Hollywood Editing Mentor

The idea of moving to a new city without a  job or any contacts can be scary and intimidating, but these feelings shouldn't prevent you from moving forward with your plans. There are a lot of things that you can do prior to such a move  that'll make that transition much easier and less stressful.

This is what I discuss with editor Iain Erskine, ACE (TRUE STORY, PENNY DREADFUL: CITY OF ANGELS, NARCOS: MEXICO, MANHUNT: UNABOMBER) on this episode and he shares his experience of moving from London to Los Angeles, and having to reboot his career in the United States.

Iain also talks about the benefits of hiring an agent and how you can go about finding the right one.

Other topics Iain and I discuss include how you can start making contacts before you move out to Los Angeles, how it all comes down to one person giving you an opportunity, the importance of following up with people, the challenges of networking in LA, how adversity builds character, strategies for finding an agent, why the 10% agent fee is worth it, and why you still need to network even if you have an agent.

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Learning to be a leader and a well-rounded filmmaker are certainly two things that will help you stand out as an editor.

A big part of being an editor is having good leadership skills in order to motivate and enable others to contribute towards the success of a production. Also being more knowledgeable of other subjects like cinematography, screenwriting, directing, music composition, or sound design can help you communicate more effectively with other creatives and lead to a long-lasting, successful career. As Roger Nygard, ACE said in a previous episode of the podcast - "Don't be an editor who cuts films, be a filmmaker who edits."

My guest on episode 29 is director of photography Shane Hurlbut, ASC (THE RIM OF THE WORLD, TERMINATOR: SALVATION, WE ARE MARSHALL, NEED FOR SPEED) and he  shares advice on how you can become a better leader and also talks about his role as an educator through various online platforms including the Filmmakers Academy which he started last year.

I’m also excited to share that I have joined the Filmmakers Academy as their editing mentor, and it’s been great working with their team and the other mentors, and creating courses about the craft of editing so make sure to check it out today!

Some of the topics Shane and I will be discussing on the show today include the importance of developing resilience to thrive in this industry, the future of cinematography, overcoming challenges when trying to break into feature films, how to shine a spotlight on yourself and stand out from others, choosing the right projects to work on, the importance of having a significant other that supports your career goals, and we’ll hear all about the Filmmakers Academy!

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Original Music: "Apollo's Haze" and "Do You Want" by Jesusdapnk
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Original Music: "Apollo's Haze" and "Do You Want" by Jesusdapnk
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In episode 28, I talk to Emmy-nominated editor Justin Krohn, ACE and assistant editor Chris Guiral about their recent experience working on the Apple TV+ series WECRASHED, which stars Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway. We also dive deep into the working relationship between an editor and an assistant editor on Hollywood scripted television shows.

Justin and Chris not only share their process of how they like to work together, but also give advice on what questions assistants can ask their editors if, for example, they want to start cutting scenes or possibly get a co-edit or maybe even get that support to getting bumped up to being a full-time editor.

There's some great insight here from a successful editing team that has worked on very big shows including MR. ROBOT, HOMECOMING, BLOODLINE, TWIN PEAKS: THE RETURN, and AMERICAN HORROR STORY.

Some of the topics discussed in this episode include what questions an assistant editor can ask their editor when they're working together for the first time, why an assistant editor is a creative partner, why you don't need to have scripted TV credits to work on a scripted TV show, how editors can help their assistants move their career forward, how Justin and Chris collaborated on a cool montage sequence in episode 7 of WECRASHED, and a deeper behind-the-scenes look at their experience cutting the Apple TV+ series.
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BREAK INTO SCRIPTED, a new course from Hollywood Editing Mentor, is the ultimate guide to starting a career in the post-production department of films and scripted television shows. The Spring 2022 course sold out in a day, so make sure to get on the waitlist for the next round of enrollment: hollywoodeditingmentor.com/waitlist

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Original Music: "Apollo's Haze" and "Do You Want" by Jesusdapnk
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Check out our free content and other resources! >>>

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Original Music: "Apollo's Haze" and "Do You Want" by Jesusdapnk
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Emmy and ACE Eddie-nominated editor Roger Nygard, ACE has worked with some of the funniest people in the business and has edited episodes from series such as CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, VEEP, and WHO IS AMERICA?

