La’Aja J. Hernandez - Editor
Job title - Editor
Experience - 15+ years
“In my first year of being promoted (to editor) we won an Emmy for the Sound Mixing we do on the show, and the following year we were nominated for Multi-Camera Editing. This was the first time our show had ever been nominated in this category. It was then that I found out that I was the first African American female in the shows 50 year history.”
Describe your job role and the kinds of projects/clients you work with.
I am an Emmy Award-winning editor on the iconic game show, the Price is Right. I'll be starting my 12th season on the show in August 2023. Our team of 4 editors, edit 190 daytime shows each season and a few Prime Time specials that air in the evening. We have over 72 games in rotation and contestants with different personalities, so every episode has its unique editorial challenges. In June and July we go on hiatus, so I'm able to take on other projects which keeps me sharp in this ever changing industry.
What does an average day look like in your post production working world?
When I start a new episode, I read the booth notes from the director and producers to see what they noted during the taping of the show. This includes any pickups they requested, known fixes needed, and how much time needs to be edited out of the show (this can range from 3 minutes to 20 minutes). It usually takes about 2 days to complete a thorough rough cut for a show and get it to time. When editing I'm focusing on keeping the pacing upbeat, removing redundant or unnecessary information, and also exaggerating the really fun moments. Drew Carey, our host, is a comedian and has amazing interactions with our contestants. Sometimes we have to cut moments out to get the show to time, but other times he's saying something so hilarious and out of the blue, that we have to make sure we're on the best angles during Post-Production because during taping you can't always anticipate where he's going.
Our Assistant Editors will export the cut and send it to our Post Supervisor for our first round of notes. I'll complete those notes, then the AEs will send the FINE CUT to our Executive Producers. After I complete the Fine Cut notes, I'll lock the show and send it to be mastered for air. I'm usually juggling about 3 to 4 shows at a time, while waiting for notes. Since we're a daily show, we really don't have the time to send our cuts to ONLINE, so each editor does all the final audio mixing and coloring (if needed) for our episodes.
How did your career in post production begin?
I attended Video Symphony's Post-Production Institute in Burbank, California. It's a trade school that has unfortunately closed down. In 14 months, they taught me the creative and technical aspects of editing using Avid Media Composer. We also learned the basics of Adobe Photoshop and After Effects. Towards the end of our program, our career-readiness class had to cold-call a company we wanted to work for, interview an editor there, and ask the hiring manager how they went about hiring entry-level positions. At the end of my call, the hiring manager offered me a night Assistant Editor position on the FOX show "Don't Forget the Lyrics" hosted by Wayne Brady. I had to ingest the footage, then organize and group it before the editors came in the morning. I did such a good job that my Post Supervisor recommended me for another Production Company when the season ended. That second production company had a plethora of reality competition shows and I stayed there for about 2 years working on shows for MTV, BET, CMT and more. I really learned a lot and was able to get some former classmates hired, which was pretty cool. When they would leave for their next show, they would call me if their company was hiring. We built a nice network. Eventually, I got calls from big network shows such as FOX's American Idol, ABC's The Sing Off and CBS's The Talk. When I got the call to work on The Price is Right it was a total dream! I was the first assistant editor they ever had to hire. After being on the show for 2 years I felt confident enough to edit the show. I informed my Producers and when there was an opening, they promoted me to Editor. In my first year of being promoted we won an Emmy for the Sound Mixing we do on the show, and the following year we were nominated for Multi-Camera Editing. This was the first time our show had ever been nominated in this category. It was then that I found out that I was the first African American female in the shows 50 year history.
What has been your career highlight?
A career highlight for me was being an Assistant Editor for the 84th Academy Awards, which is also known as the Oscars. I worked on-set with our editor, director, the host, and a slew of nominated actors including Bill Clooney and Justin Beiber. The legendary Billy Crystal hosted the awards and was such a class act. He made sure to ask my name, remember it and took photos with the crew once we wrapped. He truly made me feel like a valued member of the team. Later that year, my editor - Kabir Ahktar - won an Emmy for his work and I felt as if I won as well.
Who are your role models in post?
Salle Menke was the first woman editor I knew about and I loved her work with director Quentin Tarantino. As an assistant editor, I really looked up to my editors because they were so talented and fast! I appreciated when they would take me under the wings and show me a thing or two. Kabir Ahktar was one who did that. Tod Modiset as well. Both graduated from Ivy League colleges and are wonderful visual storytellers. I also look up to the legendary Lillian Benson who has done a lot of documentary work on African Americans. I grew up watching and learning from her work on PBS. Shannon Baker Davis is another A.C.E. editor who has been a role model for me. So willing to teach me how to navigate work/life balance in this industry.
What advice do you have for others wanting to start a career in post?
If you're interested in being an editor, then I encourage you to start by making short videos of things that interest you. I got interested in editing because I took one production course where I had to make a 5 minute documentary about my younger sister. I shot the interviews and B-Roll, edited it on Adobe Premier Pro, used popular music that I liked, and added simple graphics and transitions. If you can do it on a small scale, you'll see your potential and get the confidence to do it on a larger scale. Then, learn Avid Media Composer and edit on that because that's where the big bucks are!
Also, recognize that if you want to work on professional shows, then you'll often have to start as an Assistant Editor and work your way up to Editor. Rarely, will Production Companies hire newbie editors. If you don't want to be an Assistant Editor, then you'll need to find indie films to edit. Perhaps the director will strike gold at a film festival and bring you along for the ride -- making you their editor on upcoming projects with big budgets.
Follow La’Aja on instagram.