Erika Dapkewicz - Editor
Job title - Editor
Experience - 20+ years
“Making an animated movie is an evolutionary process of finding our characters along the way, as well as making sure the narratives are coming through.”
Describe your job role and the kinds of projects/clients you work with.
As the Lead Editor on an Animated Feature - I’m in charge of the overall blueprint of a movie as we go through each phase of the film. From the storyboard phase - to layout - animation - final lighting and all the way to the final mix. I work closely with the Director to shape and mould the film each and every day. Cutting together specific shots and recorded dialogue needed to convey what we want to focus on in each and every scene. I am often in charge of the pacing and tone of the movie from the very beginning and all the way to the end. Making an animated movie is an evolutionary process of finding our characters along the way, as well as making sure the narratives are coming through. I always have an Edit Crew to help support me and the other departments on a movie. I also work with the creative leads in each department to make sure we are in sync and supporting the overall vision of the Director.
I primarily work on Animated Features as well as the larger Animated Studios situated in Hollywood, California. Some of the movies I’ve worked on have been: Vivo • Mulan • Lilo & Stitch • Puss In Boots • The Croods • Monsters Vs Aliens • Pocahontas • Flushed Away and more...
What does an average day look like in your post-production working world?
I tend to spend my days split into different functions. Some of my day I can be on my own - and focusing on a specific scene in the film that needs my attention. Some of my time will be spent with my Edit Team… with my daily expectations and needs of the movie. I will often let my Teams build scenes as a first pass we get from the Story Team to give them more experience in cutting. I will sit with them and give them notes so they can learn to address them similar to how I might work a Director. When me or my Team work on any given Scene in an Animated Movie - we not only are in charge of cutting together picture - but all the audio as well. This includes the dialogue as well as Temp Sound Effects and Temp music - which can be very time consuming. We often have recording sessions with the cast where I am always involved with the Director to make sure we pick up what is needed for the movie and may have to come up with new lines on the spot together. I also try and spend a few hours each day working with the Director on scenes that I feel need their attention and official thumbs up with making sure we are hitting what they want. I will work with the Layout Teams (the Cinematopgrapers of the Movie) back and forth as they help stage a specific scene and where camera placements will go. These shots always come back to me as I often to re-edit a scene to accommodate changes. I will go to Animation Dailies if I can - to make sure the work done by the Animators is hitting what we need in a shot.
What has been your career highlight?
I have so many - it’s hard to nail down just one. But being voted in as an Academy Member and being asked to serve on the Animation Executive Committee has been a real treat for me.
How did your career in post-production begin?
I went to CSUF and graduated with a B.A. in Film/TV. I really only learned how to work with 35mm Film at the time. I ended up working in a Post Production in Santa Monica as Tape Vault manager right after college. But I didn’t want to focus on Commercials or Music Videos and kept trying to get into Features. I ended up getting a job as a Production Assistant over at Walt Disney Feature Animation right after The Lion King came out. I ended up in Editorial on Mulan and moved out to Walt Disney World in Florida to help make it - at their new Animation Studio. I was lucky that I had an Edit Team that mentored and helped me start to get my feet wet. I quickly learned Non-Linear Editing on a very early AVID back in the mid 1990’s this way.
Tell us about a pivotal moment in your career;
This was probably when I was on Lilo & Stitch - starting back in 1999. I started as an Assistant Editor. The Lead Editor was Darren Holmes (The Iron Giant/How To Train Your Dragon). The mentorship and friendship he offered me was unlike anyone else I had ever experienced. He took me under his wing and taught me almost everything I still apply to this day to my own Editing Style. He quickly promoted me to be his Associate Editor (which is a 2nd Editor) on Lilo & Stitch and is was such a joy to work alongside him and make such a wonderful and beloved movie together.
Women in post you admire?
The two women who come to mind for me are Verna Fields and Marcia Lucas. They were involved in two of my favorite movies of all time (Jaws and Star Wars). As a kid… these two movies along with Raiders Of The Lost Ark and many Disney Animated Classics made me want to get into movie making and be a storyteller. And as I intensely studied how Jaws and Star Wars were made… I began to realize how crucial Verna and Marcia were in taking two films that initially were problematic… and eventually became classics… with the help of their creative cutting techniques. I don’t remember there being many Female Editors in these kinds of positions other than perhaps Thelma Schoonmaker. And I think both Verna and Marcia inspired not only me… but many young aspiring Film Editors.
What advice do you have for other women wanting to start a career in post?
It’s so important to find good mentors. Male or female. Be patient… humble with those willing to give you their time and support… but stay focused on the paths you feel you need to take to get to where you want while respecting those around you. Never stop learning and never assume you know everything is another piece of advice I give film makers. So much of what I think makes a successful Editor in this business comes from connections… trust amongst Directors/Producers… good word of mouth… a good work ethic… and chosen projects that have had some success in the public eye (doesn’t always mean a strong box office performance). Most of my favorite edited movies are not always massive box office hits. But movies with a compelling story with great characters that pull me in and keep me glued to the screen. The Art of Editing has so much to do with how these stories and characters often come across in the final cut. That’s a key part of our job. When Editors do a good job - it often goes unnoticed. It’s important to lift and praise other Editors - especially Female Editors.
Stand out scene (or scenes!) you've worked on.
I have a few. First one would be in Lilo & Stitch when Stitch is lost in the woods and calls out “I’m Lost”. This was something we came up with and planted a seed earlier in the film when Stitch finds the Ugly Ducking Book. These scenes were on the chopping block. I was passionate about this moment in the movie. You really have to choose your battles and I fought to hold onto this scene. The Directors eventually agreed with me - and the scenes that ended up in the final film - I had a heavy hand in. One of my favorite scenes in Vivo is the song “Keep The Beat”. That scene wasn’t initially a song. I helped construct a scene where Vivo and Gabi were playing percussion on their raft (I literally played the drumming) when I first created it. The scene worked really well with Vivo and Gabi just starting to work together and appreciate one another. Lin-Manuel Miranda loved it as well and wanted to make a song out of it… so he came up with an early version of “Keep The Beat”. We worked the song around the drumming section in the middle. It felt magical. At one point - similar to Lilo & Stitch - there was heavy discussions of cutting out the back half of the song (which was my favorite). I chose to defend this area of the film and everyone eventually agreed with me. That is one aspect of being an Editor that most people do not realize. That we are often responsible for saving parts of a movie that others want out for one reason or another. This happens on almost everyone movie I’ve worked on. Another scene I tried to save was on Mulan. I felt strongly that Shan Yu needed to show how deadly he was by taking down one of the messengers. He turns to one of his men and asks, “How many men does it take to deliver a message?” And his guy says, “One” and fires off an arrow. This scene was literally pulled and about to go out of picture because the studio felt it was too intense. I pitched to the Directors why I felt the scene was so important to set up the stakes of the villain and how dangerous he really is (plus he was rarely present in the first half of the movie). They agreed and the scene stayed in the movie.