Finding Your Path from Student to Professional Editor with Grace Novak : Episode 86

A WORD FROM OUR SPONSORS

This episode is brought to you by Studio Network Solutions and their EVO Shared Storage unit. Every EVO includes their easy to use media management software for organizing, tagging, and finding your media across all of your storage devices—even external, local, and cloud services.

For more info check out studionetworksolutions.com/commandedit.

ON WITH THE SHOW

Josh interviews Grace Novak, a film student and freelance video editor, about her journey into the professional ranks. They discuss her networking strategies, what she is taking away from internships, how to adjust to the professional world, setting up a great website and demo reel, and much more.

Links Mentioned:

• Grace's website
• Grace's Twitter
• Grace's reading challenge
• Saves Together Twitter (Grace's podcast/web series)
• Editing for Others vs. Editing for Ourselves (a post Josh wrote on EVF)

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Song used in this episode was Standing On The Edge by Jaxon Hargrove. Get royalty-free stock music from Soundstripe! Use the code COMMANDEDIT for 10% off!

An Interview with Mae Manning : Episode 74

A WORD FROM OUR SPONSORS

This episode is brought to you by Studio Network Solutions and their EVO Shared Storage unit. Every EVO includes their easy to use media management software for organizing, tagging, and finding your media across all of your storage devices—even external, local, and cloud services.

For more info check out studionetworksolutions.com/commandedit.

ON WITH THE SHOW

Mae was bartending and raising a daughter in Atlanta when a producer approached her after seeing her music mashup projects that she continued to work on in her spare time.

Self-taught and self-propelled, after seeing a trailer for Zack Snyder's 300 she immediately vowed to become an editor.

She's a delightful and talented person to begin with but she's also a real-life example of what you should do if you're passionate about your work but have no doors open to you to the industry.

WATCH THIS

LINKS

• Follow Mae Manning on Twitter
• Art of the Cut: Conversations with Film and TV Editors by Steve Hullfish
• GalsNGear - NAB hosted lively discussions and gear demos with female industry leaders on NAB Show LIVE! — women from across the spectrum of technical jobs in production and post

Song used in this episode was Gatsby's Saloon by Matt Wigton

Get unlimited royalty-free stock music from Soundstripe: http://soundstripe.grsm.io/joshshort

Use the code COMMANDEDIT for 10% off!

SOCIAL MEDIA

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CommandEdit

Join our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CommandEdit/

Networking Essentials for Video Editors with Rhonda Thain

Josh and special guest Rhonda discuss networking essentials for video editors. They talk about how to make contacts, what kind of contacts to make, how to keep relationships going, how to ask for work, what not to do when you’re networking and so much more.

Also, Josh gives a special announcement :)

Get royalty-free stock music from Soundstripe: http://soundstripe.grsm.io/joshshort 

Use the code COMMANDEDIT for 10% off!

Can You Be Fired for Being Sick?: Episode 55

Can you be fired for being sick?

This started as a Twitter discussion from a question Scott Simmons posed earlier. There were many different opinions shared and it's not a simple yes/no question.

So we're here to discuss it further, what are your rights as a freelancer and how should you balance out the responsibilities of the job and your own health?

So I had an AE, new guy never met, who was to come pickup a drive for assistant work. Called and is sick. Maybe pickup later. Still use him?

— Scott Simmons (@editblog) July 18, 2016

Do you think an assistant can be rightfully fired for calling in sick?

Do you have a story about coming down with a serious illness and having to push through on a deadline? Let us know in the comments about it.

DURING THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING:

[4:30] What have Josh and Nick been working on this week?...

[11:25] Scott Simmons (@EditBlog) asked his Twitter followers if his assistant editor should be replaced because he was sick and didn't show for work. It generated an interesting discussion on Twitter and inspired this week's episode. What is your opinion? Leave it in a comment below and we'll respond to it.

[16:04] The difference between a freelancer and a full-timer when it comes to sick days...

[23:30] LIGHTNING STRIKE!

EDIT: Scott wrote on Pro Video Coalition after this Twitter discussion and included a follow-up to this story with the sick AE and how the rest of the project went. Worth noting is the tail section of the article where he gleans some advice for working for/with someone new for the first time. Check out the full article here for 6 tips for working as an assistant for someone new.

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• The Twitter conversation that started it all. Starting with Scott Simmons original question about whether a sick AE should be fired/replaced.

• ESA - Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ON, Canada)

• FLSA - Fair Labor Standards Act (US)

• An In-Depth Guide for Independent Contractors in Canada
• The Freelancer Files: Sick Days and Freelancing Don't Mix – Or Do They?

Can A Monkey Learn To Edit? : Cmd+Edit 051

Can a monkey be taught to edit?

Or at least can any HUMAN be taught to edit? This is the question we set out to answer in this week's episode.

We live in a time where anyone could certainly have access to the gear and training necessary to start learning. And for some it's a prickly topic of conversation about how so many up-and-comers are diluting the market and creating too much competition for the rest of us.

Or is there far more to it that simply cannot be taught and will always separate the "button mashers" who only know the shortcuts to those of us who call ourselves storytellers and rely more on theory and technique of what makes a good edit?

More and more editors are filling the market each year, as well there are more companies that are turning to training their in-house staff the basics of Adobe Premiere to save money on hiring an outside freelancer.

Listen up to Episode 51 and let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Even editors need a vacation

Josh doing an obligatory selfie in front of the Ghost Dog of Christmas Past

#PostDontStop is just a hashtag. We all know that everyone needs to get away to recharge the batteries. Otherwise you risk overworking yourself which leads to burnout, and then your work will surely suffer. Either that or you become easily irritable and become no fun to be around, which your workmates and clients will surely notice. Because of this you should never neglect your mental or physical health and should allow yourself a break when you need it.

If you have a contract or permanent position then your employer should allow for vacation time, but if you are a freelancer then you have both the freedom and responsibility of choosing the right time to go on vacation.

Before you pack up and leave, you should leave your business in good order so that you're ready to operate when you get back. Here is my own 4-point mental checklist for going away:

 • Contact your clients

​A simple email to your current clients to tell them when you're gone and what time you'll be returning is all it takes to cover your arse. Allow them enough time to ask any important questions before you leave. They'll appreciate that you took the time to let them know.

• Update your co-workers and assistants​

​Any members of shared projects should be aware that you're taking off, and you should make sure that they have everything they need to do their work without you. The last thing you want is an email from a panicked co-worker who needs files off of your computer and no access to it.

• Upload files for yourself that you wil need​

​If I ever feel like there are project elements that I may (even in an emergency) need to get at, they go up to a Dropbox/Google Drive folder or I email them to myself. You never know.

• Write up a To-Do List for when you return​

I don't want to be thinking of work while I'm away, so anything I need to remind myself of goes into a Return To-Do List​. This list doesn't get looked at until I'm back in the office. That way it's out of my mind and I can relax without worry.

Nick in BC doing an obligatory beard-selfie on a hike. 

Coincidentally both Josh and myself planned vacations for ourselves at the same time. He's over in Japan while I'm over in BC. 

But worry not! We left the Cmd+Edit offices on autorun, with new episodes to go out each Monday morning. Even vacation doesn't keep the podcast from running. So I guess there still is a bit of truth to #PostDontStop even when work does go on pause.​