Editorial Leaders on the DNA of a Great Editor

By Kellie Atton
Posted September 12, 2016

Editing. The art of bringing storytelling, both simple and highly complex to life. An art form where the innate knack for creative cohesion and a gift of great vision are paramount. What makes an editor a true artist in their field? What drives these visionaries to do what they do and what do the companies that rely on their skills look for when choosing the perfect editor for a project?

In our previous installment of the Simian Insider series, the world’s leading production companies divulged their top needs and wants when it comes to hiring directorial talent. If you missed it, you can check it out here.

In this installment, we polled the pros from today’s top editorial companies for their insights into what it takes to gain today’s elite, editing edge.

Let’s get started…

Beast Edit

Morgan Bradley
Editor
Beast, San Francisco

I remember thinking about what makes a great editor years ago, when I first started as an assistant.  I would closely watch each new editor I worked beside, noting what I thought worked well and what didn't. I couldn't believe how many different approaches seemed to work! Some editors were so loose - their projects a colorful mess. Others were quietly meticulous, keeping everything neat and tidy. I studied them all. Over time I developed my own approach, borrowing what, for me, represented the best of all worlds.

There's the editing part, of course, where organization is crucial. It's the key to my sanity. I approach jobs methodically, structuring my project the same way every time. I've streamlined my settings, folder structures, fast keys and body movements at my desk. I control what I can control, freeing up my mind for the unexpected. All of this helps me be as fast as possible, which has always been a huge priority for me (my mentor used to do speed drills with me where he'd time me doing cut downs!).

Then there's the other half: the people part. It’s my favorite part. SO much of my job is psychology. Reading the room, listening for the loudest voice, having patience while ideas take shape on my couch. The listening skills are key: turning them on when I need to make sense of some feedback, and turning them off when clients start airing their agency grievances. My room needs to feel cozy and relaxed, a safe place where people can get away from their day to day and focus on the work.

I love being an editor. It's taken me around the world, introduced me to dear friends, and taught me life lessons. Becoming an editor was incredibly challenging, but it's my love for it that drove me. I go to work every day with my best friends, and love what I do. And that's pretty great.


CharlieUniformTango

Deedle LaCour
Editor
CharlieUniformTango, Dallas

A great editor understands all of the nuances and personalities of a project. Be it the director’s vision, the writer’s words or the producer’s budget, he or she can execute the idea of the project “as scripted,” but always strives to make it better and goes down every rabbit hole worth exploring. A great editor knows the footage backwards and forwards and has confidence in the way he or she puts an edit together, because all things have actually been considered. Great editors can make themselves cry, laugh out loud or give themselves goose bumps when they’re alone in the bay with their edit.

Anybody can assemble a good edit if the footage is fantastic, but a great editor can take horrible footage and turn it into something special. The editor should bring out the best in everyone involved in the project and facilitate a collaborative experience that produces great work. Having a strong and well-informed opinion is a must, but without the ego.

A great editor is talented, versatile, patient, flexible, technical, a problem solver, detailed, fast and has rhythm. Oh, and most importantly, a great editor always has great taste in music. 😉


Cutters Studios

Mary Connolly
Executive Producer
Cutters, Detroit

A great editor trusts their own instincts – then the challenge is to keep that trust through the process! That's what differentiates you as a creative partner and what makes you completely unique. It's why clients choose you and come back to you. A client wants to see what you think, to see where your own unique, confident creative voice takes the story. To find that nugget of truth or hilarity or emotion that's unexpected and helps propel the story and the message. The footage is really the clay in the artist’s hands, and the creative decisions a really great editor makes will take it from a simple lineup of shots to unexpected moments that make you feel. It's what makes you a truly unique, valuable creative partner.

The process from there is not easy. But the editor who maintains the same bright curiosity every time the boards come through or the footage arrives – and maintains their passion for the creative process of storytelling through the collaborative work with the agency and client – is who we treasure. It’s what sets you apart from the rest. That, plus the ability to entertain the room, be responsive to all requests, collaborate with directors, manage the entire post production process and mentor up-and-coming talent, all while creating magic. Easy, right?


Drive Thru Productions

Mark Setterholm
President
Drive Thru Productions, Minneapolis

I’m influenced by the fact that our company is a hybrid that integrates production and post under one roof, so our editors benefit by having close contact with directors and effects artists. That said, I like an editor who studies the storyboards and the director’s treatment before the shoot day. Depending on the project, it might even be appropriate for the editor to attend the pre-pro meeting. I like to see the editor come to the shoot to observe and talk to both the director and the agency creative team about their likes and concerns. I like an editor who can work well with an assistant or can work solo if need be. I like an editor who will cover off on the given storyboard, but is also prepared to present a few variations on the theme to the creative team.

