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My Mentorship Experience

My Mentorship Experience
by Brina Romanek

Brina Romanek (Mentee) Mentorship program 2020 CCEIf someone had told me two years ago, when I got accepted into the CCE Mentorship program, that I would gain a mentor who wholeheartedly believed in me, who encouraged me often, and who was completely dedicated to my success, I would have said, “I’m not sure that kind of mentorship exists.” At the time, the most I was hoping for was someone who would let me sneak into their edit booth and watch them cut for a couple days or who might be willing to review my work and give me a few pointers. I figured if I received even that much guidance, I would be lucky and grateful for it. Never in a million years would I have expected a relationship that would dramatically impact my career. That is, until I met Michèle Hozer.

The first time I met my mentor, Michèle, we went out for lunch. I can still remember the feeling of slowly sweating through my blouse as Michèle quizzed me about what I was hoping to get from the program and how I wanted to grow personally. It had been a while since I had been asked these questions in such a straightforward manner. I was working as an assistant editor for a production company in the city, and I think I had grown somewhat numb to the work. I wanted to move on from assistant editing, but I felt stuck and wasn’t quite sure how to do it. At the end of the lunch, I remember rattling off my list of experiences to Michèle. Swiftly, she jumped in and said, “you should be editing. Why aren’t you editing?” Great question, I thought as I turned bright pink and mumbled a response that equated to, “I’m not sure if I’m good enough.”

Cut to a month later when the pandemic hit, and the world was spinning out of control. Michèle and I had planned a visit to her office. I was going to spend the day seeing how she worked – how she organized bins and sorted footage. Of course, it had to be cancelled, but I don’t think either of us wanted this to mean that the program would be cancelled as well. For the next two months we sent documentary recommendations back and forth. We would watch the films and then chat about them over the phone, what worked, what didn’t work, why a certain method of storytelling was effective, etc. Our lines of communication went relatively quiet for most of the summer, but picked back up again in the fall as I called Michèle every couple of weeks getting her advice on different smaller side projects I was working on. Then, in December, Michèle called me with a proposition – a proposition that would change everything.

The film was a feature length documentary on alternative education. It had gotten to the assembly stage and now the production team was looking for an editor to take it to the final cut. Naturally, they called Michèle. When Michèle called me in December, it was to ask if I wanted to cut the film and she would story edit/mentor me along the way. I’m pretty sure that I said yes before she even finished describing the project. Having the opportunity to work with and learn from my mentor, one on one? There was no question, I was going to cut that film.

So, in February, we got to work. To say the project was smooth sailing would be a bit of an overstatement. I had a steep learning curve ahead of me and, like many editors, difficulty relinquishing control. I remember the frustration on both of our parts during the first few weeks of the edit. I would watch Michèle cut part of a scene after I had assembled it and then she would watch me finish. It was excruciating. During one such occurrence, while I was editing and Michèle was guiding, she suddenly exclaimed, “I feel like I have mittens on and I can’t touch the keys!” We both cracked up. We were still finding our rhythm. It was tough but looking back it was probably some of the most valuable education I’ve ever received. 

As we got into the middle of the edit, Michèle got more and more hands off. In the morning we would review the selects together for a particular scene. We’d move them around until we had settled on a structure that felt right, and then in the afternoon I would cut the whole thing together, complete with music, viz, and sound effects. We had found our rhythm and I was beginning to see myself grow.

For the next two months Michèle challenged me in every way — “why did you decide to use this visual? Are you sure this piece of music works best? Does this exposition actually make sense?” But she supported me as well. In every moment that I was down on myself or felt like I couldn’t do it, she would humanize the feeling, recalling all the times when she had felt the same way, telling me that it was normal, and encouraging me to go for a walk in the sun to get a shift of perspective before returning to the cut. Michèle was always there. Even at 10:30 the night before I delivered my final scene to the director, she took my calls of panic as I stressed about how to perfectly end the story.

When the film was finally complete (the director and producer both pleased with the end result), I did three weeks’ worth of laundry, slept for a solid fourteen hours and called Michèle. I was exhausted, pleased, and ready for a small break. I remember Michèle congratulating me and, despite my best efforts, refusing to take any of the credit for herself. “This was you,” she said. “You did this.”

Now, seven months out, I look back on this project with an immense amount of gratitude. Michèle has given me a foundation as a storyteller that I don’t think I could have found anywhere else. Somedays, working on the film was hard. Michèle would ask things of me that I wasn’t sure I could actually do. And, of anyone I’ve ever worked with, she was the toughest on my edits and my choices. But I see now why she did it. She was helping me to become a more articulate, thoughtful editor. She was equipping me with a toolbox and skills I’d need to succeed in any situation, and I am forever indebted to her for it.

So, two years ago, if you had told me that I would gain a mentor from the CCE mentorship program who believed in me wholeheartedly, who encouraged me often, and who was completely dedicated to my success, I would have said, “I’m not sure that kind of mentorship exists.” But now, I am very happy to report that it does.

Brina Romanek

Brina Romanek is a documentary filmmaker and editor. She has directed work for True Calling Media, RogersTV and CBC Short Docs. As an editor Brina has worked on films that have aired on Zoomer Media, Crave TV, The Travel Channel, TVO and CBC. Most recently, Brina had the honour of working with the team at Cream Productions to create the two part horror doc series BATHSHEBA. Brina is also the resident audio editor for the Indigenous Climate Action Podcast.

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EditCon 2022

EditCon 2022

EditCon 2022 in Review

"Editing is like a passion ... Discovering a whole new world you are going to be in."
Arthur Tarnowski, ACE
Editor, DRUKEN BIRDS

The CCE took the 5th annual EditCon online with two days of amazing panel talks, virtual breakout rooms, and networking for over two hundred attendees from Canada and around the world.

Presented under the theme “Brave New World,” we welcomed editors from the binge-worthy shows TED LASSO, BRIDGERTON and SORT OF, as well as some of this year’s blockbusters SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS, ETERNALS and GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE. Additional panels featured the editors from ALL MY PUNY SORROWS, SCARBOROUGH, DRUNKEN BIRDS and NIGHT RAIDERS (films that were all on the TIFF TOP 10 list!) as well as A CURE FOR A COMMON CLASSROOM and BETRAYAL.

It wouldn’t be EditCon without wrapping up the weekend with a good old-fashioned giveaway, thanks to prize donations from our generous sponsors. Afterwards, attendees mingled in a virtual networking world. 

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Presented in English

Presented in French

2022 Panelists EditCon

DAY 1

"I emotionally react to performances and I try to cut faster with my intuition than my thoughts."
Michelle Szemberg, CCE
Michelle Szemberg, CCE
Editor, ALL MY PUNY SORROWS

THIS YEAR IN CANADIAN FILM

2021 has seen the film industry bounce back with a ferver hardly seen before. With it has come a wealth of powerful and diverse home grown stories, such as the poignant sibling drama ALL MY PUNY SORROWS; the brilliant and raw SCARBOROUGH; this year’s Canadian Oscar entry DRUNKEN BIRDS; and the gripping sci-fi thriller NIGHT RAIDERS. Join the editors behind the best that Canada has to offer as they talk storytelling in an intimate conversation.

Simone Smith-SQSimone Smith is an award-winning film and television editor based in Toronto. Past work includes FIRECRACKERS, GOALIE and NEVER STEADY, NEVER STILL. She recently finished work on the Amazon original series THE LAKE. She is currently editing the feature film FLOAT, starring Andrea Bang and Robbie Amell, for Lionsgate.

Orlee BuiumOrlee Buium is an editor with a passion for films with socially conscious content. She has 15 years of experience in the editorial department including assisting on KICK-ASS 2, THE EXPANSE and THE BROKEN HEARTS GALLERY. Her feature credits as an editor include QUEEN OF THE MORNING CALM (nominated for a DGC Editing Award), THE RETREAT (Showtime) and RUN WOMAN RUN. Most recently, Orlee locked picture on Michael McGowan’s latest feature ALL MY PUNY SORROWS, which premiered at TIFF 2021 as a Special Presentation.

Jorge Weisz, CCEJorge Weisz, CCE was born and raised in Mexico City and is currently based in Toronto. He has worked on award-winning films such as Peter Stebbings’ EMPIRE OF DIRT, which premiered at TIFF 2013, Michel Franco’s LAS HIJAS DE ABRIL, which won the Un Certain Regard’s Jury Prize at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, and recently on Danis Goulet’s NIGHT RAIDERS, which premiered at the 2021 Berlinale. Currently, he is teaming up again with Christian Sparkes for the film SWEETLAND.

Michelle Szemberg, CCEAfter graduating from the film program at York University, Michelle worked for many years as an assistant editor. This allowed her to be mentored and collaborate with some of the leading forces in Canadian cinema. Her selected film and TV credits include, NATASHA, BELOW HER MOUTH, BETWEEN, UN TRADUCTOR (which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival) and NORTHERN RESCUE. Her latest film is the DGC Award winning ALL MY PUNY SORROWS, which had its premiere at TIFF in 2021.

