Elise Butt - Editor
Job title - Commercial Editor
Experience - 5+ years
“Showing your first edit to a director is always a bit daunting (I get sweaty palms), but then nothing beats that feeling when you’ve cracked it together and the story and rhythm all just falls into place. ”
Tell us about your job role and the kinds of projects you work on;
I'm an Editor at Trim in London, working on mostly commercials with some online content and music videos in between. I like that no job is ever the same, you can go from something heavily storyboarded to another where you've really got to "find" it in the edit, so I always feel like I'm being challenged in a new way.
What does an average day look like in your post-production working world?
Pretty much every day for me starts with coffee and an absolute tonne of peanut butter on toast! And a good chat in the kitchen with the rest of the Trimmers. Although not so much this year, sometimes on Zoom :( If it's early stages of a job I'll be selecting rushes (which i get a bit restless with quite quickly, too impatient to start cutting), or I'll be assembling the edit. I work in Final Cut X, and the way the timeline works allows you to get a rough edit down with some decent sound design really quickly.
Showing your first edit to a director is always a bit daunting (I get sweaty palms), but then nothing beats that feeling when you've cracked it together and the story and rhythm all just falls into place. Those first few days working together before we present the edit to agency/client is always the best fun, it's like playing Tetris and seeing how things can fit in the clearest yet most creative way.
What’s been the highlight of your career so far?
Working at Trim is a career highlight in itself!!! I was hired as an assistant back in 2013, my second day on the job was on an H&M shoot with Paul Hardcastle, and we met David Beckham in his pants and dressing gown. That was great. Also Viva La Vulva being recognised with a Craft Black Pencil of the decade from D&AD this year. Very humbled and honoured by that.
How did your career in post-production begin?
I started my career in Sydney, Australia, as a runner at a top editing house called The Editors. After assisting on commercials for a few years I hopped over onto a big animated feature (Happy Feet 2!). Then sought out a life change and moved to London wanting to continue on features, but found it really hard to get a foot in the door. It made me rethink commercial work and I'm forever thankful that Trim needed an assistant and took me on, they've taught me everything and it's a privilege to learn from some of the best in London.
Which women in post do you admire?
I think all female filmmakers should be admired - we're still working in an industry predominantly run by men and sometimes it's tough getting your voice heard. Developing a thick skin comes with the job. Us gals have got to stick together but it's definitely exciting to see the industry start to change in terms of equal opportunities between the sexes. I'm about to become a mum and I'm grateful to be experiencing it in a time where it's possible for a woman to keep her career and juggle motherhood.
I do especially admire Margaret Sixel who won an Oscar for her edit on Mad Max: Fury Road. I think I forgot to breathe in the first half-hour when I saw that at the cinema.
What advice do you have for other women wanting to start a career in post?
If you're an assistant starting out, know that you will probably be doing this for a little while! There is so much to learn, not just technical things but all the fundamentals of the actual craft, and it doesn't happen overnight. But it's all worth it, as by the time you start doing your own work you'll be well equipped, and hopefully will have a mentor to turn to. Say yes to all the unpaid jobs while you're still assisting if it means you can build your reel.
Sometimes those low-budget edits are the most creative things you'll work on. Don't worry if you think it's not your best piece of work at the end of it, it's all experience and practice. And it's never a waste of time learning from working with new people, as that's half our job! We're not just bots behind a computer, we are there to bring a story or feeling to life, and half of that is achieved through knowing how to communicate and collaborate with the people around you. Always stay humble and nice. Treat the people below you as you would the people above you.
Tell us about your favourite pieces of your work;
I have many favourite pieces of work but Viva La Vulva was a real standout. It was a tough one to crack but piecing together singing vagina's was a dream! Working with Kim Gehrig is always so fun, she has taught me so much about storytelling, always challenging what every shot is bringing to the film - everything you put down must be there for a reason. It was like a huge music video that had to speak to every woman out there, to acknowledge all our insecurities and then remind us our bodies are perfect the way they are. I'm proud to have been part of such a huge movement in the ad world.