Re: Young editor needs advice from seasoned proffesionals

Jacob-

This interpersonal business kind of stuff is more appropriate to the Business & Marketing COW, but I'll take a shot at it since the thread is already underway here.

Hmmm, tight deadlines, no pay and a jerk of a director to boot. Yes, you'd like to have this as a completed project for your resume, but at what cost?

Sounds like you've got the deadline thing at least partially under control, but the truth of the matter is editors get faster with experience and you're going to have to cram and jam and push yourself to make this all come together.

No pay? Well, that's your choice and probably not much of an option if you're just starting out. HOWEVER, there may come a walk-away point for you. Recognize that this is a possibility and determine where your threshold for pain is.

As to dealing with a jerk, especially one who doesn't know what he doesn't know, you're best option is not to be intimidated and especially not to respond in kind. If he's a hothead, you need to stay cool. If he screams, you need to talk. ALWAYS be helpful and offer to show him options and alternatives as well as techniques. Just make sure that you're professional and keeping calm.

One thing that's worked for me in the past with let clients, producers, etc. who act like know-it-alls, is to let them fail. Give them the chair or give them the raw footage disks. Just do it in a friendly and supportive way: "Gee, Bob, I'd really like to see your ideas on this." Then, once confronted with realizing that they really have no idea how to do it themselves, they're left to come back to you to save their bacon. And THAT's why you have to stay friendly and professional. If you are adversarial they will think their only alternative is to find another editor.

Of course for that demonstration to work, try to provide only the raw footage if possible. I especially wouldn't give away any sequences on which you'd spent a lot of time getting into synch.

Best of luck. Sometimes we ALL need it.