Hana Wuerker - Documentary Editor
Job title - Documentary Editor
Experience - 7+ years
“The first view of the material is so important because it’s the closest I’ll ever be to the audience perspective. So I keep close attention to what strikes a chord with me.”
Describe your job role and the kinds of projects/clients you work with.
I am a documentary editor that’s worked in both the feature and series space for the last 8 years. I began in features but have now shifted more solely to documentary series. I’ve worked with many different directors including Amy Berg, Rudy Valdez, Jehane Noujaim, Karim Amer, and Isabelle Platt. Projects have been created for varying networks including HBO, Netflix, Paramount, and PBS. I’ve worked on widely diverse subject matters including a film about the meat industry, a film about the 2017 Women’s March, a show about a kids football team in Brooklyn, and a series about an upstate New York self-improvement group. The common thread in all of these is very rich verite material, my favorite!
What does an average day look like in your post production working world?
Of course, it depends on where in the process we are and what kind of project I’m on. I’ll use my last project, The Vow: Part II as a concrete example, though. The Vow had some pretty tough material to work with in terms of its’ psychological effects, so I had an exercise I did in the morning to mitigate some of those effects. I got this tip from Bruce Shapiro who runs the DART Center (which I highly recommend all editors check out). The trick was to do a visualization before stepping into my office. I would imagine putting a rain coat on, feeling mud getting thrown at me, and feeling the mud slide off. Then at the end of the day, before exiting my office, visualizing the coat coming off. The Vow was a remote job, so there was a pressing need to create space between my work world and my personal world, which has gotten ever more connected during the pandemic.
In terms of the work itself, days are often filled with meetings with my story producer, my AE, and usually the greater story team once or twice a week. Sharing ideas and getting on the same page is particularly important with remote work. These creative spaces are where we can test ideas, throw out bad ideas, mediocre ideas, and amazing ideas. All are important for the process.
If we’re early in the process, I do my best to take diligent notes upon my first watch of the material. The first view of the material is so important because it’s the closest I’ll ever be to the audience perspective. So I keep close attention to what strikes a chord with me. If there’s time, I will try to watch an interview through rather than read a transcript. This isn’t always favored in TV because of the limited schedule, but I do my best to avoid the transcript until I desperately need it. I learned from a mentor, Mary Lampson, that some of the best material is between the words and you don’t get that in a transcript.
How did your career in post production begin?
My interest was first piqued in high school. I attended a public high school in Northern Virginia that emphasized career and technical education. I took the Television production track and learned the basics of production and post from an important early mentor, Mrs. Zefran.
My career specifically in documentary post didn’t get kickstarted until I was in college. I was living in LA during the summer after my sophomore year at college. I was interning at Magnolia Pictures and subsequently was introduced to a filmmaker, Christopher Quinn, who was working on a feature documentary. I quickly began working for him during that summer. I worked on that film for the next four years until it was complete. It was a very small film with little funding, thus requiring many of us to wear multiple hats. I found my groove when we got into post, but more importantly met a lot of impressive people. I liked the editors I was meeting. They were creative, smart, strange creatures. I wanted to be in that club. After that first film was done, I stayed in post.
What has been your career highlight?
I’d say that one of my career highlights happened recently. I got an email from a complete stranger (a woman who described herself as a “stay at home mom from Indiana”), who was writing to let me know how much The Vow affected and moved her. It was such a lovely note to get.
Who are your role models in post?
So many great editors! Mary Lampson is probably my favorite human and favorite editor. Working with her on that first film informed much of how I approach my work now. I’m also a huge fan of Adam Curtis. The way he cuts with archival is quite profound.
What advice do you have for others wanting to start a career in post?
It’s all about relationships! You’re in the trenches with folks for long stretches of time dealing often with highly emotional material. Be someone that others want to be in the trenches with. And surround yourself with others that you want to be in the trenches with. There are so many wonderful humans in post, get to know them. Those positive relationships both fuel a fulfilling career and fuel a creative edit.