Gabriella Aguilar - Associate Editor
Job title - Associate Editor
Experience - 4+ years
“There will usually be a few rounds of feedback and adjusting the edit before it gets approved. It’s important to remember that getting notes back doesn’t mean your work was bad, it just means it wasn’t exactly the vision they had in their heads.”
Describe your job role and the kinds of projects/clients you work with.
I am a full time Associate Editor with VAULT, the in-house production and post production department for VMLY&R. As an associate editor, I mostly cut social media posts for clients, but get opportunities on a variety of other projects. I have been full time for almost a year and have had the opportunity to work with a number of clients including, Wendy’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Intel, George Dickel, Smart Water, Smirnoff and more.
What does an average day look like in your post production working world?
An average day as an editor depends on what step of the editing process I am in. At the start of a project, I will usually have a meeting or two discussing what the client is looking for and how we will bring that to life through the edit. The creative team will usually share storyboards or other visuals to give me an idea of what they want from me. Once I receive all the assets, I begin the fun part-the edit. In Premiere, I will usually start by dropping in all the selected shots I'm going to use to give myself a rough outline and then cut down from there. I like to use sound to help me create a good pace. Music always makes it fun to cut on beat, but with videos such as ASMR, it's an exciting challenge to find rhythm in natural sound. Sometimes the edit a client is looking for will be straight forward, but other times you get to really let out your creativity and make something unique. Even if an edit seems straight forward, I always like to think of a way to spice it up while staying in their guidelines. There will usually be a few rounds of feedback and adjusting the edit before it gets approved. It's important to remember that getting notes back doesn't mean your work was bad, it just means it wasn't exactly the vision they had in their heads. During a normal week I'll be on anywhere from 2-3 projects at a time. It's important to have time management skills and stay in communication with your team to make sure you know what's expected of you for each project.
How did your career in post production begin?
Post production was a part of my life before I even thought to pursue it as a career. As a little girl, I would make and edit movies of my Barbies. Throughout middle school, I would make music videos starring my friends and family. Eventually, in high school, I joined our broadcast class and began to realize I could do this professionally. I went to the University of Kansas and studied Film and Media with minors in Journalism and Photography to get a well-rounded education in all things production and post production. During college, I had 2 internships which helped me get valuable experience and I decided editing was the specific path I wanted to pursue. After my internship with VMLY&R, I was offered a full time position. I was extremely fortunate to graduate knowing where I would begin my career. I started full time in June and couldn't be happier with my career decision.
What has been your career highlight?
I am still new in my career, but that does not mean I haven't had highlights already. An exciting moment for me was when a video I created for a pitch was selected by the client. I was on a project with a creative team to pitch a new campaign to one of our clients. This project was one of my favorites I've worked on so far as I got to be really creative, collaborative and just have fun on it. To my excitement, the client approved it and I got to work on the "real" version. It was very cool to be a part of the whole process.
Who are your role models in post?
My first role model in post production was my mom. If it wasn't for me watching her edit as a kid, I might not have picked up the skill and known it was something I could do as my career. Both of my parents have been my biggest supporters as I pursued a post production career. My other role models are my co-workers. I learn so much from them everyday. They all create such fantastic work and it inspires me try new techniques and keep pushing myself in my craft.
What advice do you have for others wanting to start a career in post?
My advice for starting a career in post is to start now. Reach out to people and companies in your area and ask to shadow or intern. My first internship, I reached out and asked to be an unpaid intern because experience and connections can be just as valuable. It will be worth it, trust me. Once you start, give 110% and show them you care and want to be there. A lot of people in the industry know each other. If you work hard and are a kind person to work with, people will be more than happy to help you in your career. Also, simply going out and creating your own pieces of work can be a great place to start. Make yourself a reel that you can share out to show off what you're capable of. You got this!