Finely Sliced: Staying Curious with Glorily Vélez
Los-Angeles based editor Glorily Velez has well over a decade of experience in the industry collaborating with top brands like Toyota, Capital One, Jeep, LinkedIn, and Cadillac. Career highlights include working with Anthony Mandler on his Clio Award-winning General Motors campaign featuring John Legend, editing a visually stunning campaign for Glade directed by Johan Renck, and cutting Bud Light’s loveable Rescue Dog spot for the Super Bowl. Hailing from San Juan Puerto Rico, Glorily works extensively in the Hispanic market and particularly enjoys the challenge of cutting comedy spots in Spanish. She also loves crafting visual stories that have a visceral impact, as well as being in a room full of kind eyes, collaborative personalities, and willing joke tellers. Glorily has cut hundreds of commercials over the years, but still gets giddy every time she screens dailies.
LBB> The first cut is the deepest: how do you like to start an editing project?
Glorily> Before I receive dailies, I usually like to talk to the director, creatives, and/or any one responsible for bringing me on to the project. And I do a little vibe check. I find this super helpful most of the time. Especially if there are good communicators with a clear vision involved in the project. If it’s an emotional story telling piece, I will often ask how they want the viewer to feel once they are done watching the cut. Fired up? Happy? Scared? Compelled to take action? Curious to learn more? Moved to tears? Ready to run a marathon, or run for the hills? It’s a simple question, and the answer can mutate as the project progresses, but it helps drive every decision I make going forward. Once I receive dailies, I love to isolate myself, put on an appropriate soundtrack, pull selects, and then “super” selects. It’s my quality time with the footage. Often at this stage I will feel a mixture of excitement and anxiousness. The main ingredient of the recipe is in front of you and your mind is racing with all the possibilities it holds.
LBB> Non-editors often think of editing just in technical terms but it’s integral to the emotion and mood of a film. How did you develop that side of your craft?
Glorily> I am an empath by nature, and that definitely helps. When I was in school it was either filmmaking or psychology for me. I chose film. I also try to stay curious and informed in different areas - art, politics, comedy, filmmaking, cooking, different corners of internet culture. The more I am exposed to the nuances of not just the world around me, but the world at large, the more I can bring to the table as an editor.
LBB> How important is an understanding of story and the mechanics of story?
Glorily> 100% important. You have to know the rules to break the rules, as they say. Though sometimes pure intuition can serve you well and bring about something fresh.
LBB> Rhythm and a sense of musicality seem to be intrinsic to good editing (even when it’s a film without actual music) – how do you think about the rhythm side of editing, how do you feel out the beats of a scene or a spot? And do you like to cut to music?
Glorily> Sometimes you will see an edit and although the performances are right, and the images are visually compelling, something is just not clicking. That’s because it’s lacking the right rhythm. When the rhythm of an edit is off you can just feel it. It can make a solid performance feel weak, a good music track feel manipulative, and an edit with potential feel regrettable. I guess the way I try to feel it out is by instinct. Once I have an initial edit, I’ll watch it down again and again, and do a gut check. If something makes me feel even the tiniest bit cringey, I’ll reconsider it. A good script can guide you to the correct beats, but it’s also important to listen to what the performances are telling you. You can find unexpected, or unintentional beats to the story through performance. Music can be a huge part of it, of course. I do like to cut to music! Even if the piece doesn’t call for it. I don’t know if it is a cheat, but it helps me achieve a good initial flow. With a music video you can really change the feel by deciding whether to cut on or off the beat.
LBB> Tell us about a recent editing project that involved some interesting creative challenges.
Glorily> I recently collaborated on a piece where the director didn’t get to shoot even half of what was boarded. There was so much anxiety over that. We had many long talks about how to work around that. In the end, experimenting with technique in both the edit and colour grading saved the day. And you know what? It was the most fun I had in a while.
LBB> In the US we know that editors are much more heavily involved across the post production process than in Europe - what’s your favourite part of that side of the job?
Glorily> I love sitting in on colour sessions, when I can. I usually have a lot of opinions and will definitely share them if allowed!
LBB> What’s harder to cut around – too much material or not enough? (And why?)
Glorily> It depends on the project. Not enough footage can be limiting, but in certain cases it can spark something super cool. Too much footage can be nerve wracking and bittersweet. My favourite scenario is slightly too much footage and a limited amount of time. It’s pure instinct and adrenaline when editing under those conditions and it can be so fun.
LBB> Which commercial projects are you proudest of and why?
Glorily> I’m always proud of found footage projects. They feel like freedom. Also, as a native Spanish speaker, I’m super proud to work on Spanish language content. When I was in film school my native tongue was not part of the experience. The two worlds felt very separate, so combining those two things always brings a smile to my face.
LBB> There are so many different platforms for film content now, and even in advertising something can last anything from a few seconds to a couple of hours. As an editor, are you seeing a change in the kind of projects you’re getting from brands and agencies?
Glorily> For sure. Social content is front and centre now, and I kind of love it. We can usually take more chances and It feels satisfying to know that it reaches a larger audience.
LBB> Who are your editing heroes and why? What films or spots epitomise good editing for you?
Glorily> This is a tough question. There are many colleges that I look up to, and of which I am in awe. I don’t want to name drop. I will say anyone who is serious about their craft and continually pushes to stay engaged has my respect. Still, to this day, I love love love the Levis “Circles” Commercial. Even if the music track was trending on TikTok recently. Also, the H2OH! ‘Braids’ commercial is one of my favourites ever. Comedic timing on point.
LBB> How does editing in the commercial world differ from the film world and TV world?
Glorily> The puzzle on the timeline isn’t as large.
LBB> Have you noticed any trends or changes in commercial editing over recent years?
Glorily> Brands are spending more on social content and that content is getting more sophisticated. TikTok is definitely influencing creative decisions. I’m also seeing a lot of collage,16mm, and integrated animation on spots. Some of this will become cliche probably, but it’s great to see advertisers taking chances.
