Meet 7 Up-and-Coming Editors in the US
The best editing, it can be argued, is when you don’t notice it being done at all. Cuts that are so smooth and seamless that the narrative flows from one place to the next without a hitch. One thing that should be noticed, however, is the editing talent responsible for making the cut - and this time, LBB set out to celebrate some of the brightest up-and-coming talent rising through the ranks at studios across the States.
Keen to meet and find out more about these promising talents, LBB’s Abi Lightfoot caught up with Arts Academy’s Charlee Mackey, Big Sky Edit’s Kennisa Ragland, Cut+Run’s Jorge Sandoval, Lucky Day’s Kel Embry, Uppercut Edit’s Daniel Techy, Whitehouse Post’s Tiffany Taveras and WORK USA's Chris O’Brien.
Charlee Mackey
Editor, Arts Academy
LBB> How did you first get into editing?
Charlee> I’ve always felt this really emotional connection to the process of editing. Probably around 10 years old, I started messing around with cutting home videos to music, and my interest just built from there. A few years later, I started writing short screenplays and would cast my younger siblings in short films. I shot all the scenes on a dinky little camcorder, all so I could have something to edit in what were the early versions of iMovie at the time. I had no connection to the editing industry growing up and truly had no idea what I was doing. But editing with the intent to elicit an emotion gave me a sort of endorphin rush that I didn’t get anywhere else as a kid. My entire life, I knew I wanted to be an editor, and that conviction and passion have been one of the biggest blessings of my life.
LBB> What’s your go-to technique or piece of technology that you can’t live without and feel other editors should know about?
Charlee> My eye for editing is really motivated by story, so I can’t say that a particular piece of technology better supports that than another. I will say that I have found it extremely valuable to be proficient in both Avid Media Composer and Adobe Premiere. Different edits require different tools, and Avid is better at some things Premiere is weaker in, and vice versa. Don’t be afraid to strengthen your skills on a different platform if you’re only comfortable with one; you’ll pick it up faster than you think.
LBB> What advice would you give to aspiring editors?
Charlee> I’ve found a lot of success from just showing up every day with a passion to create and learn as much as I can. That’s the fun thing about being in post-production—our tools are literally always evolving, and there’s always something new to get better at. If you have the time, never say no to an edit that’s offered to you, no matter how simple it may be. I can’t tell you how many times I said yes to editing something for someone as a favour, and it either led me to learning a new skill, like a randomly useful effect that I now use constantly, or helped me make a connection with someone that led to even bigger work.
Kennisa Ragland,
Assistant editor, Big Sky Edit
LBB> How did you first get into editing?
Kennisa> I started out in film school on a screenwriting track and I didn’t really know editing as a craft or process of filmmaking. Screenwriting students had to do production for a semester with the production track students wherein we learned about and fulfilled every role on each other’s films. At first, I was pretty vocal about how much I loathed editing. But a professor of mine didn’t buy that (I think she knew it was just something new to me that I was being resistant to).
Long story short, after a year as a screenwriting student, I had decided to sort of re-enroll so that I could join the production track. I chose directing as a specialty because I still really enjoyed working with actors and being on set. But I made sure to be one of a few editing multiple thesis films, since there were no editing specialists. By the time I graduated, I realised I felt more fulfilled and at home editing, so I decided to pursue it instead of directing.
I applied to around 100 jobs within a month while working at a movie theatre. None of them but Big Sky Edit reached out. They took a chance on me in terms of how green I was, but I'm grateful to say I’ve been growing there ever since, while working on side projects with my peers whenever I can.
LBB> What’s your go-to technique or piece of technology that you can’t live without and feel other editors should know about?
Kennisa> I’m sure the answer to this will change over the years since I’m just starting out, but one I've adopted early, and can't imagine not using, is making selects when beginning to work with footage. A mentor and the editor I currently assist, Chris Franklin, showed me his method and it really works on so many levels...whittling down, categorising, and organising is a good bit of work, but the results are getting to know footage, even a lot of it, like the back of your hand. The story and story beats end up unfolding in front of you and you get to make a slightly boring task fun and creative. Plus, it slows you down from rushing to the cut (a way of getting back to the legacy of mindful patience required when working with and cutting on film).
LBB> What advice would you give to aspiring editors?
Kennisa> Don’t be worried that you must be tunnel visioned on editing and editing exclusively...the other crafts in filmmaking are important and informative, and so are other arts and things outside of art (i.e. hospitality, social justice, etc.) Oh, and also, don't be dismayed when it feels like you haven’t seen a lot of movies...accept that you'll never see ‘em all and just keep watching! And while it’s important to watch a breadth of things including ‘classics’, stay true to what you like so you can share films with folks that they wouldn't have seen unless they knew you - this will also give folks an idea of who you uniquely are.
Jorge Sandoval
Editor, Cut+Run US
LBB> How did you first get into editing?
