Hollywood Editing Mentor

Amy Duddleston, ACE has over 30 years of experience in feature and television picture editing and most recently received two Emmy nominations for her work on HBO’s Mare of Easttown. Starting out as an apprentice editor, she made her way up to assistant editor working on films like My Own Private Idaho, Corrina, Corrina, and To Die For. As an editor, she has cut 20 features, including High Art, Laurel Canyon, Elegy, and Gus Van Sant’s remake of Psycho, as well as nearly 80 hours of television on series such as Dexter, The Killing, Vida, Hunters, and most recently, Mare of Easttown.

In episode 20, Amy and I talk about the role persistence plays in launching and maintaining an editing career. It’s no mystery that it can be challenging to break in to this industry, but if we believe it’s possible, immersive ourselves in our goals, tune out any external distractions and stick with it, we will achieve our dreams. Amy also points out how 80% of success in this industry is having good communication and a positive attitude. While she has always been good at her job, it’s these social skills that have opened up opportunities for her.

Amy and I also discuss how she got jobs when she first landed in LA by cold calling, the importance of finding a mentor, the difference between working in film and scripted television editorial, how saving money and managing our finances can help us with our editing career, tips for cutting dark or disturbing scenes, and of course we’ll talk about Amy’s experience editing Mare of Easttown and she’ll also share her biggest piece of advice for those trying to break in to film and scripted television editing in Hollywood. 

A lot of the advice Amy shares are things I applied on my own journey to Hollywood and I can tell you from experience…it works! Amy’s been doing this for over 30 years so she knows a thing or two about this industry. Definitely pay attention and take plenty of notes, there’s tons of great information in this one!

We also dive into the following topics in episode 20:

• How reading an article in college about legendary editor Dede Allen inspired Amy to become an editor
• Amy’s first film intership in the editorial department of Revenge of the Nerds
• Working harder to prove yourself as a female editor in Hollywood
• Working from home and collaborating with directors and producers
• Being mentored by editor Curtiss Clayton (My Own Private Idaho)
• The importance of putting yourself out there and telling people what your goals are
• What Amy really liked about editing scripted television shows
• How the 2008 financial crisis had an effect on Amy’s editing career
• Amy taking over the editing of all the episodes of Mare of Easttown when the other editor got fired
• Exploring Mare’s (played by Kate Winslet) personal journey of self-growth in the edit
• Amy explains the mystery behind the “Dog of Easttown”
• The benefit of taking a step back in your career

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Editor Dean Gonzalez has worked with some of my favorite bands (Pearl Jam, The Mars Volta, Red Hot Chili Peppers) and other creative artists that I admire (Danny Clinch, Mark Pellington), and has been able to make the journey from commercials to music videos to documentaries to feature films. In episode 19, Dean shares advice on how to become a versatile editor and maneuver a diverse editing career.

He also share his experience editing the documentary What Drives Us, directed by Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Them Crooked Vultures), which features some of the biggest artists in music like U2’s The Edge, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, Lars Ulrich of Metallica, St. Vincent, Flea, Ringo Starr, and many more recalling the early days of their career when they went on the road in a van. These legendary artists did what they needed to do to follow their dreams, so we’ll connect that idea with our own careers as editors.

Dean and I talk about this awesome documentary, how editors can have success working on a variety of projects, how to avoid being pigeonholed, why it’s okay to suck to succeed, how to learn to trust ourselves, what you can learn from working on projects you’re not crazy about, Dean’s strategy for cutting music videos and documentaries, how he used DaVinci Resolve to edit What Drives Us, and much more.

Lots of cool stories, great career advice, and technical tips in this one!

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Original Music: "Apollo's Haze" by Jesusdapnk
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Original Music: "Apollo's Haze" and "Do You Want" by Jesusdapnk
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It's almost the end of the school year and some college grads will be looking to start a career in editing or post production. My guest on episode 18 of the Hollywood Editing Mentor podcast is post production assistant Haylie Bantle, who was my first mentee of the Hollywood Editing Mentor program. Haylie graduated from college about a year ago right when the pandemic hit and was looking to pursue a career in post production in Hollywood. She signed up to work with me for eight sessions and before we got to finish all of our one-on-one virtual classes, she was able to find a job in Los Angeles in the middle of the pandemic while living in another city.

In this episode, Haylie and I talk about our experience working together and what she got out of this program, what steps she took to secure her first job in LA, developing effective networking strategies, the benefits of having a mentor, the things they don’t teach you in film school, tips for creating a great resume, the importance of looking out for your own interests, and what her life has been like now that she’s been living and working in Hollywood. Haylie also shares her biggest piece of advice for graduating students that are looking to begin their editing career.