Arthur TarnowskiArthur Tarnowski, ACE is a prolific editor whose work ranges from auteur cinema to popular comedies – with a penchant for action films. His feature credits span many genres and include DRUNKEN BIRDS, BEST SELLERS, THE DECLINE, THE HUMMINGBIRD PROJECT, THE FALL OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE, THE TROTSKY, BRICK MANSIONS, DEADFALL, WHITEWASH and COMPULSIVE LIAR. His television work includes 19-2, BAD BLOOD, BEING HUMAN, MOHAWK GIRLS, THE MOODYS and VIRAGE. He has also created over 150 film trailers, including some of the biggest Box-office hits in his native Quebec.

Rich WilliamsonRich Williamson is an Oscar-shortlisted filmmaker based in Toronto. His work blends the best of fiction and documentary technique together with a focus on social-issue subjects. SCARBOROUGH is his first dramatic feature with partner and co-director Shasha Nakhai. It made its World Premiere at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the Shawn Mendes Foundation Changemaker Award, was 1st runner up for People’s Choice, and received an Honourable Mention for Best Canadian Feature.

"Let the characters feel what they're feeling and give them space to do that. We all fell in love with the characters and wanted to spend some time with them."
Melissa McCoy, ACE
Melissa McCoy, ACE
Editor, TED LASSO

Flipping the Script

The age of streaming has fully arrived. We’ve experienced a boom of top-notch shows, but how do you set yourself apart in such a crowd? Whether it’s bucking the trend of antagonistic conflict to create the arc of TED LASSO; using comedy to punctuate the lives of non-binary characters in SORT OF or reinvigorating period drama with the diverse world of BRIDGERTON, these shows prove that discarding past norms leads to success. Sit with the editors behind these phenomenal series as they discuss the ins and outs of their groundbreaking approaches to storytelling.

D. Gillian Truster, CCEGillian is a Toronto-based editor with a diverse career editing drama series, feature films, and MOWs in a variety of genres. She has had the good fortune of working with many prominent and celebrated producers, directors, and screenwriters. Gillian is best known for her work on ORPHAN BLACK, ANNE WITH AN E, and THE EXPANSE. She has won two CSA awards, a DGC award, and has earned twelve award nominations.

Melissa McCoy, ACEMelissa first fell in love with editing while studying film 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 credits include the CW’s LIFE SENTENCE and WHISKEY CAVALIER on ABC. Her work on TED LASSO earned her an Eddie Award and an Emmy nomination in 2021.

Nona Khodai, ACENona Khodai is an Iranian-American Picture Editor stemming from Southern California. Her most recent credits include Marvel’s WANDAVISION and the Amazon series THE BOYS. Her past editing credits include REVOLUTION, COLONY, THE STRAIN, and AMAZING STORIES. She is currently working on another Disney + series that will be released sometime late this year.

Omar MajeedOmar Majeed is a Pakistani-Canadian writer, editor, and filmmaker. His editing credits include THE FRUIT HUNTERS, OMEGA MAN: A WRESTLING LOVE STORY, WORLD IN A CITY, INSIDE LARA ROXX, THE ARTISTS: THE PIONEERS BEHIND THE PIXELS and SORT OF. In 2018 he received a CSA for his work on THE ARTISTS and in 2001 for QUEERTELEVISION. Although he’s called many cities home including Montréal, Baltimore, and Lahore, Omar currently resides in Toronto with his wife and young child.

Jim Flynn, ACEJim Flynn is an American born Editor. He studied film at Emerson college in Boston. He then moved to Los Angeles where he began working as an Assistant Editor. Teaming up with Alan Heim on Nick Cassavetes’ ALPHA DOG he began his transition to Editor. He edited several more films with Cassavetes including MY SISTERS KEEPER and THE OTHER WOMAN. Most recently, Jim has been editing Netflix series, including THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE and BRIDGERTON.

Sam ThomsonSam is a picture and animatic editor based in Toronto, with over a decade of experience in scripted storytelling. In addition to SORT OF, his credits include the award-winning series SAVE ME AND FOR THE RECORD, CORNER GAS ANIMATED, and animated specials for BLACK-ISH and ONE DAY AT A TIME. Sam is a proud member of the Director’s Guild of Canada, The Academy of Canadian Film and Television, and the Canadian Cinema Editors.

Breakout Rooms - Day 1

Breakout_Day1_Rose_HontiverosFast thinking, deep technical skill and knowing your shortcuts are just some of what is needed to be a great Assistant Editor. Join the Assistant Editors behind COMPANY TOWN, BIG BROTHER CANADA, SCARBOROUGH and THE PORTER to ask your questions, get some answers and have a great time.

Array Crew logoCreated by filmmaker Ava DuVernay and led by an all-women executive team, ARRAY Crew is a personnel database, to ensure that studio executives, department heads and producers are able to access a robust pipeline of qualified below-the-line women, people of color and those from underrepresented backgrounds to staff their television and film crews. ARRAY Crew is partnered with all of the major Hollywood studios and streamers and has recently expanded to Canada. Join ARRAY Crew’s Director of Industry Relations, Meredith Shea, for an exclusive conversation with Editing Crew Members and Studio Executives.

Breakout_Day1_SteeleAdobeTell richer stories and evoke a mood using some of the powerful color and effects tools in Adobe Premiere Pro. Join editor, director, and producer Christine Steele to explore filmmaking techniques that make your video look and feel more cinematic. Discover how to edit video to inspire emotion and hook the viewer.

In this session, you’ll learn how to:

  • Identify visual interest inherent in your footage so you can enhance it
  • Play with color, lighting, and motion techniques to create a mood or focus viewer attention
  • Add visual punctuation to lead or influence viewer perception

Breakout_Day1_TarnowskiJoin the veteran editor behind DRUNKEN BIRDS to discuss his latest film, answer your burning questions, and talk about all things editing. Arthur’s extensive experience spans almost 3 decades, and includes documentary & narrative film of all genres, television, shorts and trailer editing. Don’t miss this chance to pick the brain of a master of the craft. This panel will run in English but questions in French are welcome and encouraged.

Breakout_Day1_WeiszPull up a seat, bring your questions and settle in for a riveting conversation with the editorial maven of NIGHT RAIDERS. Jorge’s knowledge and passion for film is boundless; his storytelling expertise runs deep. His prolific work in feature films over the past eleven years has continuously brought one festival hit after another. This conversation is a must for those interested in narrative feature editing.

Breakout_Day1_Buium_SzembergSpend some quality time with the brilliant dynamic duo behind ALL MY PUNY SORROWS. Michelle and Orlee will answer all your questions about their processes co-editing this award winning film, which marks their second outing as co-editors. Between them these two share over thirty years of experience in post production, from assistant editing to editing, these two know it all. This is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Breakout_Day1_Thomson_MajeedGet comfortable with two of the editors of SORT OF as Omar and Sam answer your questions, queries, and curiosities. These great minds have extensive experience editing television, documentary, animation, and much more. Dig deeper into their experiences working on this game changing series in this intimate setting.

Omar Majeed and Sam Thomson will only be available in Session 1. There will not be a 2nd session.

Breakout_Day1_WilliamsonEnjoy some time with the unique talent behind the breakout film, SCARBOROUGH, a film which Rich co-directed as well as edited. Rich has a deep understanding of documentary and short film. His latest film marks his first foray into editing fiction. Dive in, ask your questions, and get insights into the unique process behind this great film.

DAY 2

"I needed someone to help me push my own boundaries."
Brina Romanek (Mentee) Mentorship program 2020 CCE
Brina Romanek
Editor, A CURE FOR THE COMMON CLASSROOM

Learning from the Best

Documentary editing is a craft of perpetual learning. Not only do our tools change constantly, but so do approaches to storytelling. Mentorship has long been at the heart of developing the next generation of talent in all mediums, and documentary is no exception. It can be difficult for new and aspiring editors to gain access to the suite to sit, watch, listen, and learn the intangible skill of editing. Pull up a seat as two apprentices interview their mentors on their approach to storytelling, and the importance of passing the torch to the next generation.

Chris Mutton, CCEChris is a Toronto-based film and television editor. His credits include four films which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) including EASY LAND, PORCUPINE LAKE, CLEO and SILAS. The film LUBA won the Audience Choice Award at the Canadian Film Fest and earned Chris a CCE award nomination. Chris’ television work includes four seasons of the Emmy nominated and CSA winning Hulu series HOLLY HOBBIE, CBC Gem comedy THE COMMUNIST’S DAUGHTER, and music documentary series ON THE RECORD.

Michèle Hozer, CCEWith two films on the Oscar shortlist, multiple award winning Michèle Hozer has been working as a filmmaker and editor since 1987. PROMISE TO THE DEAD picked up her first Emmy nomination and her co-directorial debut of GENIUS WITHIN: THE INNER LIFE OF GLENN GOULD was on the Oscar shortlist. In 2015 Michèle completed SUGAR COATED which won The Donald Brittain Award at the CSAs. Today Michèle is exploring new adventures in Prince Edward County as story editor on multiple projects including Buffy Sainte Marie’s feature length doc.