Jorge> I didn’t discover film and editing until I was in my twenties. Finding my passion came to me through trial and error – discovering things I knew I enjoyed, then later ticking off the things I knew I didn’t want to keep pursuing. I first attended Long Beach City College, where I immersed myself in the world of fine art, taking classes like life drawing, graphic design, and sculpture.
This initially landed me in the VFX world. I learned Photoshop, illustrator, Maya, and then I transitioned into motion graphics, learning After Effects, Cinema4D and InDesign. However, I slowly discovered that it wasn’t quite right for me so I took a film class. That class opened me up to the world of storytelling, and I immediately connected to the craft of editing. I transferred to ArtCenter College of Design and it was there that everything came together. I fine-tuned my storytelling, while maintaining my skills in motion graphics and design. The ArtCenter also provided an incredibly collaborative community and I knew I had found my passion.
LBB> What’s your go-to technique or piece of technology that you can’t live without and feel other editors should know about?
Jorge> With AI technology emerging, so much is out there to make us creatives more efficient. As software and computers get faster, artists can do things much quicker than they did 5 years ago. I have noticed that no matter how fast computers and AI technology get, we still rely on a keyboard and a mouse the most. Everyone has their preferences on how to work, but personally, I love a Wacom tablet; it is the piece of technology that has made me a better editor. I discovered it while I was at the ArtCenter; everyone would use a Wacom tablet in all my design classes. At first, I thought it was odd and unappealing. Although uncomfortable, I decided to try it, and now it’s one of the best things I learned. The faster the editor you are, the more you can offer to your collaborators.
I’m excited about the future. With emerging technologies like the iPad and Apple Vision Pro, I’m sure there will be hardware that will outperform the Wacom tablet, but the Wacom tablet is my go-to for now.
LBB> What advice would you give to aspiring editors?
Jorge> I think it’s important to explore outside the realm of filmmaking. It’s in those other spaces where I tend to push myself outside my comfort zone, I see things differently, and I learn to communicate more effectively. It’s also where I lean into the smaller details of things and simply observe. And it all just makes for better storytelling.
My fine art and graphic design classes were not wasted time. Learning the details of the human anatomy and the intricacies of the software, helped me frame my mindset as a storyteller. It reminds me still to this day that perfection in the pixels takes patience. And knowing where other artists are coming from, helps improve communication with directors, agencies, creatives, cinematographers, and clients.
Kel Embry,
Editor, Lucky Day
LBB> How did you first get into editing?
Kel> As a freshman at the University of Missouri, I worked at the on-campus news station as well as the local NBC affiliate station. I learned how to edit packages as a reporter and pulled selects from the wire as a PA, and very quickly it became clear to me that editing was my favourite part of the process. In my free time, I would film random things around campus to cut to music in my dorm room. By the time I was in the documentary program at the Jonathan B. Murray Center, it was clear that post was my wheelhouse, and I edited my peers' films while also starting to work as an AE for Robert Greene on his feature documentary, ‘Bisbee '17’. After premiering at Sundance Film Festival in 2018, Robert and I continued to work together on feature films like ‘Her Smell and The Featherweight’, where I was able to gain narrative experience.
LBB> What’s your go-to technique or piece of technology that you can’t live without and feel other editors should know about?
Kel> I think, especially in nonfiction, knowing when to break the fourth wall is critical. One of the most enlightening moments for me as a student was reading Jonathan Oppenheim's interview with Gabriella Oldham in ‘First Cut 2’, when he shared that Laura Poitras' 2010 documentary, ‘The Oath’, wasn't working until they included her voice in the interviews.
Acknowledging the filmmaker's influence, the performance for the cameras, quirks of production, they're all pieces of the story, and knowing when to play that card is crucial. If there's anything we learned from Jim's glances to the camera on ‘The Office’, it's that holding onto the right, imperfect moments can enrich a scene in a fraction of a second.
LBB> What advice would you give to aspiring editors?
Kel> Don't let the technology deter you. So many smart, talented filmmakers run from post because they're intimidated by the tech of it all. Some of the best editors I worked with as an AE were not the most technologically proficient, but they knew how to craft a moment, how to find the intent behind every scene and put it on display, how to make something surprising from nothing. Those are skills that come from you, not from a software program.
Above, 'Hacking Google' a recent project Kel worked on with Google's Creative Lab
Daniel Techy
Featherweight Editor, Uppercut Edit
LBB> How did you first get into editing?
Daniel> I’d say my journey began when I was in high school in Brazil. I’d always been interested in movies, and it was in school that some friends and I were tasked with making a video presentation for an assignment. Since I was already interested in filmmaking, I decided to be the one recording and editing the video. Seeing the reactions from my classmates while watching our videos was when editing really captured my full attention. And that’s when I knew I needed to push myself to learn more - so I pursued it in college and beyond.
LBB> What’s your go-to technique or piece of technology that you can’t live without and feel other editors should know about?
Daniel> I wouldn’t call this a go-to option, but I’ve been experimenting recently with AI voiceovers from this website called Elevenlabs. I came across a project, a concept video for Volvo, where the idea was to narrate a story using multiple voices and conversations that typically occur inside a car. I used the AI voices during the first cut, and it really helped sell the concept to the creative team. Later, we recorded all the lines with professional voice actors, but this technology proved invaluable during the early stages of editing.
