Have you ever felt like you didn’t fit in?

Have you ever struggled to find role models that looked like you and had similar life experiences?

If you’re a person of color in Hollywood (specifically post-production), the likelihood is extremely high you know these issues all too well...like a likelihood of roughly 99% (as I discussed in a previous episode with seasoned editor and mentor Monty Degraff).

Furthermore, if you are a POC who’s a college student or recent grad, you might be concerned about how the color of your skin could affect the chances of you succeeding in the industry (and if it’s even worth trying), no?

In today’s conversation, I discuss these issues and more with two recent grads and one senior from Temple University in Philadelphia, all of whom are black. Ariel Brown is a senior in the Film and Media Arts Program. Mirra Watkins graduated from Temple 3 years ago and has since moved to Los Angeles and is working as an AE and Editor in unscripted television and digital media. And last but not least, Isaiah Carey is a 2018 Temple graduate now working in the video production world as a cameraman and editor in Philadelphia.

All three of these amazing, talented, intelligent, and hard-working individuals have navigated their way as minorities in a white-dominant industry and have learned some valuable lessons along the way that they have been courageous enough to share with you. Each of them have adopted the unique perspective to turn their struggles into their greatest assets. And each of them has learned that the adversity they face has made them stronger and more capable in their jobs and in life, and ultimately nothing will deter them from achieving their dreams.

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Here's What You'll Learn:

• Ariel’s deep desire to pursue her passion of the arts through filmmaking.
• Isaiah's love of learning and how that led him into post production.
• How Mirra began building her editing skills as a kid who loved to read.
• Why Mirra hopes to one day be the next Shonda Rhimes and her passion to tell “real s@#! to people” through films and stories.
• KEY TAKE AWAY: Being specific and vocal about your desires and goals will open up the right doors and opportunities to get you where you want to go.
• Isaiah’s dream is to be in a Post Production finishing facility working as a colorist and being part of a team environment.
• Ariel’s favorite stories show that anyone can do anything they can put their minds to and those are the stories she wants to tell.
• Mirra’s experience in high school trying to get into the band and the difficulty she had being accepted in a mostly white school.
• What it’s like to fight for every opportunity including the classes you want to take despite being qualified in every way.
• Even in Philadelphia at Temple University, the number of black students in post production is less than 1%.
• Isaiah’s experience with being treated unfairly on his college thesis project and how he handled it.
• KEY TAKE AWAY: Persistence and perseverance will help you find the right people and places to get the opportunities you want.
• The problem of gentrification for minorities negatively and the lack of awareness among whites.
• Ariel is the first in her family to go to college and graduate and she will not let the color of her skin stand in the way of achieving her dreams.
• KEY TAKE AWAY: Don’t be afraid to sell yourself and use your stories of adversity to demonstrate your value.
• Mirra is not looking for a handout based on her race and wants to be hired for her skills, attitude, and love of stories.
• Advice for hiring managers: Take a shot on those people with lesser experience. They often turn out to be the best.
• Advice for POC dealing with racism: Just keep going and don’t let it dictate the trajectory of your life.

Useful Resources Mentioned:

Ep107: Recognizing, Mentoring, and Promoting Diversity In Hollywood | with Monty DeGraff, ACE

Want to Be Part of the Solution but Don’t Know How? Start with Listening.

Ep11: Making It In Hollywood as a “Creative” (What They Don’t Teach You In Film School) | with Norman Hollyn

[FiP] Ep114: What Every College Student (and Recent Grad) Needs to Know About ‘Making It’ In Hollywood, pt1

[FiP] Ep115: What Every College Student (and Recent Grad) Needs to Know About ‘Making It’ In Hollywood, pt2

Guest Bios:

Mirra Watkins

I wear many hats, depending on the day. I am a Video Editor, an Assistant Editor, a Screenwriter, a Poet, a Podcaster, and a Mental Health Advocate. What I identify most as are a storyteller and an escapist.

Since a child, I’ve always had an affinity for storytelling. Growing up, the library and bookstore was my second home. Such a big love for reading developed my imagination in ways I had no clue would be a significant asset in my writing, filmmaking, and editing. As a teen, my love for film grew out of the desire of wanting to be an actress. I used both novels and films to escape from a depressing childhood, never realizing the connection between the two. An intermediate course in video editing at Community College of Philadelphia was where the two loves collided. Soon after, I continued my film education at Temple University and moved to Los Angeles to pursue my storytelling dreams.

I’ve been fortunate enough to work as an Editor and Assistant Editor in an array of mediums: documentary, commercial, corporate, digital media, and unscripted. I plan to switch to narratives to achieve my dream of editing, writing, and directing stories that help people escape from their harsh realities and help others heal from their heartaches and traumas. Creating and collaborating on real stories, much like my favorite films of 2019 (The Farewell, Honey Boy, and The Last Black Man in San Francisco), is on my horizon.

Ariel Brown

Ariel Brown is a student of Temple University Class of 2021. There she is studying to receive her Bachelor degree in Film and Media Arts with a concentration in post production. While finishing her degree she is also working as a freelance filmmaker and animator.

Ariel's long term goal is to create better accessibility to film and other arts for young, aspiring artists. She believes that art is an amazing outlet for people to flex their creative abilities and that everyone deserves a chance to gain experience in their preferred art form.

In her current endeavors towards this goal, she leads a student-run production organization on her campus, as President. The organization aims to provide more on set and networking opportunities among students throughout the university through a shared love of film.

Isaiah Cary

Hi everyone, my name is Isaiah Cary I am a 24 year old bi-racial male currently working in the film industry in the Greater Philadelphia Area. I graduated from Temple University in 2018 with a degree in Film and Media Arts with a concentration in Post Production. I would like to say that I entered the real film world in August of 2017 with my internship, interning at a production/post production house in Philadelphia. I was lucky enough to have that internship turn into my job/career and here I am now. Working on different productions every week for commercials, ads, tv shows, and many more.

