Charlotte Carr - Editor
Job title - Commercial Editor
Experience - 10+ years
“...do what you’re passionate about, work hard, be nice, soak everything in, and don’t be scared to speak up!”
Tell us about your job role and the kinds of projects you work on;
I am the Head of Editorial at The Mill Chicago. I primarily work on commercials, promos, and social content, working with an assortment of agencies and clients locally and across the US and UK. I have worked on brands including Nike, Maker’s Mark, Kitchen Aid, and Ocean Spray. I love the variety of projects I get the opportunity to work on in the commercial world but also really enjoy working on Title Sequences and Music videos.
What does an average day look like in your post-production working world?
Typically most of the projects that I work on are relatively short schedules, sometimes only a week or two so every day is kind of different. I could be chatting with a Director about a pitch and going through their treatment with them, pulling in storyboards to start laying the groundwork for an edit before we get to the shoot, or keying green screen and doing rough comps offline so that the client has the best representation of the edit as possible - although of course it always looks much better once I hand it off to my friends in 2D to work their magic!
How did your career in post-production begin?
Theatre was all I ever thought I wanted to do when I was at school. I studied Theatre and Performance Technology at The Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) in Liverpool, UK. And for one of my final projects I collaborated with a friend to Write, Direct and Shoot scenes that would be projected onstage for a Play he had written. I took on the task of editing everything and it was the first time I’d done something other than theatre that really piqued my interest! Once I graduated I was looking for jobs back in London in Theatre and Post Production and was fortunate enough to land an internship at a Posthouse in London, which turned into a full-time position and everything went from there!
Tell us about a career highlight;
Having the opportunity to move from London to New York and now Chicago with The Mill has definitely been a highlight. I never thought I’d get the chance to live in the US. So being able to experience New York and Chicago and work with Directors and the amazing creative talent here is amazing.
Which women in post do you admire?
I really admire Sally Menke - it’s a true testament to her that after Editing Reservoir Dogs Tarantino worked with her on all his subsequent films until she passed. That’s the type of collaboration I always strive for and want to develop with any Directors and Creatives I work with. There’s nothing better than being part of a Director-Editor team where you have a shorthand and can anticipate what the other person wants and how to push the creative together. Thelma Schoonmaker and Martin Scorsese are another great examples of brilliant collaboration.
Favourite piece of work?
I have a few favourites from over the years but Nike Sixth Sense is definitely up there! I created the mood film during the pitch stage before the job was even a reality and it’s always so great to be involved from the initial pitch, concept and storyboards, right through to finish. It was a night shoot in the Stadium but it was very high energy and taking all our live-action shots of the lacrosse team and mixing that action with our CG and stock shots of the animals we were featuring and some frenetic cuts of the product was super fun! The final composition and sound design along with the cinematic treatment of the footage really tied it all together.
What advice do you have for other women wanting to start a career in post?
It can be daunting that the industry still feels predominantly male-run, but things are constantly evolving and I’ve felt things slowly shift during my career. I work with some incredibly creative and talented women every day across all departments. So I say, do what you’re passionate about, work hard, be nice, soak everything in, and don’t be scared to speak up!