Michèle Hozer, CCE Ricardo has been working in the film industry for over 25 years. He has been awarded with an Emmy, and has been nominated several times to Genie, Gemini, CCE and CS Awards Ricardo came to Canada from his native Cuba in 1993, where he studied and worked at the world-renowned Cuban Film Institute in Havana. His outstanding work and keen sense of the human condition has contributed to the making of several award-winning and award-nominated films. Some credits include: 15 TO LIFE, MARMATO, THE SILENCE OF OTHERS and HERMAN’S HOUSE.

Brina RomanekBrina Romanek is a documentary filmmaker and editor. She has directed work for True Calling Media, RogersTV and CBC Short Docs. As an editor Brina has worked on films that have aired on Zoomer Media, Crave TV, The Travel Channel, TVO and CBC. Most recently, Brina had the honour of working with the team at Cream Productions to create the two part horror doc series BATHSHEBA. Brina is also the resident audio editor for the Indigenous Climate Action Podcast.

Jordan KawaiJordan Kawai is a documentary film editor based in Toronto. He has edited for both short form (BOAT PEOPLE) and feature documentary film (CHANNEL’S STAGE: THE CULINARY INTERNSHIP and BANGLA SURF GIRLS), as well as video installation (NOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND). Jordan holds an MFA in Documentary Media Studies from Ryerson University and was a participant in the Mentorship program at the Montreal International Documentary Festival. His personal film work explores family lore and narratives of Japanese Canadian Internment.

"There are cultural biases that I need to be aware of, so I make sure I am not bulldozing a beat. Making sure every character has what they care about - their stakes - are clear, to make these people pop off the screen as real people so we can identify with them."
Nathan Orloff
Nathan Orloff
Editor, GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE

Cutting for the Big Screen

Like it or not, the landscape of cinema is changing quickly. With more films at our fingertips than ever before, it’s becoming harder and harder to draw audiences to the theatres. But people still flock to the tentpole films that we all know and love. Join us behind the scenes as we chat with the editors of: SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS, ETERNALS and GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE as they take a deep dive into their workflows, share their tips on managing large teams and visual effects, and get into the nitty gritty of cutting for the big screen.

Sarah TaylorSarah Taylor is a multi-award winning editor with over nineteen years of experience. She has cut a wide range of documentaries, television programs, short and feature films. Sarah strives to help shape unique stories from unheard voices. Her work has been seen in festivals around the world including Sundance. She is a member of the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC), on the board of The Canadian Cinema Editors (CCE) and is the host of the CCE podcast The Editor’s Cut.

Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir, ACEElísabet Ronaldsdóttir was born and raised in Reykjavik, Iceland. She has edited over 40 feature films, television programs, and documentaries, as well as an animated feature film. Her editing work also includes active industry participation. She is best known for her collaborations with film directors David Leitch for JOHN WICK, ATOMIC BLONDE, DEADPOOL 2 and the upcoming film BULLET TRAIN. She recently partnered with director Destin Daniel Cretton on the Marvel film SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS.

Nathan OrloffNathan Orloff is an American film editor and Chapman University graduate. Raised in Seattle, Orloff began his career at JJ Abrams’ BAD ROBOT Productions. His time there includes work as Associate Editor on 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE and Digital Intermediate Supervisor on STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS. Since his breakout, Orloff became a frequent collaborator with director Jason Reitman, notably cemented through TULLY and THE FRONT RUNNER. Orloff’s most recent work includes editing credits on PLAN B and GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE.

Harry Yoon, ACEHarry Yoon is a Korean American editor based in Los Angeles. Yoon’s previous credits include SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS, MINARI, EUPHORIA, THE NEWSROOM, DRUNKTOWN’S FINEST, HALF-LIFE, DETROIT, THE BEST OF ENEMIES and THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO. Yoon has also worked as a VFX editor and assistant editor on ZERO DARK THIRTY, THE REVENANT, THE HUNGER GAMES, FOOTLOOSE, THE CRAZIES and LORD OF DOGTOWN.

Dylan Tichenor, ACEDylan Tichenor, ACE got his start in editing as an assistant on Robert Altman films including: THE PLAYER, SHORT CUTS, PRÊT-À-PORTER, KANSAS CITY, and as co-editor on the documentary JAZZ ’34. His credits as editor include: BOOGIE NIGHTS, MAGNOLIA, THERE WILL BE BLOOD, UNBREAKABLE, THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD, DOUBT, WHIP IT, THE TOWN, LAWLESS and ZERO DARK THIRTY. Recent projects include: PHANTOM THREAD, ANTLERS and ETERNALS.

Nat Sanders, ACENat Sanders, ACE has edited a range of acclaimed films such as MOONLIGHT, SHORT TERM 12 and IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK. He is a two-time winner of the Independent Spirit Award and was nominated for an Academy Award for his work on MOONLIGHT. SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS marks his fourth collaboration with writer/director Destin Daniel Cretton, following his work on JUST MERCY, THE GLASS CASTLE and SHORT TERM 12. Other credits include: MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY, YOUR SISTER’S SISTER, HUMPDAY, GIRLS and TOGETHERNESS.

Breakout Rooms - Day 2

Breakout_Day2_WapikoniStories are powerful; they teach; they hold language, community and culture. They also tie the past to the present and the present to the future. Join Tania Choueiri and Elie-John Joseph from Wapikoni as they discuss narrative sovereignty and the importance of it within indigenous storytelling.

Please note that Session 1 with Wapikoni will be presented in FRENCH only.

Breakout_Day2_Cioni_AdobeFrame.io Camera to Cloud (C2C) enables footage to be delivered instantly from set to editorial. It’s a whole new way of working that lets everyone from editors to producers and other key stakeholders provide real-time collaborative feedback during production. In this interactive demo, you’ll learn how easily C2C enables production to automatically transmit proxies, audio, camera reports, and more — as soon as the Director calls “cut.” Once you use C2C, you’ll wonder how you worked any other way.

Breakout_Day2_TichenorJoin the two time Oscar nominated editor behind Marvel’s recent blockbuster, ETERNALS. With a career spanning 25 years there’s nothing Dylan hasn’t tackled. From BOOGIE NIGHTS; THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS; BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN and ZERO DARK THIRTY are just a few of the brilliant films from his back catalog. Bring your questions and grab your notebook, you’re going to want to take notes.

Breakout_Day2_RonaldsdottirBrace yourself for a thrilling question period with one of Hollywood’s go to action editors. Her work co-editing SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS is her latest outing in her long run of action packed features including JOHN WICK; ATOMIC BLONDE and DEADPOOL 2 to name a few! If action is your thing this is a room you won’t want to miss.

Breakout_Day2_YoonGather your best questions and get ready for an amazing session with one of the co-editor’s of SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS. Harry’s rock solid knowledge of editing such dramas as DETROIT, EUPHORIA and the Oscar nominated MINARI was instrumental in creating this film’s smashing success. Make sure you’re prepared to take in all you can from this rare talent.

Harry Yoon will only be available in Session 1. There will not be a 2nd session.

Breakout_Day2_Hozer_RomanekSit down with this mentor/mentee pair to answer your questions regarding all things mentorship. Learn more about their process and collaboration on A CURE FOR THE COMMON CLASSROOM, the importance of mentorship and much more.

Breakout_Day2_Acosta_KawaiPut on your thinking cap and bring your queries for this mentor/mentee pair. They’ll dig into your questions about how their mentorship relationship has evolved, how BETRAYAL came to be and all things mentorship.

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Thank you to our board & volunteers:

CCE EditCon Committee:

Rick Bartram

Xi Feng

Stephen Philipson, CCE

CCE Communications Committee:

Pauline Decroix

Jennifer Kidson

Jane MacRae

Stephen Philipson, CCE

Sarah Taylor

Volunteers:

Kathryn Dickson

Jonathan Dowler

Jason Konoza

Isabelle Malenfant, CCE

Greg Ng

Janet Savill

Adam van Boxmeer

Thank you to our CCE Staff:

CCE Operations Manager:

Alison Dowler

CCE Communications Specialist:

Andreia Furtado

About EditCon

March 5-6, 2022

Online

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The Editors Cut

Episode 001: Documentary Confidential

Episode 001: Documentary Confidential


Episode 001: Documentary Confidential

This episode is part one of a four-part series covering EditCon and features multi award winning documentary editors Mike Munn, CCE, Michéle Hozer, CCE and Nick Hector, CCE as they discuss their work with moderator Jay Prychidny, CCE.

The Editors Cut Episode 001 - documentary confidential - edticon panel

This episode features award winning drama editors Daria Ellerman, CCE, Lara Mazur, CCE and Nicole Ratcliffe, CCE as they discuss with moderator Karen Lam some of the impactful projects, they have worked on in their editing careers. 

