quite a few mentors within the post-production community here in the city. I was able to build these relationships because I was proactive early on and attended many events at LIPPS [Ladies in Post-Production], Post New York Alliance [PNYA] and master classes at the Editors Guild office. For the Guild, I've taken the initiative to join the Diversity Committee and am now serving as an Eastern Region alternate member of the Board of Directors. CM: So mentorship is important to you… MAY: Mentorship is crucial — especially given that there are so few opportunities for apprenticeship due to shorter production schedules, tighter budgets, independent digital workflows and stricter guidelines for interns. My colleague, music editor Chad Birmingham, has been an exceptional mentor for me as I made my transition from picture assistant to music editor. Because mentorship has had such a positive impact on my life, I have taken it upon myself to mentor high school students at Reel Works, a nonprofit organization based in Brooklyn that challenges high-risk teens to tell their stories and be heard. As I have always been the only woman of color in editorial or on the mix stage, I am focusing a lot of my efforts in training youth from all races, cultures and backgrounds. f Sorry to Bother You. Annapurna Pictures