In my free time I love to ski and snowboard and that is what got me into filming. Filming myself and my friends at the mountains having fun and coming home and editing when I was younger was the best thing I could think of, so why not go to school for it! Having gone through film school and entering the "adult" world of the film industry has taught me life lessons that I will never forget.

Show Credits:

This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared by Debby Germino and published by Glen McNiel.

The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/zackarnold/exclusive-content

"It’s important not only to empower ourselves, but to empower each other. We are 200% stronger together than we are as an individual in our common endeavors.”

Imagine a Post Department where you feel a sense of community and mutual respect.

Imagine a Post Department where you are consulted about schedule changes and asked for your input in solving problems.

Imagine a Post Producer who allows for flexibility to balance both work and life responsibilities.

Imagine a Post Producer who believes you should get paid for every hour you work (yes...even nights and weekends!) and wants you to go home when your work is complete…even if it’s before your twelve hours are up.

This is the world that Producer Janace Tashjian has created one show after another during her 30+ year career in the film and television industry, having worked in the past on big name movies such as Avatar and TV shows like Entourage, Shooter, From the Earth to the Moon, Dark Angel, and Ballers (to name just a few).

I’ve spent multiple seasons editing shows alongside Janace, so I can say first hand that she runs her departments in a way that allows for everyone to do their best work while also having a life. In fact, every person I meet who has worked with Janace says the same thing: BEST show I have ever worked on.

So it’s no surprise that when Janace read my article, Dear Hollywood: We Don’t Want to “Go Back to Normal”she struggled to relate to some of the complaints about long hours, people being taken advantage of, and having no work life balance. In today’s conversation we discuss these issues as well as the ways that Janace creates the positive working environments that so many editors appreciate and love.

I hope what you hear today provides a new perspective and a refreshing look at what is possible when we come together and work as a team.

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Here's What You'll Learn:

• The limiting beliefs we work up in our mind are sometimes inflated to what’s happening in the real world.
• Becoming your own self advocate is necessary to setting boundaries and for finding the people willing to listen and want to help.
• The way to release the pressure of saying yes and the fear of being the difficult one to ensure that everyone’s needs are being met and proper expectations are set from the start.
• The importance of planning contingencies in creating schedules so people aren’t getting burned out.
• KEY TAKEAWAY: The quality of the questions you ask determines the quality of your life.
• The core question Janace asks at the start of each project and throughout the process: “What do I need to do to make sure that everyone on my team has what they need to succeed?"
• Why she sees the Post department (Post coordinator, Post supervisor, PA) and the editors and their assistants as one entity and builds the team to work as one cohesive unit.
• She expects that everyone on the team supports each other and works towards one common goal to make the best product possible.
• Her thoughts on the 60 hour work week on call editor classification
• She believes that there should be communication about the work that is being asked and that flexibility is important for both sides so that life and work demands are met for everyone involved.
• When it comes to tight deadlines and working overtime, Janace’s motto is: “How can we help each other figure this situation out?”
• The importance of recognizing and addressing self talk that can be inhibiting your ability to set boundaries.
• Asking for help is not a sign of personal failure.
• We now have the opportunity to share concerns and find interventions that will benefit the whole without compromising the results

Useful Resources Mentioned:

Dear Hollywood: We Don’t Want to “Go Back to Normal.” Normal Wasn’t Working.

Ep111: Parenting In a Post-Pandemic Hollywood | with Natalie Boschan, Bari Winter, Yvette Amirian ACE, and Monica Daniel

Ep112: On Signing COVID Waivers, Kit Rental Fees, and Working Humane Hours | with Cathy Repola, MPEG National Executive Director

Dear Hollywood: It’s Time For An Intervention About The Hours We Work [Change.org Petition Inside]

Guest Bio:

Janace Tashjian is a producer and production manager, known for Avatar (2009), Ballers (2016 - (2018), Shooter (2017) - (2018), 2 Guns(2013) and From the Earth to the Moon (1998).

Show Credits:

This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared by Debby Germino and published by Glen McNiel.

The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/zackarnold/exclusive-content

» Read & Share the full article HERE

When I published my article Dear Hollywood: We Don’t Want to ‘Go Back to Normal.’ Normal Wasn’t Working I was absolutely floored by the response as I watched it spread like wildfire across social media in all sectors of the entertainment industry. I honestly never thought this message would ever reach beyond my tiny little (windowless) corner of the post-production world.

From 2nd assistant directors in Mexico City to makeup artists in North Carolina to corporate video editors in Germany to accountants in Japan, not to mention countless directors, producers, and even actors (Skinny Pete, yo!), I’ve heard from people on all six continents. From marketing to features to advertising to television to documentary, above-the-line and below-the-line, union and non-union alike - the idea of nobody wanting to go back to ’Normal’ clearly struck a nerve.

Once again, Hollywood...sorry not sorry.

As I said in my interview with Cathy Repola, National Executive Director of the Motion Picture Editors Guild (Local #700):

This is not just a union issue. This is a human issue.

We all seem to be in universal agreement the way we did things pre-pandemic in the entertainment industry wasn’t working. Since sharing my own list of what I believed wasn’t working, I’ve received hundreds of messages and included many of your personal stories about what hasn’t been working in your lives. (Here’s the full list of the personal stories people have shared with me anonymously).

There are countless important issues unique to people’s circumstances that clearly need to be addressed. But regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status or otherwise, there is one fundamental core issue driving the vast majority of the problems in the entertainment industry that needs to be addressed now: The hours we work.

Time is the ultimate equalizer. We all have the same 24 hours a day and 7 days per week. And we all universally agree we don’t have enough time to do our jobs properly without sacrificing our relationships, our health, or our sanity in the process (not to mention those who have literally given their lives for the sake of entertainment).

Hollywood, it’s time for a much-needed (and overdue) intervention.

As I stated in my previous article, for the first time in cinema history we’re no longer “building the plane while flying it,” the plane is in the hangar and we have the opportunity to make significant upgrades. And where we need to start is rewiring the expectations of how many hours per week it really takes to create entertainment (Reminder: We’re not curing cancer).