Mike Munn, CCE

Mike shares his experiences working with Sarah Polley on Stories We Tell, which investigates her family secrets.

Michéle Hozer, CCE

Michéle talks about the challenges of being both the director and editor of Sponsorland, her film about Syrian refugees in Canada.

Nick Hector, CCE

Nick explains how he honoured the vision of Sharkwater Extinction, after the tragic death of director Rob Stewart.

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Credits

A special thanks goes to

Bryan Atkinson

the EditCon panelists

EditCon Series Produced by

Roslyn Kalloo

Hosted by

Sarah Taylor

Main Title Sound Design by

Jane Tattersall

Sound Recording by

Craig Scorgie

ADR Recording by

Andrea Rusch

Mixed by

James Bastable

Featuring Music by

Yung Koolade, Album House and Madrid

Sponsor Narration by

Paul Winestock

Photos by

Dino Harambasic

Sponsored by

the DGC

Categories
The Editors Cut

Episode 014: Films Making a Difference Cutting Content with an Important Social Message

Episode 014: Films Making a Difference Cutting Content with an Important Social Message

Episode 014: Films Making a Difference - Cutting Content with an Important Social Message

This is part one of our four-part series covering EditCon 2019.

The EditCon 2019 series was generously sponsored by Deluxe

Episode 014: Films Making a Difference Cutting Content with an Important Social Message

Unarmed Verses and Sgaawaay K’uuna (Edge of the Knife) are films that have intertwined themes of social justice into compelling stories, bringing important social messages to the screen in their respective genres of narrative and documentary film.

Meet editor Andres Landau and producer Lea Marin of Unarmed Verses and editor Sarah Hedar and director Helen Haig-Brown of Sgaawaay K’uuna (Edge of the Knife). The duos behind both of these films discuss the process of collaboration, sensitivity approaching the subject matter, and what each role contributes to the crafting of a powerful narrative. This panel was moderated by Michèle Hozer, CCE. Unarmed Verses (Trailer) from NFB/marketing on Vimeo.

Unarmed Verses

Sgaawaay K'uuna (Edge of the Knife)

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Credits

A special thanks goes to

Maureen Grant

the EditCon Committee

Alison Dowler

Jane MacRea

Boris FX

Hosted and Produced by

Sarah Taylor

EditCon 2019 Panels Recorded by

Jason Kanoza

Main Title Sound Design by

Jane Tattersall

ADR Recording by

Andrea Rusch

Mixed and Mastered by

Tony Bao

Original Music by

Chad Blain

Sponsor Narration by

Paul Winestock

Sponsored by

Deluxe

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The Editors Cut

Episode 027: Hope in the Time of Corona

Episode 027: Hope in the Time of Corona

Episode 027: Hope in the Time of Corona

We have been thinking about our fellow editors from around the world in this unique time.

Episode 027: Hope in the Time of Corona

In this episode we hear from our past guests and editors down south from ACE about how life is for them. We hope these messages bring you hope in these uncertain times.

Thank you to the editors who contributed to this episode:

Cathy Gulkin, CCE,

Kevin Tent, ACE,

Nicole Ratcliffe, CCE,

Justin Lachance, CCE,

Liza Cardinale, ACE,

Paul Day, CCE

Mike Munn, CCE,

Daria Ellerman, CCE,

Zack Arnold, ACE,

Stephen Philipson, CCE,

Jesse Averna, ACE,

Jonathan Dowler,

 Krystal Moss

Lesley MacKay Hunter,

Paul Hunter,

Stephen Rivkin, ACE,

Pauline Decroix,

Scott Parker,

Michèle Hozer, CCE,

Jane MacRae,

Ron Sanders, CCE,

Jillian Moul, ACE, D.

Gillian Truster, CCE,

Paul Winestock, CCE,

Sarah Hedar,

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The Editor’s Cut – Episode 027 – “Hope in the Time of Corona”

 

Sarah:

Hi, and welcome to The Editor’s Cut. I’ve been thinking about my fellow editors around the world in this unique time. Some still have work where others have been at a standstill for a couple months. I wanted to hear how everyone is doing and what’s helping them get through. So I reached out to our past guests and editors down south from ACE to share how life is for them. For myself work has slowed right down, but life in Edmonton Alberta is still busy. My four year old daughter is home with me. She’s here right now.

Young Voice:

Hi.

Sarah Taylor:

And my husband and I are both working from home. I have two dogs and two cats and five fish. Mondays now consist of pretending with my daughter–

 

Young Voice:

Let’s play!

Sarah Taylor:

–extra long dog walks and lots of baking. I’ve also been attending the many Zoom events the CCE and other organizations are hosting. In some ways I feel more connected with friends and family, as we’ve been taking the time to call each other and check in. The app, Marco Polo has been a savior as it feels like I’m talking with friends all day long. There are definitely low days and days where I have all the energy in the world but I just ride the wave. I know we will be okay. And for now I will settle into this new world.

 

Young Voice:

Let’s go for a walk.

Sarah Taylor:

I hope these messages bring you hope in these uncertain times. 

 

Cathy Gulkin:

Hi fellow editors, Cathy Gulkin here in Toronto. The centre of the universe is awfully quiet these days. But as a homebody, I don’t mind all that much. I think many of us editors are pretty happy living quiet lives. We’re the ones who prefer to work by ourselves in our own spaces whenever given the choice. So it’s kind of nice that there’s no other option now.

 

The director can’t come in and sit over our shoulders and frame fuck. I for one, find that liberating. I continue to do all of the things I’ve always done to protect my physical and mental health while working in the edit suite. Take lots of breaks and go for brisk walks. Now wearing a mask and social distancing. But since the streets are mostly deserted, it’s not that difficult. I’m also counseling the director I’m currently working with about how I think we can complete the project using tools like Zoom and Skype, to do pickup interviews, because this doc was supposed to follow three young people during their last year of high school, and our Act Four–graduation–has pretty much been canceled. Finding a new act four is a challenge. What I’ve said to the director is, if he can’t fix it, feature it. We’re living in an historic moment. And so are the subjects in our documentary. I think that capturing their current experience through online interviews in their own vlogs is going to make a very interesting film. I know things are much harder for editors working on fiction, where all production has stopped, and for those who are waiting to begin projects that would have been shooting this spring. My current gig ends in June, and if Cruz can’t go out this spring and summer, I won’t be working either come September when I’ll be eager to get back into the edit suite. But I’ve been through the boom and bust cycle in our industry before, and there were no government income programs to help us out then. I just saw my savings dwindle, went into some debt, and then things recovered and so did my financial situation.

 

This too, shall pass. Stay strong and safe colleagues.

Kevin Tent:

Hello, friends and fellow editors, north of the border. It’s Kevin Tent reporting from down here in Los Angeles. I hope you are all healthy and well. You may be familiar with me and some of my early work on classics such as, Salt: The Hidden Threat, Cholesterol: What Can You Do? And one of my personal favorites, Teenagers: How to Get and Keep a Job. It’s such a mind blowing and difficult time for all we humans right now. And the film business has taken a huge hit, especially on the production side, which of course affects us on the post side.

 

Yet as grim as it sometimes seems. I am optimistic that once it’s deemed safe, there will be a big demand for content and productions will be back up. It might not be overnight, but I have faith in the ingenuity, the versatility and the creativity of the people in our business. They’re amazing. So things will get better. It might take a while, but they will. 

 

In the meantime I am extremely grateful that my family and I are safe and healthy. I’ve been proud of the people of Los Angeles and California. For the most part, they have taken the situation seriously and are following safety protocols. And although our numbers are climbing, they seem relatively manageable and not as bad as they could have been for a state of our size and population. Personally, what’s helped me a lot in dealing with the pandemic has been exercising regularly, and meditating. About four years ago, you may remember we had an election down here, and the day after I realized I had to do something to deal with how I was feeling.

 

So I bought an app called Headspace and started, and it’s been a godsend. I moved down to different forms of meditation, tried different things and different apps, but I highly recommend some sort of mindfulness practice. All editors could use it pandemic or not. So make sure you get out and exercise if you can, treat yourself well physically and mentally. And when things get tough, cut yourself some slack. You will, and we will get through this. Wishing you all the best from south of the border. Stay safe, stay strong, stay sane and hug your loved ones. Your friend and colleague Kevin Tent.

Nicole Ratcliffe:

Hey everyone, Nicole Ratcliffe from Vancouver here. I hope you’re all doing well and staying safe. Like many of you, I lost my job around mid March when all of this happened, and it seemed like the entire industry around the world shut down. So now that I’m home, I have all this time. Time to get things done that have been on my to do list for what seems like years. And also, to finally catch up on all those TV shows and movies that I keep telling everyone I’m going to watch.

 

A few other things I’ve been doing is I’ve taken up knitting in the last year. And I’m really enjoying that. I finally have gotten over the stress of it, and now I’m enjoying it. I’m working on a big knitting project right now. My biggest project so far, it’s a large six color shawl. I’ll send you all pictures when it’s done. I’ve been reading a lot, getting through quite a few books, enjoying that. And luckily the weather has been quite nice here in Vancouver over the last couple months.