Another great episode with a lot of practical information and real-life experiences that you can use to learn and develop strategies to start your own journey to achieving your career goals. SHARE THIS EPISODE with any students or recent college grads who are thinking about or looking to pursue a career in post production!

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Original Music: "Apollo's Haze" by Jesusdapnk
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Garret Donnelly is one of those editors that everyone wants to collaborate with not only because of his editing skills, but also because he's a pleasure to be around. He's always made it a point to do the best work possible while maintaining a positive attitude. It's safe to say that taking this approach has allowed him to move up the editing ranks quickly and work on such hit shows as Narcos: Mexico, NOS4A2, Knightfall, 24: Legacy, and Homeland.

I was fortunate to be Garret's assistant editor on two shows and was able to co-edit an episode with him. He was also very instrumental in me being promoted to full-time editor and also getting my second editing credit. We became good friends and I consider him one of my mentors. I've learned a lot from him, everything from how to be a better storyteller to navigating office politics.

In episode 17 of the Hollywood Editing Mentor podcast, Garret and I talk about the three early stages of an editorial career in scripted television - becoming an assistant editor, getting promoted to editor, and landing the second editing gig. Being that he guided me through this process, Garret and I share practical advice through real life experiences that we've lived through either by ourselves or while working together. It's this type of information that you won't find anywhere else and that schools certainly don't teach.

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Original Music: "Apollo's Haze" and "Do You Want" by Jesusdapnk
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We're still talking about Netflix's The Queen's Gambit on the Hollywood Editing Mentor podcast. Emmy-winning composer Carlos Rafael Rivera is my guest on episode 16 and he's here to talk about his experience scoring The Queen's Gambit and how he collaborated with Michelle Tesoro, ACE, who was on the previous episode of the podcast, and how Carlos met writer/director Scott Frank, it's a really cool story of how they paired up.

We're also gonna get into the psychological concepts and principles that deal with career advancement, such as being humble and knowing your place in the work environment, as well as embracing mistakes and failures, and using these experiences to learn and overcome our fears. It's these principles that he learned from his upbringing that he has applied to his life and career and therefore has allowed him to find great success in Hollywood.

Carlos and I talk all things The Queen's Gambit and music, but we also discuss the importance of effective communication and learning the language of film, dealing with imposter syndrome and taming the fears that can come with working in film and scripted TV, the biggest lesson he learned from being replaced on a project, and the idea that what we are shouldn't define what we make.

A protegé of Randy Newman, Emmy-winning composer Carlos Rafel Rivera's work for film and television includes scoring one of Netflix's most viewed and acclaimed shows in history, The Queen's Gambit. Additionally, he has scored Netflix's Godless, directed by Scott Frank and produced by Steven Soderbergh, starring Jeff Daniels and Michelle Dockery, as well as Universal Pictures' A Walk Among the Tombstones, starring Liam Neeson.

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Other topics Carlos and I talk about:

• Being born in Washington DC and growing up in Central America
• Acclimating to the culture in Central America
• Moving to LA to get his Masters in music composition and getting his rock band signed to Universal Records
• Interpreting  and executing the director’s ideas as a composer 
• Picking your battles as a composer
• Carlos’ approach to composing music 
• Scoring over 20 chess matches in The Queen’s Gambit
• Making chess interesting through music
• What Carlos has learned from the many years making music
• How to deal with uncertainty and second-guessing your work
• How Carlos takes care of his health 
• Why Carlos is inspired by the lives of comedians
• When Scott Frank first told Carlos aboutThe Queen’s Gambit through Scott Frank and his initial thoughts for music after reading the novel written by Walter Tevis
• HIs approach to writing the main title theme for The Queen’s Gambit
• Scott Frank’s initial idea for the score and how it evolved throughout the series
• The challenges and journey of composing the right score
• Writing the music to The Queen’s Gambit with

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Original Music: "Apollo's Haze" and "Do You Want" by Jesusdapnk
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One of my favorite shows from 2020 was Netflix's The Queen's Gambit, so it was great talking to Michelle Tesoro, ACE, who edited the hit series, on episode 15 of the Hollywood Editing Mentor podcast. 

Michelle has an impressive list of editing credits, including Netflix’s Emmy-nominated series When They See Us directed and produced by Ava Duvernay, Netflix’s Emmy-nominated series Godless, directed by Scott Frank and starring Emmy-winner Jeff Daniels, Golden Globe-nominated show House of Cards, and the HBO’s series The Newsroom.

