Cami Starkman - Editor
Job title - Editor
Experience - 10+ years
“Say “Yes!” to every job that comes your way, even the smallest of brands / artists and lowest of budgets. Treat every job like it’s a piece of art, and soon enough your reel will be creating opportunities for you. ”
Describe your job role and the kinds of projects/clients you work with.
I edit a wide range of commercials, branded content, music videos, and documentaries. My clients span brands like Absolut, Puma, Balmain, Savage Fenty, Alaska Airlines, Valentino, Coach, and Mercedes-Benz. In terms of music videos, I've worked with artists such as Eminem, Katy Perry, Solange, Cee-Lo, and Mariah Carey to name a few. My favorite projects to work on are shot with an artistic eye and tell a unique or unexpected story.
What does an average day look like in your post production working world?
For shorter pieces like commercials or music videos, I prefer to work in Premiere, but will occasionally return to avid (which I learned in film school at AFI) for longer narrative pieces. If I'm just starting a project, the first thing I do is build a sound bed - I listen to the song or source the temp music, and mark up the song to indicate shifts in the music - this becomes my visual guide to creating a structure around the music. If it is a piece with VO, I then lay that in as the words will become another guide for telling the visual story. The next step is watching all the footage and making selects. Then the real fun begins - using my selects to craft a visually beautiful and emotionally charged piece. Later down the line, of course, I'll collaborate with the director and / or client to shape the piece towards their vision and bounce ideas off of each other.
How did your career in post production begin?
I started using Final Cut 7 as a teenager while making videos for extra credit in English and Film Theory class (I was lucky enough to attend a high school that offered Film Theory!). I fell in love with the process of juxtaposing shots together to create meaning. I've been a visual artist since I was little, and editing really felt like an extension of that. I studied film in college and upon graduating, attended the American Film Institute for editing. While earning my MFA, a fellow AFI producer (shout out to Deniese Davis) put me on a music video for an incredible director (Dave Ma). Everything about music videos really spoke to why I fell in love with editing in the first place - highly visual, like a moving piece of art. I subsequently did about 5 more videos for Dave and suddenly had a strong enough reel get on the roster at a post house that specialized in music videos. There, I really honed my craft and had the chance to work with some amazing artists. Just this year I made the move to The Den Editorial where I'm focusing more on agency commercial work, with the occasional music video thrown into the mix. The Den is woman-owned and run by kick-ass female producers, so it's wonderful to be part of that team and feel supported everyday.
What has been your career highlight?
A last min late night editing session with the Diva herself - Mariah Carey. She showed up in a full gown. Not only did she crack me up by applying lip gloss every few minutes, she was very insightful and had wonderful ideas for the video! We cut for four hours in the middle of the night, then she took off an a plane to Vegas for her residency.
Who are your role models in post?
All of the fellow editors I've worked with inspire me! It's always fascinating to see how other editors' minds work, and how one person can do something completely different with the same footage than the other, yet have both versions totally work.
What advice do you have for others wanting to start a career in post?
Say "Yes!" to every job that comes your way, even the smallest of brands / artists and lowest of budgets. Treat every job like it's a piece of art, and soon enough your reel will be creating opportunities for you.