So, I’ve been spending a lot of time outside in the yard, getting it cleaned up from the winter and getting my greenhouse ready to start planting what will be my own food, really looking forward to that. I’ve been keeping in touch with my film family here in Vancouver, and some people in Los Angeles online via either Zoom or Houseparty. And it’s been really great just to keep in touch with people, see what they’re doing to keep busy and just talk about what’s going on right now and how people are feeling about it.

 

I find that everyone is being incredibly supportive, but having fun online with those people as well has been really, really great. I recommend Houseparty, if you haven’t tried it. Anyway, as I said, I hope you’re all doing well. I’m thinking of you all. And I hope that we all get back to work sooner rather than later, but in the safest way possible. Take good care.

Justin Lachance:

What’s up guys. This is Justin Lachance and this is my impression of every Tech/gaming podcast intro on the planet. [beep] Oh no. Okay. All right. [beep] At the beginning of this pandemic, there was a meme going around that editors would send each other. I’m sure you all saw it. It spread faster than COVID. If somehow you haven’t seen it. It had two pictures of an editor at his computer. And under the first picture, there was a caption that said, “A video editor.” The caption under the second picture said, “A video editor in quarantine.” Both pictures were identical. I admit, I thought it was funny because at the time I was about to start working on a small series with an insane turnaround schedule. I thought, yeah, that’s totally it. I’ll be working from home and we’ll be able to get it done before things get really bad. This was on March 11th. As the news became darker and darker by the hour, I realized this was going to change a lot of things about our industry.

 

The production was put on hold as the country closed up shop. I found out that because Quebec Spring Break happened just before shutdown, some people on the set of my series had contracted the virus while on vacation and spread it to a lot of the cast and crew without knowing. I thought about the meme and was like, well, I guess being a post-production loner is a good thing now? I don’t know. Days went by and I talked to the Post Super, the director, my agent, the producers of future projects. And we all didn’t know what to say to each other. We’d say, we’ll give it a couple of weeks and see what’s up; in the meantime, take care of yourself. Weeks went by. I started doing things around the house. I painted my fence, planted my seedlings. I tried to take my mind off the fact that there was a global pandemic happening out there. And on top of that, I wasn’t editing. A month went by, two. Today is May 11th. And there’s talk of some production starting back up in July, but that’s a big maybe.

 

I got to admit, it’s pretty brutal–to have a full year of exciting projects blow up like that is rough. But then I think about that meme. I look at it from a completely different angle now. Before I’d see the brutally honest hilarity of our job, I’d be like, “Yeah, I willingly spent my days alone in a room while being lost in a very specific train of thought sometimes to the point of madness.” It was funny, but like so true.

 

Now I look at that meme and see the hundreds of people behind the editor that aren’t pictured. The conversations with the directors, the producers, the other editors I’ve worked with. All the fun we’ve had, the hilarious sleep-deprived laugh-a-thons, the creative eurekas. And I mean, I’m not kidding myself, there were some pretty frustrating times too. But it takes a literal army to make a film or show. And the hard part about this current moment in time is that we are more alone now than when we’re in our edit suites. But, one good thing about right now is that these people are free to talk cause, well, what else are they going to do besides making banana bread?

 

I’ve been able to have Skype virtual beers with old colleagues, call friends, text with people I haven’t talked to in ages because we now have time. I’m learning more about the people I work with because we’re talking about our lives, telling our stories about how we’re dealing with this stuff. It’s kind of awesome. It’s definitely not perfect, but I’m appreciating this time to rekindle the human side of this industry. And I got to say groups like the CCE and Les Treize are helping make that happen. Also, I’m re-watching Community on Netflix and hopefully laughing myself to July. Until then, take care.

Liza Cardinale:

Hello. This is Liza Cardinale ACE, reporting from Los Angeles, California, where the birds are chirping, the sun is shining and the cameras are not rolling. I wrapped up the second season of Dead to Me, the day our Safer At Home home orders began. We had to cancel our farewell Margaritas at Don Cuco’s in Burbank because sharing chips and salsa is on hold down here along with most social interactions. 

 

I miss my friends. I miss getting on airplanes and I miss dropping my four year old daughter Izzy off at school. Her education and exercise needs are far better met by trained professionals. I fear I fall short as her substitute preschool teacher, but mostly we have fun. Izzy is thrilled to have me home giving her heaps of attention. I feel like I’m making up for lost time stuck in edit bays. We craft with glitter, act out stories with her dolls and do fizzling science experiments.

 

Before the pandemic, I had no idea how much entertainment you could get from a bag of baking soda. But my slow simple life will soon come to an end. I’ve been hired to cut a show called Social Distance that will comment on our current situation while shooting under extreme restrictions. I’m sad to leave Izzy’s playroom, but we’ll strive to bring her joy of spontaneous, messy, sparkly creation into my own.

Daria Ellerman:

Hi, I’m Daria Ellerman and I’m a picture editor from British Columbia. Like lots of you, the idea of working hard and then stopping is not unusual. On March 13th, I was at the end of a much needed break with a project booked for the end of March. And within a week we received an email shelving the project indefinitely. By that time I’d already realized the implications of the pandemic on the film industry. And I thought it might be possible I wouldn’t work again this year.

 

I think having been a freelancer, my entire career has been a huge help. I’ve weathered three economic slowdowns, changes of technology and delivery systems and the cancellation of really great shows we’d all hoped would run for eight seasons. I’m doing as I’ve always done between projects, get more exercise, do those forgotten things around the house, renew friendships and binge watch shows or watch movies I missed seeing.

 

Granted it is different now, coffee and lunch dates are out the window and email FaceTime and Zoom calls are the way we’re keeping in touch. Staring out the window and drinking coffee is an acceptable way to spend half an hour during pandemic. I text with some editor pals about how much we’re eating. I talked to girlfriends about being with your partner 24/7. About a month into my isolation, I started fretting about work.

 

What I did was reach out to my agent and to post producers that I’m close with. All of them got back to me quickly, and they were glad to talk about life in isolation and then work. Let’s face it, we really need to talk to work colleagues about work, to really talk about the inside baseball of it. My agent talked about the demand that will be there once production can begin. My post producers talked about how easily we in post could create environments that were safe and how we could even work from home if we had to. These conversations made me feel positive about the future. One thing that I’ve really enjoyed are doing webinars. I love seeing my colleagues talk about what they do and it makes me feel part of a community.  Editing, directing, and a class in modern art have inspired and transported me. Many editors are introverts by nature. We don’t mind being on our own, and we’re able to easily get lost in our work. In the absence of work, we need to find projects to channel our decision making skills into.

 

So, while sorting my son’s childhood Lego collection and listening to Anna Maria Tremonti interview Catherine O’Hara isn’t editing, it does appeal to my visual organization side while making me feel part of a community. Hang in there. We will all be back in a little dark room soon.

Zack Arnold:

Hello, fellow editors and post-production professionals in Canada and all around the world. Zach Arnold here, editor of Cobra Kai, as well as the creator of The Optimize Yourself Program and Podcast. No different than you, my world has also been turned upside down over the last couple of months, and I’m stuck at home with nowhere to go. As a self proclaimed extreme introvert, I have been practicing social distancing pretty much as an Olympic sport since about 2005.

 

So to be honest, things haven’t really changed for me that much. But in other ways, everything has changed. My family is home all the time, and both my wife and I have become homeschoolers, which definitely makes it harder to do that deep creative work that I love to do so much. And without any editing projects to look forward to in the near future, there is of course, fear of the unknown. What’s coming next? Is there going to be work again?

 

But if there’s one lesson that I hope to take away from this experience, a lesson that all of us can take from this experience, it’s that realizing there is very little that all of us actually have control over in the world and the best place that we can focus our attention, is on the things that we can control, like how we spend our time, what we can do to prepare for when there are jobs for us again. And most importantly, the kind of people that we want to be at home with our families and our loved ones.

 

Know that whatever you’re going through right now, you are not alone. Even if you live alone, and you haven’t seen another person for two months, you are not alone. There are literally billions of people experiencing the same anxiety, stress, and uncertainty as you. And we are all going to get through this together. Take care of yourself, forgive yourself for the days that you would much rather watch TV than get something done, and do your best to stay connected to the most important people that are in your life, even if that happens to be through video chat. Stay safe, healthy, and sane, and be well.

Steve Philipson:

Hey everyone, Steve Philipson here from Toronto, Canada. I hope you’re all safe and finding ways of staying healthy and happy. It’s mid May here in Toronto, and we’re still on partial lockdown. While some restrictions are starting to ease, it looks like the film industry will be mostly shut down for a while. Like many of you out there, I’m anxious to get back to work both for financial and spiritual reasons. But since there’s not a whole lot I can do about it, I’m trying to use this time as a sabbatical or a chance to refresh and recharge.