I believe that not only CAN we find a solution to make 45 hours the new standard workweek in Hollywood, but also because of Covid-19 we no longer have any choice; we MUST make 45 hours the new standard.

Both our livelihoods and our lives literally depend on it.

Want your voice to be heard?

Click here to sign the Change.org petition to support a 45-hr week in Hollywood

» Read & Share the full article HERE

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/zackarnold/exclusive-content

In case you missed it, my recent article Dear Hollywood: We Don’t Want to ‘Go Back to Normal.’ Normal Wasn’t Working ignited a firestorm of conversation, social media messages, and a barrage of emails (I promise I’m reading all of them!!!) that ultimately became the impetus for this candid conversation with MPEG National Executive Director Cathy Repola. Since 2016, Cathy has been one of Hollywood’s leading voices on labor, working to negotiate and enforce contracts that protect the wages, benefits, and livelihoods of more than 8,000 workers in the post-production industry – including my own.

Like so many other organizations, Cathy has been working tirelessly with studio executives and union members alike to come up with a plan to get Hollywood back to work – SAFELY. But how can we do that without putting ourselves at risk? If you haven’t yet read my article (stop this recording right now and go read it!) here are the Cliffs Notes:

We’re tired of long hours and unrealistic deadlines that keep us from seeing our families, raising our kids and enjoying our lives. We want to seize this opportunity while Hollywood is shut down to shift the paradigm and restructure our work-life balance. Instead of “going back to normal,” we need to define a new version of normal that works for all of us.

1. Namely, we need to abolish the “standard” 60-hr week
2. Nobody should EVER have to sign liability waivers to return to work
3. We require compensation for our equipment if we’re asked/required to work from home.
4. BONUS: Don’t you dare ask me to provide child care if I have to work from home.

Cathy and I discuss each of these topics in-depth in this interview as well as also fielding live questions from the Facebook community that attended this live Q&A.

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Here’s What You’ll Learn:

• American Cinema Editors, Blue Collar Post Collective, Motion Picture Editor’s Guild and other groups have been fighting for these rights for years and now are finally starting to come together to continue this conversation.
• Waivers 101: What do they mean? Do you have to sign them to report to work? (Bottom line: Don’t sign anything without giving it to the Guild to read first)
• How absurd it is that we are fighting for a 10 hour work day!!! KEY TAKE AWAY: More hours do not equal better hours.
• There is no mandate for the 60-hour workweek for an on-call Union editor. The hours came from the number of hours that the studios were contributing to the pension and health plan.
• How to create a better balance of work hours with more flexibility to the employee to get the work done on their schedule.
• Employers and producers are abusing their power if they ask you to trade a weekday off work for an unpaid Saturday or Sunday.
• KEY TAKEAWAY: We need to summon the feeling of dread we have about going back to the way it used to be and use it as a catalyst to change.
• Don’t let employers tell you that they’re doing you a favor by allowing you to work from home. The reverse is true.
• Burnout comes from a lack of setting proper expectations.
• What the timetable is for going back to work based on regulations and new COVID guidelines.
• The way to set boundaries for yourself without being perceived as “the difficult one.”
• Guidelines for kit rentals and reimbursements for working from home and the timeline for when these will come out.
• KEY TAKEAWAY: Cathy says, “If we want this business to thrive, we need to start taking care of each other”.
• The value of the work is more important than micromanaging our time and we need to destroy the culture of the “theatre of work”.
• The idea that today’s miracle equals tomorrow’s expectation needs to be revised with post-pandemic expectations.
• Can the editor’s guild have a protected cut the same way the director’s guild does?
• How we can access the box rental guidelines when the Union releases them.
• Advice to leave with: We can solve these problems as a larger community. Be involved. Don’t fight this fight alone!

Useful Resources Mentioned:

Dear Hollywood: We Don’t Want to “Go Back to Normal.” Normal Wasn’t Working.

Dear Hollywood: We Create Entertainment For a Living. We’re Not Curing Cancer.

Dear Hollywood: We’re Not “Lucky to Be Here”…You’re Lucky to Have Us

Our Generous Sponsors:

This episode is made possible for you by Ergodriven, the makers of the Topo Mat, my #1 recommendation for anyone who stands at their workstation. The Topo is super comfortable, an awesome conversation starter, and it’s also scientifically proven to help you move more throughout the day which helps reduce discomfort and also increase your focus and productivity. Click here to learn more and get your Topo Mat.

Guest Bio:

Cathy Repola has served the Motion Picture Editors Guild in several top leadership roles since 1992. Since 2016, she has been the Guild’s National Executive Director, where she is one of Hollywood’s leading voices on labor. Repola helps negotiate contracts and ensure enforcement that protect the wages and benefits of more than 8,000 workers in the post-production industry, including picture and sound editors, re-recording mixers, Foley artists, technical directors and story analysts. The Guild also leads the way in organizing labor within post-production.

Motion Picture Editors Guild

CineMontage: Journal of the MPEG

Show Credits:

This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared by Debby Germino and published by Glen McNiel.

The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/zackarnold/exclusive-content

With work in the entertainment industry slowly beginning to trickle in and productions ramping up over the coming weeks and months, you’d think we could all just “go back to normal,” right?

WRONG.

The new version of post-pandemic work is going to be anything but normal (and frankly Normal. Wasn’t. Working), and for one very specific group, this is uncharted (and terrifying) territory: Parents.

In the latest ‘Optimizer’ community Q&A, our community welcomes four hardworking moms in various stages of their careers in the entertainment industry. Editor Yvette Amirian (ACE), Editor Natalie Boschan, Editor/AE Monica Daniel, and Assistant Editor Bari Winter have all been simultaneously juggling busy careers while also doing their best to raise children during a global pandemic.

We talk about how we can balance the vast needs of Hollywood production while still doing our best to be present parents. We discuss tips and strategies for handling this delicate balancing act. My guests also share their fears and hopes about navigating pre-pandemic expectations in a post-pandemic working world.