His new book, CUT TO THE MONKEY, not only serves as a guide to editing comedy, but also to having a successful career as an editor. Roger shares stories of his journey through Hollywood - revealing the techniques behind how the experts find the funny in any project - that will leave readers feeling inspired and better prepared to deal with their own struggles.

The book also features contributions about writing, creating, and editing comedy from some of the biggest names in the comedy business, including Judd Apatow, Sacha Baron Cohen, Larry David, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and many more!

Click here to get your copy of CUT TO THE MONKEY!

Learn more about editing comedy:
Ep. 22 - Building Trust, Cutting Comedy, and the editing of TED LASSO with Melissa McCoy, ACE and A.J. Catoline, ACE

Help keep the mic on by donating to the Hollywood Editing Mentor Podcast!

Original Music: "Apollo's Haze" and "Do You Want" by Jesusdapnk
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Original Music: "Apollo's Haze" and "Do You Want" by Jesusdapnk
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Troy Takaki, ACE is a top film editor (and bass player for the punk band The Boneless Ones), who has cut such box office hits as SWEET HOME ALABAMA starring Reese Witherspoon and HITCH starring Will Smith.  He is one of the few picture editors that splits his time between features and television.  He recently edited shows such as YOU  for Netflix and MR. MERCEDES  for Direct TV, and is currently editing CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN  for Disney Plus. 

Aside from working on great projects, Troy has been very active in Hollywood mentoring those in the post production industry. He started the American Cinema Editors' Diversity Mentorship Program after editor Lilian Benson did an informal count several years ago and found that there were fewer than 25 people of color in the organization.

In episode 26 of the Hollywood Editing Mentor Podcast, Troy will dive deep into mentoring - what it means to be mentored, how you can mentor other people, and why it's so important in the post production industry. He'll also break down his mentoring process and give advice on how you can find your own mentors.

Troy will also tell us about his book "Don't Miss Out On Any Avocado Milkshakes: The Art and Joy of Being a Film Editor" and explain what American Cinema Editors and the ACE Diversity Mentorship Program are all about, as well as how you can become a member of both of these groups.

Other topics Troy and I discuss are the importance of cutting projects on the side, how you can break in to Hollywood, why it's best to be in LA in you want to work in film or scripted television, and how you can get bumped up from assistant to editor.

Tons of great advice in this one!

CLICK HERE to join the Hollywood Editing Mentor community!

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Featured Music: "Crossing Over" and "Back To The Grind" by The Boneless Ones

Original Music: "Apollo's Haze" and "Do You Want" by Jesusdapnk
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Check out our free content and other resources! >>>

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Original Music: "Apollo's Haze" and "Do You Want" by Jesusdapnk
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Episode 25 of the Hollywood Editing Mentor podcast is a replay of a live webinar and Q&A about The Editing of Narcos: Mexico with Hugo Diaz and Chris Cavanagh that was recorded live on November 12, 2021.

This episode has been edited for clarity. If you'd like to see the entire presentation, including the sample clips from season 3 of Narcos: Mexico that Hugo and Chris dissect, check out the video version of this episode on the Hollywood Editing Mentor YouTube Channel.

Here are some of the topics that are discussed in episode 25:

• How Hugo and Chris landed the gig on Narcos: Mexico
• Breaking into scripted television editorial in Hollywood
• Getting editing opportunities as an assistant
• The importance of being ready for and taking advantage of big opportunities
• How Hugo got the chance to edit the main title of Narcos: Mexico (season 1) as an assistant
• Showing your editing work to producers as an assistant
• How to build relationships with producers
• The importance of communicating your goals to producers and other members of your editorial team
• Transitioning from unscripted to scripted television editorial
• Making a career transition when you have a family
• Being a non-Spanish speaker and working on Narcos: Mexico
• Dissecting specific scenes from season 3 of Narcos: Mexico 
• Shooting and editing season 3 of Narcos: Mexico during the pandemic
• Working with a new character in the show, Victor Tapia
• The historical accuracy of Narcos: Mexico 
• Living in Tijuana, Mexico in the ‘90s
• Advice for breaking in to scripted television editorial and getting promoted up to editor
• Insight into the career of a scripted television editor
• Communicating with your editor as an assistant

CLICK HERE to join the Hollywood Editing Mentor community!

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Original Music: "Apollo's Haze" and "Do You Want" by Jesusdapnk
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Original Music: "Apollo's Haze" and "Do You Want" by Jesusdapnk
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Misha Tenenbaum from EditStock and EditMentor is my guest on episode 24 of the Hollywood Editing Mentor Podcast and he's on the show to tell you how you can become a better visual storyteller, and also give some advice to those that have that entrepreneurial spirit and are interested in starting their own business.