 

I started working on some writing projects. I’m working with the Canadian Cinema Editors Association, to help get some online events going. I’m getting in shape, spending lots of time with the family, and like everyone I’m baking tons of bread. Anyways. I’m really trying to see this time as a gift. And I hope you can too. Now I know it’s hard not to worry about the future, but I can’t help thinking things are going to work out.

 

I mean, the fact is people need stories more than ever. And since we’re storytellers, I’m really hoping it’s only a matter of time before we’re back in the editing room or a suitably equipped home office. In the meantime, I hope you can find ways of staying strong and using this little sabbatical as a chance to challenge yourself as best you can. Learn a new skill or tackle a project you’ve been meaning to do, but don’t forget.

 

We may not know when or how the industry will recover, but we do know that the world needs stories desperately and it needs people like us to help tell them well. So sit tight, stay safe, and I look forward to seeing your work soon in whatever form it takes.

Jesse Averna:

Hello, fellow editors. My name is Jesse Averna. I’m from down south in LA. First off, I want to say, sorry for what you’re going through. This sucks. You deserve better. I think it’s good to admit that. This isn’t some opportunity you’ve bumped into. It’s a crisis. So first and foremost, I hope you are surviving it with your loved ones. Unfortunately, we don’t get to choose the time that we’re in, but here’s the good news: we will survive.

 

I know this is likely the worst patch you’ve been through in maybe your whole life, but humans have been through worse and made it through. You’re here today because someone in your family is a survivor and you will be too. Something that helps me right now: when I can, I make sure to go outside at night and look up at the stars. Since LA skies are so clear at the moment, we have a decent view. I try to think about my place in the universe and in the history of time.

 

There’s something comforting to me about being reminded how small all of this really is. How brief it is on a cosmic scale, a blink on a piece of dust. I’m in no way trying to trivialize this situation. It’s absolutely awful. But it does help me to zoom out as far as I can sometimes. Anyways, please know that you were loved. And that you’re thought about, even if people don’t reach out as much as they should. Everyone’s wrestling with this in their own way.

 

I hope too, that you’ve cracked the working from home routine. I’m not there quite yet. And please keep going, keep surviving, look for the positive and the helpers. I’m honored to talk to you all. And I hope that we do get to meet in person when all this is over. Bye.

Jonathan Dowler

Hey everyone. My name is Jonathan L, and I’m an editor in Toronto. I just wanted to say, I hope you’re hanging in there. I hope we’re staying safe. I hope you’re staying healthy, these days can get hard. I’ve gotten better at homeschooling my three kids, and I started off the lockdown and I’m failing grade one math. So, I hope you’re doing better than me, if you have young children. 

 

When Ontario shut down, I lost work. So, if you are like me without work, hang in there. The sunnier days on the horizon, I hope you’ve gotten some sort of creative projects that you’re working on. There’s some great resources out there online for anything you want to learn. There’s also a good thing to be said about learning a new craft. I’ve taken the time to try editing with Premiere Pro. I’ve taken the time to try and get into DaVinci grading software, the software’s free, and you can actually learn the fundamentals about it, which is always good.

 

But for those of you who just want to chill out, one thing that I’ve learned about all of this, is that we’re all running our own race and we’re all dealing with this in different ways. So, if being super productive and super organized and having a plan and tackling it every day is a way that you can deal with this time. Then that’s great. But if you just need to crash on the couch, watch some TV, watch movies or play video games. Then that is totally cool too.

 

In times like these, I try and draw inspiration from the place I’ve always found inspiration and that’s the movies. I’ll play the clip, it is something that has always inspired me. And it’s from Lord of the Rings. Frodo basically says, “I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.” Which I think we can all sympathize with. Let’s just say the ring is COVID-19.

 

[film clip audio]

Frodo:

I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.

Gandalf:

So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you.

[wnd film clip audio]

 

So, I choose to use that and try and be positive about it. Stay safe, stay healthy, keep cutting, be creative. And I’ll see you on the other side of this.

Leslie MacKay Hunter:

Hi there, it’s Leslie MacKay Hunter.

Paul Hunter:

And Paul Hunter.

Leslie MacKay Hunter:

We’re asked to speak about what it’s like editing with the whole COVID-19 situation going on. We’re fortunate in the fact that animation is one of the areas that has continued going on.

Paul Hunter:

Probably if anything is also expanding and picking up speed.

Leslie MacKay Hunter:

I happened to be in the middle of a contract when this whole thing went down and I have to say a huge shout out to the IT team, to not only figure out how 400 people were going to work from home, but short of ripping the TV down off the wall, literally sent every element of my studio to me. So, I have a full suite that I’m used to in the studio is all at home and I’m working from home. Thankfully, I’ve been working with this director for several months now and he and I have kind of got an idea of what we’re going for.

Paul Hunter:

So, I was in a unique position that I was between gigs when the whole lockdown happened. So, I had decided that I probably would not be able to find any work. All of a sudden I get a call and it looks like I now will be having a gig as well, because there’s a need for new content. And animation is the only part that can create anything new right now. So, I’m going to be in a unique situation where I’m going to be working with a director that I have never worked with before at a studio that I’ve never worked with before. And I’m going to have to figure out how to communicate and build a relationship while starting this project remotely.

Leslie MacKay Hunter:

From a personal level, we’re both very thankful to have a fairly young puppy who has joined our family within the last few months. So she of course requires quite a bit of attention. So, we are getting out for walks with her. We’re trying to make sure we get some physical activity exercise in on a daily basis.

Paul Hunter:

Also working for a home. There is some pros.

Leslie MacKay Hunter:

For instance, when I’m having a really busy day, I am very fortunate in the fact my lunch is usually delivered to me.

Paul Hunter:

Con, if you’re the second editor of the couple who gets a gig after the first one has taken over the nice office, you get delegated to setting up your suite in the basement laundry room.

Leslie MacKay Hunter:

Sorry.

Paul Hunter:

Pro, we have a four legged stress reliever who likes to sometimes poke her head in and try her paw at editing.

Leslie MacKay Hunter:

Con is she’s the hit of our studio. And nobody wants to talk to me on Zoom anymore. Pro you are able to relax the dress code even more so than normal.

Paul Hunter:

Con. I still can’t have boxer Tuesdays.

Leslie MacKay Hunter:

We recognize how fortunate we are and we’re staying safe. And I encourage all of you to do what you need to, to just keep your head on straight during this time. Because it’s a weird time. It just really is. So take the time, do what you need to, have a giggle every so often and stay safe.

Paul Hunter:

Take care guys.

Leslie MacKay Hunter:

We’ll see you soon.

Paul Hunter:

Bye.

Leslie MacKay Hunter:

Bye.

Steve Rivkin:

My name is Steve Rivkin and I’m in Los Angeles working on the Avatar Sequels. At a time when the majority of our industry is out of work. Our editorial team is very fortunate to still have a job. In March, our production crew was scheduled to head to New Zealand for the next leg of our live action shooting schedule on the films. A contingent of our editorial department was scheduled to go, myself included, when the national emergency was declared in the US.

 

The trip was postponed and we went into lockdown like everyone else. The Avatar projects are unique in the sense that a huge percentage of the films are virtual production based on the performance capture of our actors, which wrapped some time ago. We have the ability to play back those captured performances and create shots for the films without the actors present on the stage. Now their virtual characters will be driven by the actors’ captured performances.

 

Currently, during the lockdown, we are unable to access the virtual stages at Manhattan beach studios to create those camera shots. But fortunately, we have a backlog of scenes to continue to work on remotely from home, and shots and coverage are still being created through alternative methods. Our entire crew of editors and assistants have been equipped with specially-formatted laptops, monitors, and an encrypted password protected path for us to access from home, the Avids and media that are secured in the cutting rooms at the studio.

 

We are conducting online meetings reviews with editors, assistants, VFX effects supervisors and digital artists. All working from home. The pandemic has forced us to test workflows that I believe will have a lasting impact on our industry and the future of how we work. I think when we get on the other side of this worldwide crisis, a lot of what we’re doing may stick and more and more editors will be working from home in the future. In the meantime, stay well, hopefully we will all be able to safely get back to work soon.

Pauline Decroix

Hi, my name is Pauline Decroix. Salut, mon nom c’est Pauline Decroix, I’m going to share with you what kind of change I faced during this quarantine time. Je vais vous parler un petit peu qu’est-ce qui a changé pour moi dans cette période de quarantaine. Pour moi, de n’ai plus une station de montage à la maison, mais deux. Pourquoi, parce que ma station de montage est sur Mac, et je travaillais sur une série de télé qui était sur PC, alors la production m’a gentiment ramené l’ordinateur de production à la maison. Donc maintenant je travaille sur deux stations différents à la maison. So, what has changed is that I have not only one editing station at home, but two now. My regular one is a Mac and the second one is a PC. I was working before all of that happened on a TV series that was working on a PC platform. So now I’m working on a PC platform from home, thanks to the production company who bought the production computer at home.