When it comes to skills, I like an editor who has good knowledge of the popular editing programs and also knows After Effects and other motion graphics programs that will allow him or her to communicate to the client a more complicated effect. I also like an editor who has good knowledge of font styles, has a good ear for music and has a personal list of favorite tracks from more obscure music libraries.

I like an editor who’s willing to help the agency creative team sell in the best cut to their client, even though the client might be afraid of it. An editor who’s sensitive to the vibe in the room and is willing to do what it takes to make the edit a pleasant experience for all - a cheerleader for the editorial house where they work, and for the company’s support staff.


Editbar

Michael Reuter
Partner & Editor
Editbar, Boston

Working within the worlds of 30 and 60 seconds is a unique space to navigate as an editor. You have to fight for every frame, and each one has to count.

At the start of a job, my team and I touch base with the agency, and sometimes the director, to get a read on how the shoot went and what they’re excited about. I look to the boards for a feel of the intended structure of the project. Then I dive into the dailies. I rarely look at scripts or script notes before making my initial selects.

No matter what the subject or style of the spot, I approach every job the same way. I watch every single frame of my dailies. I make selects based on instinctual response, marking what catches my eye, regardless of context. Movement, delivery, and framing play into these decisions, but ultimately it boils down to one guiding principle – go with your gut.

I like to revisit my dailies after I have a few cuts in place that everyone is feeling.  More often than not, having more creative context, I find something there I didn’t see the first time.

With any artistic endeavor, the more projects you involve yourself in, the more you grow creatively. Confidence in your skills comes from constantly pushing yourself. You need to explore strong styles and visuals, those that you find yourself drawn to, but also those you may not naturally gravitate towards.  All these experiences will ultimately build a catalogue in your brain of which choices have worked and which have not. You won’t become the editor you want to be by sitting around waiting for people to give you work. You have to seek it out.


Nomad Edit

Jennifer Lederman
Executive Producer & Partner
Nomad, New York

A great editor will always have a point of view that ultimately makes the cut more interesting. While there’s often a specific board that needs to be cut, a truly great editor will nail what the client expected and ALSO put the footage together in ways that may have not been previously thought of. The editor is in the fortunate position of having the first opportunity to see the footage as a whole, but how that footage fits together is not always the same as it looked in storyboard form. The editors I’ve most respected use scenes that are unexpected to help move the cut along.

Great editors understand art and framing. They understand music and pacing. They’re current, interesting and relevant. They embrace new technologies, new media and new art forms. They understand how to collaborate with the director. And they know how to incorporate all of those attributes into cuts that make the client say, “Wow, we never thought of that!”

Ultimately, to me, the best editors visualize what they want to see in their heads before translating that on the computer. The “box” is their tool, but GREAT editors still need to be creative, artistic, and visual.


Relish Edit

Steve Manz
Editor & Partner
Relish, Toronto

A great edit can be virtually invisible or shockingly disruptive, but must always elicit an emotional response.

While anyone today can cobble a few scenes together and tell a basic story, those with the highest level of craftsmanship produce something deeper, more evocative, with fluidity and elegance. An accomplished editor must be an expert in story structure, composition, camera blocking, pacing (both dramatic and comedic), sound design and color.

On the other side of the coin, a really great editor must also be a master interpreter, a psychologist (at times), and an adept negotiator. With so many individual voices contributing to a project, a large part of an editor’s task is to acknowledge all of these creative visions and cohesively craft the finest edit. Often this means interpreting the comments rather than simply executing them.

We look for cutters that are not only proficient in all of these skills of course, but also those who are able to inject their unique stylistic perspective into the work in a way that is both appropriate and enhancing.


The Colonie Edit

Brian Sepanik
Editor & Partner
The Colonie, Chicago

There are so many factors that go into making a great editor, but the first two that come to mind are passion and craftsmanship.

If you don’t have passion for the project you’re working on you shouldn’t even show up. It’s the excitement and the energy that an editor brings that elicits confidence, trust and inspiration with your clients and collaborators. It’s also that passion that shows up at 2 AM, when you awaken with additional ideas that you can’t wait to try.

Regarding craftsmanship, I consider editing to be a blue collar job. By the time you receive your film, probably 100 people have worked on this project and now it’s all in your hands. You sit at your computer, roll up your sleeves, go to work and create. It’s your job to look at every frame of film and know it inside and out. You then have to put in the hard work and energy to explore as many options as possible in order to make sure you are telling the best story in the simplest way. There are moments of doubt along the way, and you have to keep working and keep pushing until you’ve crafted the material provided into something great. It’s a tremendous responsibility and it’s incredibly rewarding when you see viewers feel the emotion in the story you’ve helped bring to life.


And there’s more where that came from. For more insider tips, industry trends and new and notable news, check out our full list of blog topics.

Have additional editing insights to share? We’d love to hear from you! Let us know on Twitter or Facebook.


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