In this very candid conversation, we cover many topics including:

• How can we balance the vast needs of Hollywood production and post-production when we’re still homeschooling our kids, daycare isn’t open, or we can’t afford a nanny anymore?
• Will working from home mean that we NEVER get any time away from the office to be a parent because of endless emails and texts where people need things 24/7?
• Will people be less likely to hire me again if I’m a parent working from home?

Whether you are a parent or not, this conversation will address the issues of managing and sustaining

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Here’s What You’ll Learn:

• “Real-life” insight into balancing parenting and work obligations when it feels impossible
• How to tackle the question of getting a nanny during a pandemic and the importance of separating work and child care duties when working from home
• The best ways to make sure your kids are actively engaged in learning while you work from home (so that they don’t get left behind academically)
• How to keep yourself healthy and avoid burnout from trying to be “supermom” (or dad)
• Why normal wasn’t working for parents and how we will literally kill ourselves if we try to resume the status quo
• The real reasons moms tend to put themselves last and feel obligated to take care of everyone else first
• What the “theatre of work” is and how we need to teach producers to let us manage our own time
• How to set boundaries when working from home by communicating clearly and confidently
• Productivity tips on creating effective workflows so everyone is on the same page with boundaries and communication
• The different standards between being a mom in the workplace versus being a dad (and how moms have to navigate that)
• FACT: It’s harder for moms to get hired. When women reveal they have children, are they being explicitly discriminated against?
• Managing the dynamics of juggling family activities, finances, career advancement, and job obligations
• Why “time is the great equalizer” (everyone has the same amount of it) and how to use that to your advantage when setting expectations
• Detailed strategies for dealing with guilt about missing bedtimes or activities
• How to communicate with your kids the importance of taking time for yourself
• The valuable mindset shift of “work/life presence” vs. “work/life balance”

Useful Resources Mentioned:

EP 99: How to Provide Value and Get Paid What You’re Worth with Monica Daniel

Fitness in Post Q&A with Natalie Boschan: Career Vs. Family

Dear Hollywood: We Don’t Want to “Go Back to Normal.” Normal Wasn’t Working.

Guest Bios:

NATALIE BOSCHAN

Natalie is an editor working in scripted television. She started her career editing short form content including trailers, DVD content and marketing videos for major motion picture releases. She made the move to scripted television as an assistant editor on season 7 of Burn Notice. After working on several series as an AE including Once Upon A Time, Empire, Shooter and Punisher she made the leap to Editor on season 2 of Shooter. Since then her editing credits have included Stargirl, LA’s Finest and Star.

In between all that editing, Natalie has found time to become a mom to a lovely 2 year old boy. She’s done her best to balance family and work, but there are always challenges and she hopes to be apart of the solution to help parents working in post overcome some of those challenges.

BARI WINTER

Bari Winter is an accomplished television assistant editor. She started in news, sports and reality tv eventually moving into scripted television. Her credits include The Middle (ABC), Bluff City Law (ABC), and most recently season 2 of Doom Patrol (HBO Max). Bari is currently taking Zack Arnold’s Focus Yourself course with the goal of moving into the editors chair in the near future.

Bari has a BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

YVETTE AMIRIAN

Yvette M. Amirian, ACE is an award-nominated film and television editor. After graduating from USC’s School of Cinema-Television, she built a successful career, and has been transitioning seamlessly between cutting scripted and documentary content for the better part of two decades.

In 2011, she and her team received an Eddie Award nomination from the American Cinema Editors for their work on Animal Planet’s Whale Wars. In 2017, she edited and produced John Singleton’s L.A. Burning: The Riots 25 Years Later for A&E, which was nominated for a Primetime Emmy (Outstanding Documentary Special).

Yvette is a proud member of the Motion Picture Editor’s Guild, the Academy of TV Arts & Sciences, and the American Cinema Editors (ACE). She also teaches editing at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, and loves educating future generations of aspiring filmmakers.

Yvette lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two sons.

MONICA DANIEL

Monica Daniel has edited various genres of television that have been broadcast worldwide over the last decade. She is known for her “sh*tting sparkles” slogan from her award show red carpet work. She recently transitioned from editing reality television into a high level scripted network show, and our conversation today breaks down her journey and how you can walk away with actionable steps to make the same transition, regardless of your situation.

Show Credits:

This episode was edited by Chris Orsi, and the show notes were prepared by Debby Germino and published by Glen McNiel.

The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/zackarnold/exclusive-content

Dear Hollywood, I have something I desperately need to share with you. You might find it surprising coming from a 20-year veteran who owes his livelihood to you. But it needs to be said. I apologize if this upsets you (actually….sorry not sorry).

Your shows are not worth dying for.

This is not the first time I have expressed my frustration with the insane way in which we approach our livelihoods in this industry – the ridiculously long hours, the chronic sleep deprivation, the complete and utter lack of work-life balance, and the families, marriages, and lives that are destroyed (or taken way too early) by the perpetual content machine that is/was Hollywood.

In fact, I’ve spent the last six years screaming from the rooftops into any megaphone I can find that we create entertainment for a living…we’re not curing cancer!!!

Sure, we all agree that things could be better in the entertainment industry, and we’re all doing our best to make small changes here and there, but up until a few months ago we were all just “too busy” to really examine what fundamental changes must be made from the ground up to better protect the livelihood of the craftspeople who sacrifice their health, their personal lives, and their sanity all for the noble pursuit of creating more content.

Then Covid-19 came along and changed the game.

Since the pandemic began the entertainment industry worldwide has watched from the sidelines crippled, lifeless, desperately scrambling to figure out what protocols to put in place so we can go back to work while simultaneously protecting workers from becoming infected. Whether it’s the Cinematographer’s Guild, the Editor’s Guild, the AMPTP, the AFL-CIO, the DGA, SAG-AFTRA, and IATSE, or OSHA, (and if you live in Canada there are resources here, here, here, and here), every organization globally is doing its absolute best to figure out what it will take for us to safely resume production as quickly as possible.