LBB> What advice would you give to aspiring editors?
Daniel> I believe the key to improving your editing skills is simply to practise. The more you edit, the better and faster you’ll become.
Nowadays, I think you can find many ways of training your editing skills. Shoot videos with your phone and edit them together later; some stock footage websites do editing competitions, try and re-edit a trailer from your favourite movie.
Since I enjoy travelling, I always carry my camera with me and collect a lot of footage from the places we visit. Once back home, I edit a variety of short videos showcasing our adventures, which keeps me actively practising my editing skills.
Tiffany Taveras
Editor, Whitehouse Post NY
LBB> How did you first get into editing?
Tiffany> I originally went to school for Broadcast Journalism, I pictured myself as a future news anchor. Because my major was ‘Mass Media with an emphasis in Broadcast Journalism’, there were some required film classes too; and there was one class that changed my perspective forever.
The class was called ‘Creative Filmmaking’, and I swear we watched The Godfather like five or six times, each from a new angle - colour grading, sound design, lighting, editing, pacing. It was eye-opening to see all the pieces that go into making a film... I was truly blown away. So, I shifted my emphasis to Film.
On the first day of ‘Media Production 1’, the professor told us, “Pick a partner. The two of you, by semester's end, have to submit one documentary short and one narrative short. Go!” My partner quickly said, “I’ll direct if you edit - I can’t stand editing.” I’d never edited a day in my life, but I was excited. After we completed filming, I sat down with a friend who gave me a crash course in Avid, and I got to work. I remember just losing track of time. I think I started working around 3pm and next thing I knew they were kicking me out of the media centre at 9pm. I thought, “Wow, this doesn’t even feel like work. It’s so fun and creative - I could really do this for a living.”
That experience pushed me to dive into other programs, like After Effects for motion graphics and DaVinci Resolve for colour grading. That second year of school sparked a passion that’s fuelled my journey into the world of offline and online editorial ever since.
LBB> What’s your go-to technique or piece of technology that you can’t live without and feel other editors should know about?
Tiffany> Alright, so this might not be the flashiest piece of tech, but I love it and can’t live without it. Even though I'm a creative and storyteller, I’m also a total nerd for organising, setting up workflows, and creating protocols to stay on top of things.
When I discovered Post Haste, it made everything so much easier. I wouldn’t call it ‘revolutionary’, but when you’re constantly starting new projects, manually setting up folder structures and project settings... the less exciting tasks can quickly become tedious.
This program lets you create folder templates for all kinds of projects. Inside those templates, you can add anything you want, like pre-set project files (Premiere, After Effects, etc.) or your go-to files (a favourite LUT, any presets). So, every time you start a new project, everything’s set up and ready to go. It’s a massive time-saver, and honestly, I get a little excited every time I get to open it up and start fresh. Ha!
LBB> What advice would you give to aspiring editors?
Tiffany> Network and keep creating! Seek out other creators who want to push boundaries and think outside the box. And when you’re just starting out, be open to all kinds of projects - you never know where the next gig might lead or what type of work will truly light you up until you’ve tried a bit of everything.
I’ve worked in documentary, narrative, episodic, longform, shortform - you name it. Exploring so many ways to tell stories has strengthened my skills as an editor and pushed me to bring new ideas to every project. Don’t hesitate to step outside your comfort zone - you’ll be amazed at how much it can fuel your growth.
Chris O’Brien
Editor, WORK USA
LBB> How did you first get into editing?
Chris> I never thought that working in film was ever a reality growing up, and I really had no desire to get into filmmaking until I started attending a brand new public school in my hometown (shout out Upper Coomera) which offered Film and TV as a subject in high school. As part of the curriculum, we had to write, shoot, and edit all of our own films and it was during those couple years that I really took to the editing side of things. Personally, I need time and space to think, and the run-n-gun nature of filming is not where I thrive. We were allowed to stay after hours to edit our little films in peace and it felt a million times more natural to me.
LBB> What’s your go-to technique or piece of technology that you can’t live without and feel other editors should know about?
Chris> It’s definitely not a secret weapon but having a decent understanding of Adobe After Effects has set me in pretty good stead. Particularly in sketches or short films I’ve worked on - sometimes a moment isn’t quite landing so you move it over into After Effects and accentuate the hell out of it with something visual, and it can reframe the way you think about that scene.
LBB> What advice would you give to aspiring editors?
Chris> I have a few pieces of advice (in my very humble opinion):
- Put as much of yourself as possible into the first cut you show because once you start working with the director/client/etc., it's going to be an edit by committee and much less your vision overall. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but people want to work with you to hear your voice and this is when your voice stands out the most.
- Know the footage front to back. You’re going to get asked, “Did we get *insert reaction here*??”, and you should know.
- Be easy to work with. There are plenty of editors in the world and if you’re a pain in the ass, then you won’t be getting a call back for the next one.