EditMentor is more than just a tool to teach video editing. It's a reimagining of how all digital creative arts should be taught...through hands-on, project-based practice that places the understanding of creative technique, not software, at the center of a learner's educational experience.

Misha is the CEO and Founder of EditMentor and he started this project because he believes that after reading and writing, video editing is the world's next literacy. So he's on show today to tell us how EditMentor works and how it can help you to take your visual storytelling game to the next level.

We will also be discussing his journey from being an editor and assistant in Hollywood to becoming a business owner, how he overcame his fear of starting EditStock, how it’s important to pursue the path to what really is going to make you happy, the future of working from home in the post production industry, how the craft of editing is evolving, the EditMentor advance course taught by Stephen Mark, ACE (Deadwood, The X-Files, Sneaky Pete), and Misha will share advice for anyone trying to make a career transition or that is looking to start their entrepreneurial journey.

Other topics discussed in this episode include:

• What motivated Misha to create EditStock
• How Misha is shaping the post production industry     
• What Misha misses the most about working in post production in Hollywood
• How Misha got the idea to create EditMentor
• The path to creating EditMentor
• Overcoming challenges when trying to launch a business
• The future of online learning
• Thinking of editing not only as a highly specialized artistic field for professionals only, but also as a universal language 
• Learning to be video literate

CLICK HERE to join the Hollywood Editing Mentor community!

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Original Music: "Apollo's Haze" and "Do You Want" by Jesusdapnk
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Original Music: "Apollo's Haze" and "Do You Want" by Jesusdapnk
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Do you know of an editor that has won two ACE Eddie Awards in the same night?

I do!

That's Will Znidaric, ACE who's my guest on the show today and we’re gonna have a deep and honest conversation about the phycology of editing and also get some insight into the world of documentaries because Will has worked on some amazing, high profile projects such as the Oscar-winning documentary Winter on Fire, Five Came Back, Jane, Quincy, The Black Godfather, Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez, and Biggie: I've Got a Story to Tell. If you’ve watched a documentary in the last couple of years, you've very likely seen Will’s work. He’s gonna be talking not only about his editing process, but also share his thoughts on how psychology is 50% of the work, and it can be  attributed to finding success in post production and  becoming a better editor. 

But aside from being an awesome person and talented editor, Will is also very knowledgeable about the post production industry and has a lot of experience. About 5 years ago, he gave me some piece of advice that helped me make a mindset shift with regards to job rejection. For many years, I'd take it personally if I was not given a job opportunity and it created a lot of self doubt for me, which led to me losing motivation and belief in myself and my abilities. I have a story to share about how Will changed my perspective on rejection that will help you next time you  miss out on a job you wanted.

Will and I will also be discussing his path from cutting commercials to award-winning documentaries, how it’s okay to take the long road to success in the post production industry, ways you can gain confidence and keep growing as an editor,  finding personal growth through pain, the importance of being an optimist as an editor, why it’s important to take care of your health, tips on how you can improve your storytelling skills, and we’ll get some practical advice from Will on how to become a documentary editor. 

Will and I also discuss the following topics:

• The connection between cinematography and editing
• Discovering that a job or career is not right for you
• The slow, steady approach from being assistant to becoming an editor
• Starting to build relationships as an assistant editor
• Having a bright, open, helpful attitude will allow you to become a better editor 
• How there are no shortcuts to good editing
• The realities of working in editorial
• How Will got first documentary gig on the Oscar-winning documentary Winter on Fire
• The essential skills of being a good editor
• How Will finds the essence of the story in documentaries
• Debunking the myth that unscripted assistants or editors can’t work on scripted projects 
• The importance of overcoming shyness, putting yourself out there, and communicating your goals
• Why it’s important to seek new challenges to keep growing as an editor
• The health & wellness aspect of an editing career
• How taking work breaks helps with mental clarity and finding solutions in the edit

CLICK HERE to join the Hollywood Editing M

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Original Music: "Apollo's Haze" and "Do You Want" by Jesusdapnk
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This is episode 22 of the Hollywood Editing Mentor podcast and it’s for all those Ted Lasso fans out there. Emmy-nominated editors Melissa McCoy, ACE and A.J. Catoline, ACE are here to talk about the hit Apple TV+ show and we're gonna get a behind-the-scenes look at the editing of this awesome series.