But in our desperate pursuit to overcome the immense challenge of working amidst a global pandemic so we can “get back to normal,” we’re overlooking the equally important (and blatantly obvious) issue that has yet to be addressed:

NORMAL. WASN’T. WORKING. The Fallacy of ‘Building the Plane While Flying It’

For decades Hollywood has fallen prey to the fallacy of ‘building the plane while flying it,’ an idiom popularized by Silicon Valley born from ‘iterative’ software development whereby you ship your product as early as possible, fix it, ship it again, fix it again, and so on, as opposed to tinkering and fixing for years privately with a controlled team before shipping to the public.

The industry has been aware for decades that the demanding hours and harsh working conditions are less than ideal for everyone involved all the way from the PA getting coffee up to the mega-directors and Oscar-winning stars, not to mention the “boots on the ground” craftspeople who spend 16-20+ hours per day on set (not including their horrendous commutes), or the post-production professionals sleeping in their edit bays to meet insane deadlines and impossible delivery schedules. But there’s just too much to do with too little time to stop the machine and really fix it.

While I do believe the industry has made some good-faith efforts to implement incremental changes to better protect craftspeople, there has been no transformative change.

The argument for this was simple: The show must go on!

Guess what? For the first time in cinema history, the show is not going on.

The plane is no longer barreling through the air at 575mph such that we can’t make substantial repairs and upgrades. We can no longer make the excuse that there isn’t time or the budget to change the working conditions and demands of our industry since deadlines and release dates have already been set and must be met.

For the first time in cinema history, the plane is stuck in the hangar.

For the first time in cinema history, we have the opportunity to build a brand new plane.

But in order to fix something, we first have to be willing to recognize what wasn’t working.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

• A standard (STANDARD!!!) contract expecting a 60 hour work week before any discussion of overtime was NOT. WORKING.
• Eating lunches at our desks because it’s socially unacceptable to take breaks wasn’t working.
• The cultural pressure to show up to work every single day, even when you were sick and could make others sick, definitely wasn’t working.
• Parents terrified that having kids will make them less desirable as a potential hire because they “have outside responsibilities”  and they aren’t able to “give everything to the job” wasn’t working.
• Missing out on the moments that truly matter (birthdays, anniversaries, dinners with friends, or family time) for the sake of “one more output” wasn’t working.
• Thinking that “just one more setup” is a good enough excuse to shoot well into the night forcing crewmembers to either stay in a hotel between shifts or risk their lives driving home drowsy (i.e. cognitively drunk) wasn’t working.
• Being bullied into putting unpaid OT on your timecard because “there just isn’t a budget” wasn’t working.
• Exchanging an “on-call” workday where you didn’t need to come in with a weekend where you are needed – without being paid OT – wasn’t working.
• The perpetual lie that “working from home” was not a secure or sustainable workflow wasn’t working.
• Consistently putting our kids to be via Facetime wasn’t working.
• Looking down upon or shaming someone willing to set boundaries between their personal and work lives wasn’t working.
• The prevailing notion that how many hours you work defines your productivity and effectiveness – not what you are able to accomplish during those hours – wasn’t working.
• Assuming we prefer windowless rooms because “editors are weird like that” and depriving us of the most basic human need of sunlight wasn’t working.
• Wearing your ‘sleep deprivation badge of honor’ and bragging about how many nights you’ve slept on your couch to meet deadlines wasn’t working.
• The assumption that you can process 4-6 hours of dailies per day and still “keep up to camera,” plus deliver editor’s cuts with detailed sound design and music beds with only 2 days after production wraps your episode wasn’t working.
• The argument that transitioning from a successful, multi-season show to season 1 of a new show requires a substantial pay cut because pilots and season 1 shows have lower budgets was not working.
• Not giving the assistants the ability to negotiate a rate based on their skills or experience and capping them at scale no matter what was not working.
• The vast majority of high profile reality & unscripted shows being non-union and providing zero protection for their cast & crew wasn’t working.
• The toxic work culture that eventually led to the #MeToo movement was not working.
• The belief that “hiring the most qualified candidate” was enough justification to overlook the lack of diversity and minority representation in our industry wasn’t working.
• The prevailing belief that you need to “pay your dues” and work for free in order to break into the industry, thus disqualifying countless candidates who couldn’t afford to work for free in order to gain experience and build relationships, wasn’t working.

I’ve probably missed 150 equally important things that weren’t working (and if you scroll to the bottom I’ll show you how to add YOUR most important needs to this list).

But hopefully you’re starting to get the point.

Normal. Wasn’t. F*cking. Working.

You Think It Was Bad Before? Just Wait…

It’s painfully clear that normal wasn’t working before the pandemic. But if we don’t start having very difficult conversations about what needs to change in our industry, it’s only going to get exponentially worse (in fact, it’s already happening).

If we don’t address the important issues preventing us from living a sustainable life in this industry head on before production starts again, we’re going to long for the “good ‘ole days” when production covered our lunches (if we begged), bought printer paper and toner, provided us editing equipment and furniture, and made sure our offices had lights and air conditioning.

Guess who’s paying for all those things while you work from home, providing your own editing hardware & software, paying your increased electricity and internet bills, all while desperately clinging to any paycheck available right now? You.

If we don’t begin to set boundaries and have the confidence to respect ourselves, we will cherish the warm and fond memories of having some semblance of a barrier between work life and home life knowing that if we weren’t in the office, we weren’t immediately on call 24 hours a day at the beck and call of every random “urgent” need of directors and producers.

You think being stuck at home unemployed is tough now? Wait until you’re working from home and getting text messages on a Saturday afternoon for a “quick fix,” you know, just cuz your machine is available and “you’re probably not going anywhere anyways, right?” (tee hee)

You thought you were underpaid for your services before? Wait until the job market opens again and we all desperately claw our way to the bottom and devalue our rates knowing there will be lower budgets and less shows for the foreseeable future. But as long as you’re working, right?