 

What is exciting for me during this special period, I’m fortunate enough to be part of two other projects. Two short docs, working on those, I find myself that I take more time than usual to work on them. And the time allowed me to be more creative, to find more ways to improve my cuts. So, I think I’m going to remember that in the future when we are forced to meet our deadlines. Just to remember that when we give time to creativity, it’s a win-win for the project and for ourselves. Donc, ce que je trouve qui est géniale en ce moment c’est que je prends plus de temps pour travailler sur mes projets. Pas sur la série de télé sur laquelle je travaille à ce moment, mais sur les deux autres courts métrages documentaires sur lesquelles j’ai la chance de travailler. En faite, je prends plus le temps de la réflection. Et du coup ça m’aide à être plus créative et je crois en faite j’essayerais de faire repenser mes productrices, producteurs, réalisatrices, réalisateurs que c’est important de donner du temps à la créativité parce que le projet au finale, sera que plus gagnant. Voilà ça c’est ma petite contribution aujourd’hui. Stay strong colleagues, restez forts collègues.  Stay healthy, restons en santé. And we are going to go through that together – et on va passer à travers tout ceci, tous ensemble. So, see you on the other side. On se revoit de l’autre côté. See you on the other side. Bye. À bientôt. Take care.

Scott Parker:

Hi there, my name’s Scott Parker and I’m a documentary editor in Edmonton, Alberta. I usually work out of producers’ studios and sometimes I rent my own temporary space if I’ve got a lot of different jobs on the go. The rest of the time I work from home. I was pretty lucky that I had a plan to move out of my temporary office on March 15th. Just about the time the COVID shutdown happened. So, now I’m working out of my little basement suite where I also live.

 

One of my biggest and most rewarding projects has been postponed for a while. I don’t think it will get canceled outright, but if it does, things are going to get pretty tricky. I’ve been spending my time learning new things on Udemy and I’ve taken some social media courses with Hootsuite. I do more and more social media work now. So, learning new skills is good. That’s always good. Even though I’m pretty solitary by nature, being solitary all the time is getting tiring.

 

I can feel it sort of wearing me down, and I feel stuck. And right now I feel like this is going to be going on forever. But I am lucky because my friends and family are doing fine and I don’t know anybody who’s been sick with COVID. It’s never been easy for us freelancers to make a living in this business. And the whole COVID shutdown has made it that much harder. But it’s going to be over and we’re going to get back to it.

 

So let’s try and stay sharp and look after each other. And when it’s time we’ll get back at it. We’ll make commercials and music videos and documentary films, and will curse system crashes and client changes and ridiculous deadlines and I look forward to all of that and I wish you all the best of luck.

Jane MacRae:

Hello Sarah and people of the editor’s cut who are listening to this podcast. I think it’s great that you’re taking the time to hear from everybody, so I’ll just keep it brief for myself. This is Jane MacRae. I am a film and television editor living and working in Toronto, Canada. For the last eight weeks or so–however long it’s been, I’ve completely lost track–I’ve been self isolating at home with my husband, a middle school teacher who’s been doing classes from home, and my dog who is mostly incredibly thrilled to have us around so much.

 

As a freelancer, I am pretty used to uncertainty in my life. I’ve had many periods of time where I’ve not worked for many weeks at a time, sometimes willingly, often unwillingly. So for me, taking this time has not been, I think as stressful as it has been for people in other industries. I am also fortunate that no one around me has been affected directly by the virus. Members of my family who were working are still working and people are healthy, so that’s great.

 

Here in Toronto, most of the editors that I know I think are not working. So, I feel very fortunate that I actually have been working quite a bit during this period. I had a job at the beginning of the quarantine on a show that had been shot already, so I edited that for a while. Then I had some time off and I’ve just recently started on a new show that’s being produced by a Canadian production company that’s being shot entirely with actors in their homes in lockdown.

 

I’ve only worked on it for a few days so far, but we have some really, really great cast members, young people who are filming using cell phones at their homes and interacting via Zoom and being directed via Zoom by the director and showrunner. So, I’m pretty excited about the show. I think it should be pretty fun when it all comes together and it’s definitely something that is going to feel unique and very particularly of this time, which I think is important, to kind of remember how we all felt and what we were all going through during this period.

 

My big hope obviously is that things will ease up, that we’ll be able to start going out seeing our friends and family and also that the industry here in Toronto and in Canada and around the world will get up and operating again. Here we’re very, very reliant on a lot of service productions coming in from the United States and it’s going to be really challenging to see what’s going to happen in the future if travel restrictions continue and just generally if people are feeling nervous about traveling and they might not want to come up here to shoot films or television shows.

 

So I’m not really sure what’s going to happen, and I just have to take it day by day and keep my fingers crossed that we’re going to be okay.  In the meantime, I’ve also been working with the rest of the board of the Canadian Cinema Editors to try and connect people during this time when everyone’s stuck at home. The board has been amazing and worked so hard to put together a lot of online events, creating virtual socials, online masterclasses and talks. We even did a couple of Netflix parties just trying to find ways to get our post-production community to connect and talk with each other and not feel so alone.

 

I’m really, really proud of all the work that all of our board members, who are all volunteer, are doing during this time. And Sarah, I want to thank you particularly for your work on the Editor’s Cut and taking the time to bring in all these messages from around the world. I hope that everyone is healthy, that everyone remains hopeful and that we can all go back to the business of being creative and being excited about what we’re making as soon as possible. Good luck to everyone and wishing you the best. Thanks.

Ron Sanders:

Hi, this is Ron Sanders from Toronto and I’m in quarantine like everyone else. So, I’m staying home and trying to keep myself amused and a bit sane. FaceTime and Zoom are helping us to keep in touch with family and friends, but after that it’s a long day. I read and listen to music. I play guitar some. I grew a beard and I shaved part of my head. What makes my day more specific is the time I spend playing with my computer.

 

I have Avid media composer, DaVinci Resolve and Final Cut Pro 10. But I don’t have as much picture media. Few things I have managed to discover though: Media Composer’s new interface accomplishes very little. DaVinci Resolve I just don’t like and Final Cut Pro is pretty much useless for me. Big fail. I also have Garage band and Logic Pro, and a large library of samples and loops. I’m getting into funk drumming. 2020 will be the year of COVID-19, social distancing, and political tap dancing by our various leaders. It will also be the year of all of us doing the best we could. Stay home. Stay well.

Jillian Moul:

Hello, this is Jillian Moul. I’m a documentary editor and ACE member in Los Angeles, California. I’ve been working from home since late last year, so my routine has been much the same since our shelter in place. One difference is that my director, producers, and I collaborate on Zoom meetings. And even though I’m a bit of an introvert, and love to work alone with the footage and the story, when we do collaborate, I prefer to do that in person, which of course isn’t happening right now.

 

I find virtual meetings to be limiting and strangely exhausting. I’ve rarely gone out since early March. Safety has been a priority, especially since I have asthma, but as cautious as I’ve been, I woke up one day with symptoms that seemed like COVID-19. I got tested two days later and the results came back four days later. Negative. I was relieved, but our tests aren’t very accurate. There are many reports about false negative or false positive results. My symptoms would get better for a couple of days. Then get worse and better back and forth until five weeks later and they’re all but gone. I’ll get an antibody test, but I’ll wait for the Roche test since that one is highly accurate. There are still a lot of questions. What we do know is that our world has changed. Lucky for us in post that technology is such that we can work from home. I hope that you’ll be well and employed in the months ahead. I look forward to the time when my colleagues and I can once again share our stories in person.

Gillian Truster:

Hi everyone. My name is Gillian Truster, and I’m an editor from Toronto. I was working just outside of Vancouver on a TV series when our production shut down because of the virus. I’d only arrived there on March 1st, and was really looking forward to exploring the city since I’d never been to Vancouver before. But within days of my arrival, the news surrounding COVID-19 became progressively more serious. When I told the woman who ran my Airbnb that I was flying home, she said she was so relieved. Knowing I was alone in the city, she had been about to message me to let me know she’d take care of me if I got sick. It’s one of the kindest, most generous things anyone has ever said to me. Since I’ve been back home. I think of this often. It’s a good reminder that while crises can bring out the worst in people, they can also bring out the best. I find myself having a greater appreciation for things I used to take for granted and also having deeper conversations with friends.

 

Maybe it’s that small talk seems so trivial now in light of the pandemic, or maybe it’s the shared knowledge that we’re all going through some sort of trauma and we’re all listening to each other more. I hope some of that kindness stays long after the pandemic ends. This is a time of great anxiety and uncertainty for all of us, and I find it reassuring to remind myself that this too shall pass. In the meantime, I’m staying connected to family and friends. I think it’s important to check up on them, and nice to be checked up on. Perhaps the world in the new normal will be better than the old normal. I look forward to the day that I can see all your lovely faces again in person. Until then, please stay healthy and safe. Virtual hugs to all.