We’re also gonna talk about their approach to cutting comedy and discuss ways how to properly network and build trust with people in the post production industry.

Melissa McCoy, ACE first fell in love with filmmaking, and editing specifically, while a student at Western Michigan University. She then made her way to California and earned a Master’s in Editing from Chapman University Dodge College of Film & Media Arts. In 2007 she earned a coveted internship with ACE, which jump-started her career. Melissa has edited Life Sentence for the CW and the action-comedy series, Whiskey Cavalier on ABC. Her work on Ted Lasso earned her an ACE Eddie Award and an Emmy nomination this year. 

A.J. Catoline, ACE  is from Cape Cod, Massachusetts and is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and USC’s Master of Professional Writing Program. He serves on the Board of Directors of The Motion Picture Editors Guild and is a regular contributor to CineMontage Magazine. In addition to Ted Lasso, his picture editing credits include Speechless (ABC), Brockmire (IFC) and Black Jesus (Adult Swim).

Melissa, A.J., and I will be discussing the importance of building trust with people in order to find opportunities in the post production industry, the one skill that helped them stand out as assistant editors, how Ted Lasso is a show about mentorship, working on the edit with Jason Sudeikis, how they balanced the comedic and dramatic moments in the show, working with improv in comedy, and more great insight into the editing of season 2 of Ted Lasso!

Other topics discussed in episode 22:

• Not knowing when a show will be a hit and giving it your best 
• Learning something new on every job
• How Melissa and A.J. made their way to the editing chair
• Practical networking advice from Melissa and A.J.
• Adapting to working from home and using new technology
• The importance of taking breaks from work
• How the Ted Lasso post production team communicates while working remotely
• How Jason Sudeikis embraced the use of iPhones in Ted Lasso
• The approach Melissa and A.J. took to editing season 2 of Ted Lasso
• Determining what’s funny and if a joke is going to work or not
• Using ScriptSync in comedy
• How Melissa put together the "She’s a Rainbow" sequence in episode 205

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One of the things about working in the post production industry is that a huge opportunity can suddenly come knocking without any notice. It certainly has happened to me. 

On episode 21 of the Hollywood Editing Mentor podcast, editor/assistant editor Chris Cavanagh joins me to talk about the importance of putting in the work to prepare ourselves for big opportunities, which he recently got when he was asked if he was ready to co-edit an episode of the hit Netflix show, Narcos: Mexico. We’ll hear all about his experience and some cool stories from the past 5 years because that’s how long I’ve known Chris. 

It was five years ago that Chris and I landed in Los Angeles and started our journey to transition from unscripted to scripted television. We met at a networking event not long after we both arrived in LA from New York City and instantly connected and became friends. We supported each other during this transitional period, eventually broke into scripted television editorial in Hollywood, and now we actually got a chance to work together on Narcos: Mexico. Chris was my assistant editor on season 3 and we ended up co-editing an episode. So now that he's getting his first scripted co-editing credit, Chris is also going to share his strategy for making his way to the editing chair full time.

Chris and I will also be discussing ideas that can help you get out of your comfort zone in order to achieve your goals, how you can take ownership of your career and develop a vision for your future, ways to build trust with colleagues, the importance of putting yourself out there and communicating your interests, how we can find emotional support by being part of a community, why it’s important to give a job 100% effort even if you know it’s not suited for you, saying ‘no’ to work that is not going to lead us down the right career path, and much more practical advice and stories from two people that made a career change to pursue their dreams.

Other topics discussed in this episode include:

• How Chris learned Spanish to prepare for working on season 3 of Narcos: Mexico
• Creating a financial plan to make a career change when you have a family and move to a new city
• How Chris got his first big break in scripted television as an assistant editor on the hit Netflix series, Cobra Kai
• Character-building moments at a Spartan Race
• Getting hired on a scripted television series even though you don’t have the right experience
• Not being an expert at a job, but being able to find solutions to problems
• Making mistakes at work doesn’t define who you are
• Doing everything possible to not make the same mistake twice
• Learning new skills by simply talking to people and asking questions
• How episode 2 with Auggie Rexach influenced Chris
• Finding support through mentorship
• Chris’ experience working on season 3 of Narcos: Mexico
• Incorporating yourself into a new post production team
• Negotiating a co-editing credit as an assistant editor

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