While the majority of post-production professionals are unemployed right now wishing they had some form of sustainable income, the minority of those who are still working are getting their asses kicked.

7 day weeks. 16 hour days. No kit rentals to cover the use of their own equipment. No boundary between home and work. All while also trying to homeschool their kids and manage their own sanity during lockdown.

As we await production to start again, this is Hollywood’s “trial period” to see what boundaries can be pushed in service of keeping us gainfully employed.

How much are we really willing to concede in exchange for what will be smaller paychecks for more work in even less time than before?

Listen, we should be lucky to have any work at all right now..right? RIGHT????

Sorry Hollywood, but we’re not lucky to be here…you’re lucky to have us.

If Now Isn’t The Time…Then When?

In March we didn’t know what we were dealing with, but now we do. Covid-19 isn’t going away anytime soon.

We’re playing a long game of chess for at least a year or more. At some point we have to figure out a way to get back to work safely with minimal exposure to the virus. Lives will absolutely be lost, but this industry was killing us before the pandemic. We’re just now more acutely aware of the dangers we face.

Thankfully we have countless organizations and medical professionals compiling hundreds of pages of industry-wide guidelines (that I shared at the top of this article) which outline in excruciating detail the necessary safety guidelines and protocols that must be put in place in order to protect all of us.

But while the professionals focus on the safety protocols that will protect us from Covid-19, we as individuals need to focus on the importance of this moment and the stance we must take now to protect us…from ourselves.

As I argue in excruciating detail in this article:

It’s so tempting to blame the studio executives and producers for the poor working conditions and the unhealthy lifestyles…but it’s not their fault. This is our fault.

We have spent decades collectively enabling, accepting, and perpetuating all of the behaviors outlined above, all in fear of losing our jobs.

Well guess what? Practically none of us have jobs right now anyways.

For the first time in cinema history…we have nothing to lose.

If ever there was a time to set boundaries and demand change, it’s now.

The list of requests is overwhelming. I get it. We’re not going to change everything overnight (or ever). But while we have this window of opportunity, we need to focus on what I believe are the three most vital things we must not back down on when production begins again.

1. DO NOT SIGN LIABILITY WAIVERS. I can’t believe I even have to write this, but there is no more important precedent to set with the industry than our refusal to sign away our lives (literally) for the privilege of having work.

1. The “standard” 60-hr work week has to go. Period. Point me to a scientific study that shows more work hours beyond 45 leads to increased productivity and creativity, and I’ll send you 100 studies that definitively disprove your theory. More hours does not equal more output. And more importantly, the harder we work, the more compromised our immune systems become, and the more likely we are to not only contract but also spread Covid-19.

1. Paid kit rentals should be standard for everyone asked to work from home. If you provide equipment that the production or a facility would have provided before, you should be compensated accordingly. This includes stipends to cover fast internet, electricity, printer toner, etc etc etc.

I know how badly we all want to get back to work, but imagine the possibilities if we all made a collective effort to do this right instead of doing it fast?

That’s a new version of Hollywood I’m willing to be a part of.

The alternative terrifies me.

Want Your Concerns Added To This List?

There is a lot that wasn’t working in Hollywood (and the entertainment industry worldwide). If you’d like to contribute to this ever-growing list, here’s how to participate:

1) Share this article to your community of choice (using the share buttons to the left of this post…also at the top of the post). This includes Facebook groups, Reddit threads, etc.

2) In the post, express what wasn’t working in your life that needs to change.

E.g. “Being stuck in traffic for 4 hours a day wasn’t working!

3) Tag me!

» Here’s my Facebook page, Instagram profile, LinkedIn profile, and Reddit profile. I’m not on Twitter (and won’t be caught dead there).

I and my team will do our best to keep up with the posts and add your concerns to this list anonymously. Collectively we can make change happen.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/zackarnold/exclusive-content

“It’s all about how you get to the starting line. That’s the real story.”

– Wes Plate

There aren’t many of us working 12 + hours a day in a dark room in post-production that think about running 240-mile ultra-marathons. We have enough to worry about on a daily basis, whether it’s building an at home work station (and fumbling with complicated WFH workflows) or learning new skills to weather the market during this pandemic, or chasing after our kids while simultaneously home-schooling them (and desperately trying to keep them off screens all day long). The last thing on our minds is training for an ultra endurance marathon.

Today’s guest, Wes Plate, didn’t start out with such a lofty goal either. Wes is a former editor turned software developer for Apple who works on the team developing Final Cut Pro X, so he’s no stranger to working long hours. He was a self-proclaimed workaholic and an alcoholic who hit rock bottom in 2007, weighing 240 pounds. After checking himself into rehab (after hitting rock bottom at a family Christmas party), he knew he had to get his life back in order.

In today’s conversation, you’ll hear the challenges and hard lessons that Wes learned on his journey from being a depressed, overworked alcoholic to a lean and happy Ultramarathoner. He shares the secrets and strategies he uses to overcome injuries and obstacles that life presents along the way. And he speaks in-depth about the mindsets that have led to his transformation into a happy and healthy father, professional, and athlete.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a rut and hopeless to get back on track, Wes’ story will provide inspiration and motivation to get you off the couch and onto your own starting line – however you choose to define it.

Want to Hear More Episodes Like This One?

» Click here to subscribe and never miss another episode

Here’s What You’ll Learn:

• Wes’ experience working for apple on the team that makes Final Cut Pro X
• How Wes balances a demanding job for Apple with moonlighting as an Ultra Marathon runner.
• His story of hitting rock bottom after gaining weight and putting his mental and physical health on the back burner which led to checking himself into rehab for alcohol addiction.
• How he used a Garmin watch and telephone poles to kick-start a running routine.
• How he used small goals to build habits to improve his health.
• How he signed up for 5K races to get fit enough to join Fitness in Post.
• The importance of nutrition and hydration after finishing his first 50K race and barely being able to walk afterward.
• The real story is how you get to the starting line and not about how you perform in the race.
• How he sees himself as a normal guy, not a super athlete that just wants to do hard things step by step.
• How saying yes to running led to a domino effect of life improvements like meeting his running heroes and being part of the Ultrarunning community
• Why he’s learned to treat failure as just another piece of information to learn from
• The similarities between training for Ultra marathons and the creative process

Useful Resources Mentioned:

Wesplate.com

Wes’ Blog of his recovery

Wes’ Moab 240 Endurance Run – 2019 Film (AMAZING! MUST WATCH)

Ep19: From Rehab to Running Ultra Marathons | with Wes Plate

6 Lessons Learned From 6 Months of Training For American Ninja Warrior

From ‘Dad Bod’ to…American Ninja Warrior?

