Christen Skinner - Editor
Editor - Freelance
Experience 15+ years
“If you like puzzles, post is for you. Post is full of creativity, frustration, problem-solving, relationships and more.”
Describe your job role and the kinds of projects/clients you work with.
I am currently a freelance editor. Two of my biggest clients are The North Face and Molekule Air Purifiers. For those clients, I mostly edit videos for Instagram Reels and TikTok. Sometimes organic, sometimes paid. I am currently working on a mini series with Idaho Fish & Game. Each episode is about a different facet of the agency. I also currently editing my first feature documentary where I am the lead editor. The documentary is about 4 opera singers and their challenges in the opera industry. I wasn’t originally going to take the job because I know nothing about opera, but, it’s hard to resist good human stories, so here we are. The film editing started in January of this year which also happened to be my first month of pregnancy. What an adventure it has been and continues to be!
What does an average day look like in your post production working world?
First, a decaf latte. Second, I hop on slack and check in with my project managers on my two main clients. The work I do with The North Face typically runs in 3 week increments. I’ll get kicked off on a project on the first Wednesday of the month and then there’s a few meetings sprinkled in there, and then I deliver final files by the last week of the month. Before I even get footage, I set up my Premiere project. I have templates set for each client, so when I open up Premiere, I have all the assets I need. Keeping my project organized is so important in keeping the job running smoothly. Currently, I am working on a recap video that will highlight footage from two different winter sports events. I don’t have the footage yet, so I’m downloading stock music that I think will be fun and drive the story forward. Once I receive the footage, I will organize it by event snd then start pulling selects. Once I have a select stringout, I like to throw the stock music I downloaded underneath to see if it flows. Then the fun begins. I always edit in the format I will be delivering in. Majority of my projects for social media deliver in 9X16.
How did your career in post production begin?
Growing up, my dad always had the latest video camera and Macintosh. So, I’ve been around video for a long time. As soon as iMovie came out, we bought it. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I knew I liked it. Importing the footage and figuring out how shots go together seemed to interest me. I love puzzles, so it was a good fit. I did tape-to-tape editing in middle school and then AV Club in high school. I then went on to college to pursue a degree in Media Production. That landed me an internship at a local advertising agency that had a small video department. That was the jumping off point for me. I knew I wanted to figure out how to make shooting and editing a career.
What has been your career highlight?
In 2020, I received my first Regional Emmy for editing. I had edited a short film about a young man who struggled with severe OCD. He was an inspiration and I put that emotion into the edit. He later had an experimental surgery that would change his life forever (in a good way :).
Who are your role models in post?
Any female. Film is such a male driven industry and when women start to break through and get recognized, that makes my heart happy.
What advice do you have for others wanting to start a career in post?
If you like puzzles, post is for you. Post is full of creativity, frustration, problem-solving, relationships and more. There was a time where I stepped away from editing and worked at a Whole Foods for six months. That break made me realize how much I missed editing and how much I wanted to get back into it. I needed the break though, that was so important. Don’t be afraid to take time away. It’ll make you remember why you loved editing in the first place.
Connect with Christen on Instagram