We talk about her path to editing high profile TV shows, how she benefited from the ACE Internship Program even though she didn't get it, getting opportunities by being nice and having a positive attitude, the importance of working with good people, her experience being the sole editor on a limited series, and how she eventually met and got to work with Scott Frank.

Michelle also takes us into the cutting room of The Queen's Gambit and shares how she prepped for the series, her approach to editing the chess matches, how she found the show's rhythm and pacing, her collaboration with Emmy-winning composer Carlos Rafael Rivera, and much more!

Other topics Michelle talks about in episode 15 include:

• Growing up in Chicago and having an interest in the Arts from an early age
• Michelle’s experience at NYU film school and how she developed an interest in editing
• Michelle’s first job after graduating from NYU and what she learned from it
• The struggles of finding work in NYC and making the decision to move to LA
• The benefits of applying for the ACE Internship Program
• The importance of knowing what you want
• Moving to LA and starting from scratch
• Respecting the process of moving up the career ladder
• Getting opportunities by being nice and having a positive attitude
• Putting out good energy to get connected with the right people
• The benefit of having the sound department early on in the editorial process
• Finding the right music for The Queen’s Gambit
• Working with Scott Frank in the cutting room
• What Michelle has learned throughout the years about working with directors
• Setting goals and making sacrifices to achieve them

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Original Music: "Apollo's Haze" by Jesusdapnk
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We're talking all things sound today with supervisor sound editor, Danny Pagan, who has worked with Ron Howard for 25 years starting with Apollo 13.  He explains to us how the sound department of a feature film works, what it consists of, and how it communicates with picture editorial. Danny also shares tips on how to create better sound design and gives advice on how to break into feature film sound. Being that he's worked with Ron Howard for many years, Danny tells us about his experience working with the famed director.

Danny and I also discuss the following in episode 14:

• How Danny started his career as a picture editor in New York City
• How he got the opportunity to work in the sound department on Ron Howard’s Apollo 13 
• Most memorable moment working on a Ron Howard film
• Creating the sound for the rocket launch in Apollo 13
• Not thinking literally when creating sound effects
• Communicating across the sound department to ensure the director’s ideas are being executed
• The importance of not being afraid to ask questions
• The difference between sound editing and mixing
• Making adjustments and choices 
• The importance of sound in film
• Fixing things with sound
• Collaborating with picture editors
• Advice for picture editors on how to communicate with the sound department
• Working with ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement)
• Collaborating with Hans Zimmer
• Networking tips for breaking into feature film sound

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Harry Yoon recently edited A24's Minari  - winner of the domestic Grand Jury Prize and Audience Awards at Sundance 2020 - and the HBO series Euphoria (Season 1). His feature editing credits include Detroit (dir. Kathryn Bigelow), The Best of Enemies (dir. Robin Bissell), and additional editing credits for First Man (dir. Damien Chazelle) and the A24 drama The Last Black Man in San Francisco (dir. Joe Talbot). 

In episode 13 of the Hollywood Editing Mentor podcast, Harry and I talk about the importance of taking risks and making bold decisions when pursuing our passions, how building resilience will help us survive a career in post production, the benefits of being part of a community, editing the critically acclaimed film Minari,  what he's learned from working with Oscar-winning editors, and much more!

We also talk about Harry's online mentorship platform, Sidetime Film, which looks to provide expert advice from experienced professionals through a 1-on-1 audio call.

Some topics Harry and I discuss:

• Being born in Korea and growing up in California (Bay Area)
• Loving movies, but not thinking it was an actual career
• Growing up with immigrant parents created a personal challenge for Harry when deciding to take a risk with a film career
• Debating whether to pursue a career that provided more financial stability
• Quitting his job in tech at age 30 and moving to LA to begin a career in film as a PA
• The importance of taking risks and making bold decisions if you want to pursue your passion
• Why Harry pursued a career in editing
• The early days of Harry’s editing career and the steps he took to jumpstart it
• Looking for a community when you don’t have any contacts in LA
• Taking a holistic approach to starting or advancing an editing career
• The only way to survive is to develop resiliency
• Going from editing a web series to co-editing a studio feature film in the same year
• Developing emotional stability and health along with technical skills in order to survive an editing career
• How Harry got the opportunity to work with Oscar-winning editors
• Any job is a chance to lay the seeds of future work 
• Harry’s experience with Film Independent’s Project Involve and being mentored by Stephen Mirrione, ACE
• Establishing a relationship with Sundance
• Learning from his mistakes and curbing our ego
• Not thinking your current job is only a stepping stone to something else
• The performance and excellence you bring to menial tasks is a reflection of your character
• Harry’s failures taught him very important principles that got him more job opportunities
• What it means to ‘get it’
• Learning from other people’s experiences
• Getting rid of fear by being familiar with the pain
• What Harry learned from his mentors and how he now provides mentorship to the new generation of editors
• Harry’s online mentoring platform, Sidetime Film
• Editing the critically acclaimed feature film, Minari
• Asian-American films resonating with American

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House music producer & DJ, Jesusdapnk, is responsible for providing the original song for the Hollywood Editing Mentor podcast, 'Apollo's Haze.' In episode 12, he shares how he began his career in house music and his process behind creating his tracks. We also talk about the importance of loving what we do as creatives, why it's good to encounter challenges, not being afraid to commit mistakes, and being open to criticism.