From Couch to Star Wars 10K

Our Generous Sponsors:

This episode is made possible for you by Ergodriven, the makers of the Topo Mat, my #1 recommendation for anyone who stands at their workstation. The Topo is super comfortable, an awesome conversation starter, and it’s also scientifically proven to help you move more throughout the day which helps reduce discomfort and also increase your focus and productivity. Click here to learn more and get your Topo Mat.

Guest Bio:

Wes Plate worked in Seattle as an offline editor in the late 90s and early 2000s.

In 2001 he co-founded Automatic Duck, a software company that became well-known for making timeline translation plug-ins for Avid, FCP and AE users. Today he works at Apple as a Product Designer in the Pro Apps group working on Final Cut Pro.

Wes doesn’t edit professionally any more, but does have a YouTube channel where he shares videos of his epic running adventures.

Wes Plate’s Website

Wes Plate on Instagram

Wes Plate on YouTube

Wes Plate on Twitter

Wes Plate on Linkedin

Show Credits:

This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared by Debby Germino and published by Glen McNiel.

The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/zackarnold/exclusive-content

If you’re listening to this now, my hope is that you’ve already listened to part 1 of this conversation with my dad. If you haven’t yet it’s available on your Podcast app of choice or CLICK HERE.

As I mentioned in part 1…

For a long time now I’ve wanted to sit down and do an interview with my father to ask him the big questions about life that we seldom (if ever) really discuss. So for this Father’s Day, I decided it was time to prioritize this conversation, even if it meant having to suffer through the perils of recording on Zoom as opposed to chatting face-to-face.

This episode is a very special and personal one that I recorded for me, not for social media shares, not for search engine optimization, and not to grow an email list. This one is for me. But my hope is that listening to today’s conversation inspires you to reach out to your parents (if you’re fortunate enough they are still alive), or your siblings, or those who helped shape the person you are today so you can have an honest conversation just like this one.

This is secon of my two part interview where I’ve created a series of 20 specific questions I’m calling “20 Questions to Ask Your Father On Father’s Day” (which can of course be repurposed to suit your needs). These questions were inspired by a similar exercise from high performance coach Brendon Burchard in this Facebook post.

If you’d like to use the same 10 questions I asked in this second part of this interview, here they are:

YOUR FAMILY

• How did you meet your spouse, when, and how did you know they were the one?
• Were you scared to become a parent?
• What is your proudest memory of being a parent?
• What three words would best describe your approach to being a parent?
• In regards to both their careers and life choices, what is the most important thing my children should focus on?

YOUR LIFE

• What three words would you say best describe who you tried to be in life and how you want to be remembered?
• What were the three best decisions you’ve ever made?
• What are you most proud of in life?
• What message do you have for your spouse that you want her/him to always keep in mind about you and your relationship together?
• What are you most thankful for?

Want to Hear More Episodes Like This One?

» Click here to subscribe and never miss another episode

Useful Resources Mentioned:

[Podcast] Ep44: Kicking Cancer’s A*s, with Jane Arnold (i.e. my Mom)

Guest Bio:

Al Arnold has been working with struggling readers for fifty years as an elementary classroom teacher, elementary principal, and instructor at the university graduate level in a program for certifying reading teachers and reading specialists.

He has always been engaged in studying the science of reading and struggling readers and applying it in his work. The elementary school where he was the principal received an award from the Education Trust in Washington D.C. for improvement in reading achievement.

In 2007 he established a reading clinic to implement and further refine the techniques and curriculum he has learned and developed to remediate struggling readers.

Arnold Reading Clinic

Arnold Reading Magic iPad App

Show Credits:

This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared by Zack Arnold and published by Glen McNiel.

The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/zackarnold/exclusive-content

It’s amazing how global pandemics, worldwide protesting and riots, and the general upheaval of society as we know it can make you think. It certainly helps to lend perspective on what’s really important in life and the choices we’ve made that led us to where we are right now at this moment.

One of the most important realizations I’ve had is that because of travel restrictions and both of my parents being in the highest risk category for the COVID virus, I have no way of seeing them in person again until there’s either a reliable vaccine or we reach herd immunity. At this point that could be months or even years.

For a long time now I’ve wanted to sit down and do an interview with my father to ask him the big questions about life that we seldom (if ever) really discuss. So for this Father’s Day, I decided it was time to prioritize this conversation, even if it meant having to suffer through the perils of recording on Zoom as opposed to chatting face-to-face.

This episode is a very special and personal one that I recorded for me, not for social media shares, not for search engine optimization, and not to grow an email list. This one is for me. But my hope is that listening to today’s conversation inspires you to reach out to your parents (if you’re fortunate enough they are still alive), or your siblings, or those who helped shape the person you are today so you can have an honest conversation just like this one.

This is the first of a 2 part interview where I’ve created a series of 20 specific questions I’m calling “20 Questions to Ask Your Father On Father’s Day” (which can of course be repurposed to suit your needs). These questions were inspired by a similar exercise from high performance coach Brendon Burchard in this Facebook post.

If you’d like to use the same 10 questions I asked in the first part of this interview, here they are:

YOUR BACKGROUND

• When were you born, where, and what memories come to mind when you think about growing up as a young child?
• What are the most formative memories or experiences you had as a child or dteenager that led you to the person you have become today?
• What is the most important lesson you learned from your mom?
• What is the most important lesson you learned from your dad?
• If your parents were still alive today and could talk to my kids (their great-grandchildren), what would they want to share with them?