Paul Winestock:

Hi, ssh listen. It’s the early sounds of spring in Toronto. It’s Paul Winestock and I’ve been asked by the CCE to talk about how the challenging time of the pandemic has affected my days, my time. And of course, I don’t have work right now and I don’t foresee any work too soon and not in the next couple of months. So, I’m just trying to enjoy each day as much as I can giving a bit of purpose with projects. So I’ve been spending time in my garden building a trellis and prepping the garden for the summer season. I do stuff around the house–whatever my meager talents can manage such as painting or little fix ups here and there. And then in the evenings the family gets together and we will do a puzzle or play game, Rummy cubes, Settlers of Catan. We like to attack each other full throttle.

 

We do some cooking and baking. We’re baking every few nights actually. The carrot cake we learned a lesson that came out raw. The cheesecake brownies were a huge hit. I go down the rabbit hole of YouTube and Spotify and listen to new music and old music. And we’ve been binge watching shows like Bosch and I Unorthodox. And then we’ve gone to older shows like The Wire and re-watching The Wire and Battlestar Galactica, the 2004 version, which was one of our family favorites.

 

And when we feel like a good silly comedy, we go to HBO, Angie Tribeca, which is like an airplane movie humor, like the movie airplane. It’s great, silly fun. Anyways, I hope everyone is well and healthy, and I look forward to seeing any of you, all of you at an edit facility at a corridor, CCE event sometime in the near future. Thanks for listening.

Sarah Hedar:

Hi, this is Sarah Hedar and I’m in Vancouver, BC. Like pretty much everyone else. I’ve been social isolating and although I’m sure the sentiments played out, it hasn’t been a huge stretch for me to spend more time alone given my chosen profession. But despite that, I am looking forward to seeing more friends and family as restrictions ease up and in each phase. And in the meantime, I’ve been catching up on rest and working on some of my own projects and I’ve also been able to take the time to just watch more content and especially trying to see more work from friends and colleagues and peers.

 

So it’s been pretty great to see the caliber of work that’s out there. And I’ve also been trying to keep track of where our industry is headed in terms of productions resuming, and what that could look like for protocols and budgets and how that’s going to affect post-production. While there’s just so much uncertainty, and just also looking at where I’d like to be when things start to pick up again and if there are any changes to be made there.

 

I know a lot of people aren’t really getting any time and that things have been really up and down for a lot of folks, and people are just managing a lot. So, wherever anyone is at, I just hope you’re able to find your part and your peace and all this and make it through and I truly wish everyone the best.

 

Mike Munn:

Hi, my name’s Mike Munn and I’m a film editor and I live in Peterborough, Ontario. Like most other editors, I’ve been working remotely since the lockdown started in around mid-March and it has obviously a very big downside. There’s nothing like working with people in the same room and interacting in that way, but editing to a degree is conducive to working on your own. And I’m actually looking at this as a learning experience.

 

I’m trying to look at the upside as a kind of a dry run for doing more of my work remotely in the future because I live in Peterborough and all of my work is out of Toronto. If I can avoid staying in town and commuting into town to work periodically, I’d love to do more of that. I’ve been hesitant in the past just because  working out the technical logistics of working at home has always been something I’ve not really looked forward to but I’m being forced to do it now.

 

So in a way I guess the benefit for me of this whole period is going to be having set myself up at home and learning to work with filmmakers remotely is something perhaps I can do more of in the future. I’m trying to look at the upside of this whole situation and the other thing I would say just in terms of my two-sentence worth with how I keep myself sane and functioning the way I should, for me it’s routine. I’d follow the same routines I would if I was working with other people or going somewhere else to work.

 

It’s getting up in the morning, getting dressed and isolating myself in the part of the house where my edit suite is and feeling like I’m going to another place and keeping up all the routines I would do when I’m normally editing, which is taking a break periodically and finishing more or less the same time every day. Trying to not work in the evenings too much. For me, that’s always been the way to not burn out or not overdo it. Keep up a regular routine, so anyway, good luck to everyone. This will be over eventually and work will return to normal, so. Okay, bye.

Michèle Hozer:

Hi, my name is Michèle Hozer. I’m a documentary editor and filmmaker. In 2017, my husband and I bought a property in Prince Edward County. We had spent the previous year working on a documentary for TVO here, and we fell in love with the place. The plan was supposed to be in about five years from now, I’d be able to have a full time studio and production office here. In the meantime, I was going back and forth from Toronto to the County working mainly in the city during the week.

 

When the pandemic hit, I realized that I can set up shop full time here in the County. I brought my favorite equipment including a standup desk and started cutting here. Okay. There are challenges working here in the County, notably, a really bad internet. But with a little bit of creativity, I’m able to crunch down files small enough to upload them onto Vimeo and Dropbox. My two favorite tools working remotely. It’s great working here in the County. We’re able to go for long walks and we’re near the lake.

 

So I’m very grateful to be here. The question remains, what’s going to happen to our industry? I know a lot of people whose productions are on hold because of COVID-19. What’s it going to look like next year at this time? I am optimistic though with the little ingenuity. I think we’ll be able to work around it or at least I hope so. Good luck to us all.

Paul Day:

Hi Sarah, it’s Paul Day. Thank you so much for allowing me to be part of this extra special podcast. During this crazy time, I know for myself, keeping busy and cooking and reaching out to as many people as I possibly can has really been a help for me. Friends who I’ve missed and thanks to sort of social media and Instagram, Facebook and Zoom and FaceTime, emails. It’s definitely one of those times that reaching out and connecting with your friends in any capacity is the best medicine I think.

 

For maintaining creativity, I’ve been playing a lot with Photoshop and learning a little bit about After Effects and watching a lot of videos on the making of things and the editing of things and reading books on the editing and being part of the DGC and the Canadian Cinema Editors. I’ve been able to interview some editors and I was interviewed for some things as well. If it’s a small way of reaching out to people who are just starting off in the business or just for the same simple interest of people who are in the business who want to learn more about what we do and sort of peek inside the trials and tribulations of a cutting room or than where they started. And the multiple levels of appreciation for people that you meet along the way. And the understanding that a career doesn’t happen overnight. A career is built over time and hard work and perseverance and it takes an army to build a career. And I wish everyone the best. My career has always been in the sense of giving back as much as I can because I just think people need opportunities. And they want to see that people care about the next generation. And I think that’s important, more prevalent in post-production because we’re always so isolated away.

 

And to have editors reach out and talk to people and share their experiences is a good thing. And I think everyone should do that. This COVID experience is yet another chapter in people’s lives, in their careers, whether they’re just starting off or whether they’ve been in it for 20, 30, 40 years. It’s definitely a trying time to think of a more frugal way of living, which I guess we should all do anyways. This too will pass. If somebody’s listening to this and they’re feeling down or they’re feeling low, I encourage them to reach out to friends and just say, “Hey, I’m not feeling well today. Do you have 10 minutes or 20 minutes to have a cup of tea and just chat on the phone.”

 

But there’s also times to just get outside and walk the dog and enjoy the silence. Thinking about I’m taking the dog for a walk, how quiet it is outside. So I kind of relish in that. And just one day at a time, we will all get through this and we will all get to a point where we’ll look back on this and go, “Gee, we survived this.” So anyways again, this is a great idea for a podcast and I hope I’ve contributed something. And again I can’t thank you enough and the board at the Canadian Cinema Editors for the amount of work that you have all put in to entertain and to inform and to build up the prestige and the fascination that people should have with editorial. You guys definitely have been knocking it out of the park. Take care everybody. We’ll see you on the other side of this. Bye.

Krystal Moss:

Hello, Bonjour. My name is Krystal Moss from Edmonton, Alberta and I’m a bilingual editor here and a new mom to a baby girl that was born this past January. While the pandemic has brought certainly unique challenges to motherhood, my day to day hasn’t changed a whole lot during my maternity leave. I’d love to share with you all some sounds from my home in the hopes that it brings you a little bit of joy today. We’ve got some baby girl gurgles [Baby gurgles].

 

Here I am dusting off my guitar while baby naps. [Guitar strumming.] And with the help of my downstairs neighbor Ben, here is “Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams and Dream Your Troubles Away.” [Music playing] Take care editors. Remember that the sunshine always follows the rain.

Sarah Taylor:

A special thank you to all the editors that took time to share with us today. Thank you to Jane MacRae, Jenni McCormick from ACE, Stephen Philipson, CCE and my auntie Heather Urness for helping inspire this episode. I hope you’re all well and safe. Take care. 

The episode artwork was designed by  Jane MacRae, music provided by Soundstripe. This episode was mixed and mastered by Tony Bao. If you’ve enjoyed this podcast, please rate and review us on Apple podcasts, and tell your friends to tune in. Til next time, I’m your host, Sarah Taylor.



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Credits

A special thanks goes to

Jane MacRae

Jenni McCormick from ACE

Stephen Philipson, CCE

Heather Urnes

Hosted, Produced and Edited by

Sarah Taylor

Episode graphic designed by

Jane McRae

Mixed and Mastered by

Tony Bao

Music by

Soundstripe

en_CAEN

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