Jesusdapnk (whose real name is Jesus Diaz) has made a name for himself in his hometown of San Diego and beyond, having started producing since 2006 and DJing since 2008. His productions have been featured at the top of the charts. Reviving a rare fusion vintage techno/house sound globally, his work has a sound consisting of groovy baselines, analog synths/drums and funky vocals. He has shared the stage with many artists and has played at multiple venues, from nightclubs to festivals and raves. He currently has multiple releases signed onto various labels. Jesusdapnk has also created his Deep House record label Good Luck Penny, established in 2018.

Here are some of the things Jesusdapnk and I discuss in episode 12 of the Hollywood Editing Mentor podcast:

• Jesus’ early musical influences while growing up in Tijuana, Mexico
• Learning to play the drums at age 8
• Starting out making music on his mom’s computer at age 15
• Committing the time to get better at making music and evolving his sound
• Getting record deals as a teenager and making contacts with other house music DJs and producers around the world
• Creating music as a form of therapy
• Advances in technology has made it easier and faster to create music
• How Jesus got interested in house music
• Growing up along the San Diego/Tijuana border and being exposed to house music in the region
• Going to Tijuana to play live shows as a teenager
• Getting live gigs in San Diego
• Insight into Jesus’ process of creating music and how he finds inspiration
• Improvising music based on emotion
• Jesus’ goal with his music has evolved over time
• Expecting too much can lead to disappointment
• Letting things happen organically
• Jesus’ drive is his love of music
• The beauty of doing what you love
• Jesus’ experimentation with film scoring and being inspired by video games
• The importance of challenging yourself creatively
• Finding other opportunities to utilize your creative skillset
• Incorporating some form of creativity into our lives for better mental health
• Artistry in mainstream and social media
• Ways the public can promote artists that are not being noticed or recognized
• Technology helps and ruins art
• Not stressing too much about the things we can’t control
• The state of house music and where the industry is heading
• Reconnecting with other creative endeavors during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Jesus’ recommendation to anyone wanting to create music

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Original Music: "Apollo's Haze" by Jesusdapnk
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Mari Keiko Gonzalez is an award-winning editor whose extensive list of credits include: The Weeknd's show open performance for the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards; Jimmy Carter: Rock and Roll President, which was slated as the opening night film at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival; Janet Jackson, Tupac Shakur, NWA, Stevie Nicks and The Cure's induction films for HBO's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony; ABC's Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?; Tony Bennett Celebrates 90, which won the 2018 Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album; and she is currently editing a documentary about the making of Tom Petty's '94 album Wildflowers.

Mari also produced, directed and edited the documentary, The Music Never Ends about The Mambo Legends Orchestra, formerly known as The Tito Puente Orchestra.

In episode 11, Mari and I talk about her experiences while working at Sony Music, her process behind editing multi-camera concerts and documentaries, working closely with sound mixers and directors, the evolution of the music industry and it's impact on editing jobs, and the benefits of adopting a health and fitness routine. 

Other topics of discussion include:

• Being exposed to the arts while growing up in New York City
• How working at a bar in NYC led Mari to start her career in editing
• Getting interested in editing while working as a receptionist at a film distribution company
• How Mari started her longstanding career at Sony Music
• Why Sony Music kept hiring her
• Cutting internal presentations for Sony Music made her better at editing music
• Being one of the few female editors in town in the earlier part of her career
• Moving from internal presentations to multi-camera concert series 
• Being surrounded by artists such as Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, Tony Bennet, Snoop Dog and many more
• Her process of working with artists on editing sessions
• Learning to play piano, flute, and drums 
• Mari’s experience editing comedy and sports
• Working with her assistant on documentary projects
• The importance of mentorship and some of Mari’s mentors
• What Mari looks for in a potential hire
• Why we need to adapt to new technology and other methods of storytelling
• Mari’s advice for anyone wanting to start an editing career

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Original Music: "Apollo's Haze" and "Do You Want" by Jesusdapnk
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Instagram: @jesusdapnk