YOUR CAREER

• What path did you begin on in life when you first became an adult and why?
• What career path (or paths) have you followed since then and why?
• What do (did) you love the most about your career?
• What makes you successful at what you do?
• What do you believe about yourself that has help you endure difficult times, and what is the most difficult experience you remember teaching you this lesson?

Check out Part 2 of my interview with my dad, Al Arnold here →

Want to Hear More Episodes Like This One?

» Click here to subscribe and never miss another episode

Useful Resources Mentioned:

Ep48: Feeling Lost? It’s Time to ‘Find Your Why’ | with David Mead

Arnold Reading Clinic

Guest Bio:

Al Arnold has been working with struggling readers for fifty years as an elementary classroom teacher, elementary principal, and instructor at the university graduate level in a program for certifying reading teachers and reading specialists.

He has always been engaged in studying the science of reading and struggling readers and applying it in his work. The elementary school where he was the principal received an award from the Education Trust in Washington D.C. for improvement in reading achievement.

In 2007 he established a reading clinic to implement and further refine the techniques and curriculum he has learned and developed to remediate struggling readers.

Arnold Reading Clinic

Arnold Reading Magic iPad App

Show Credits:

This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared by Zack Arnold and published by Glen McNiel.

The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/zackarnold/exclusive-content

“This moment is necessary as much as it is uncomfortable.”- Monty DeGraff (Comments on diversity in Hollywood June 2020)

According to a 2019 survey of 1700+ post-production professionals (thanks to Blue Collar Post Collective), 1.5% of those surveyed identified as ‘African-American’ with over 80% identifying as ‘White.’

Let this sink in for a second...1% of people in post identify as African-American.

How is this possible? Is there a systemic reason for this? Or on the contrary, should we just accept that “it is what it is?”

Seasoned editor Monty DeGraff, ACE (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Law & Order, Daredevil, Man In the High Castle, Narcos: Mexico) worked in Hollywood post-production for 9 years before he met another black person like himself. Over the years, he’s seen very little increase in the number of black people working in post-production, largely because there has never been a real incentive to change it.

In this interview, Monty and I address some of the following questions:

• Why aren’t black people getting the opportunities they deserve?
• In the midst of the COVID- 19 pandemic where many of us are forced out of work, can we finally take the time to examine our own responsibility in the racial epidemic that is happening in Hollywood?
• Can we honestly evaluate where our internal biases have informed the status quo?
• Can we recognize that white privilege doesn’t mean you had an easy life, it just means the color of your skin didn’t contribute to your hardships?

This is an incredibly candid and uncomfortable conversation (as it needs to be) where Monty opens up about how he’s had to fight harder in this industry because he’s black, how internal biases inform the comfort level in the editing bay, and why white people need to start having these conversations with each other.

If you have been feeling sad and helpless about racism and the mistreatment of black lives, please listen to this interview to gain insight into the black experience specifically in post from Monty’s perspective and hear his thoughts on what steps we can take collectively to make true and lasting change in the post-production industry.

Want to Hear More Episodes Like This One?

» Click here to subscribe and never miss another episode

Here's What You'll Learn:

• The story of how Monty almost became a lawyer but realized it was Hollywood that was his true calling.
• How he never considered himself a mentor but naturally fell into it
• His advice on what assistants should be using to convince producers they can cut.
• Monty’s secret for how he fast-tracked himself from Assistant Editor to Editor. SPOILER: You have to ask.

On diversity in Hollywood:

• How post-production in Hollywood is predominately white and how he’s had to navigate that to get the opportunities he’s had.
• What it’s like to go into a room and see the surprise on an interviewer’s face that you’re black and they weren’t expecting that.
• What football has to do with unconscious bias and how we can learn from it in our own lives.
• How we all have prejudices, regardless of race, and this is a moment to check ourselves.
• What Monty believes is the ONE thing that connects us to all people.
• How to see beyond color and find commonality beyond the superficial things that seem to separate us.
• How most black people believe they will encounter hostility working in white environments and how that affects them.
• Why Monty thinks white people need to have the race conversation amongst themselves and what specifically they can talk about to make forward progress.
• The importance of self-reflection and looking into our own hearts and minds to see how we are reacting to the world around us.
• White privilege doesn’t mean your life wasn’t hard, it just means the color of your skin wasn’t one of the reasons that your life was hard.

 

Useful Resources Mentioned:

Monty DeGraff in CineMontage 

Blue Collar Post Collective Surveys

Want to Be Part of the Solution but Don’t Know How? Start with Listening.

More Podcasts & Articles on Equality

Guest Bio:

Monty DeGraff was born and raised in New York City where he attended public schools. He graduated from the University of Rochester with a B.A. in History and then headed west to California. Through a classmate he landed a job as a page at ABC and from there quickly became an Apprentice Editor in their film department. This allowed Monty to join the MPEG just as non-linear editing was beginning to reshape television post production.

Monty became an Assistant Editor on Star Trek: TNG and it was there that he received his first credit as Editor. In took 3 more years bouncing between being an Editor and an AE before Monty landed a job as Editor for Dick Wolf on Law&Order. He stayed there for 5 seasons , one of which won the Emmy award for best Dramatic series.

Since then Monty has worked on shows big ( “Daredevil”, “Narcos: Mexico “, and “The Man in the High Castle” ) and small and everything in between. Monty’s love of craft continues to grow, as does the enjoyment he gets from working with talented, passionate storytellers. In addition to the pleasure of cutting, Monty has found great satisfaction from mentoring the next generation of editors. He currently working on a spinoff of the STARZ series “Power” called “Raising Kanan”.

Monty DeGraff in CineMontage 

Show Credits:

This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared by Debby Germino and published by Glen McNiel.

The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).

Note: I believe in 100% transparency, so please note that I receive a small commission if you purchase products from some of the links on this page (at no additional cost to you). Your support is what helps keep this program alive. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/zackarnold/exclusive-content