Mah Ferraz - Editor
Job title - Film / Commercial Editor
Experience - 5+ years
“Passion projects keep you inspired and it gives you the opportunity to really explore your craft and voice without so many cooks in the kitchen like agency and client but it’s also very important to work on client work and learn how to work in collaboration with them and sometimes, how to maneuver around it, and still leave your fingerprint on a project.”
Tell us about your job role and the kinds of projects you work on;
I'm a film editor from Brazil based in NYC, recently represented by Cut + Run (post-house with offices in NY, LA, SF, Austin, and London). I work mostly with branded content/commercials and music videos. Some of my clients are Nike, Adidas, Apple Music, Spotify, Instagram, ESPN, and Vogue. A lot of my work is music-related. Some of my music-related work features artists like Rosalía, A$AP Rocky, Megan Thee Stallion, Flo Milli, Burna Boy, and Mariah Carey.
What does an average day look like in your post-production working world?
I choose projects for different reasons but usually based on the creative. I then have a call with the director once they shoot and I like to have time on my own after that to create a rough cut. Rough cuts are the most important cuts for me since it's where I can really understand and execute my vision. After that, I like sharing the rough cut with the director only to have time to work on any notes with them and be on the same page before sharing with the rest of the team. Once I share with the team I work with the agency and client until the job is done. However, I always maintain communication with the director, since that's the relationship and vision that's closer to me creatively.
What’s been the highlight of your career so far?
A big career highlight was when I won the Young Guns award in 2019 - a portfolio award for talent under 30, given by The One Club for Creativity. I was the first film editor to win that award and it gave me a lot of confidence as an editor and artist. I was a freelancer at the time and my winning reel was a mix of passion and client work that represented my vision as an editor, so having my work recognized in such a renowned award was huge for me personally and professionally. It confirmed my confidence in my craft and opened doors to more amazing work and many more awards :)
How did your career in post-production begin?
I edited silly videos as a kid and had editing classes in college, but my career started when I graduated and started working at Uppercut (post-house in NYC). I started as a receptionist and I was terrible at it! The owner and editor Micah Scarpelli knew I wanted to become an editor so he quickly made me an Assistant Editor and mentored me alongside editor Alvaro Del Val (now at Wax). They were both very important not only to my craft but in teaching me the ways of the advertising and post-production industry.
Which women in post do you admire?
My references/influences keep changing constantly -not only in post, but in general- but all women in post are to be admired. It's still a male dominant industry these days, but editing was a women's job back in the day and I know the world and industry is changing and I'm hopeful we'll close this gap.
What advice do you have for other women wanting to start a career in post?
Personally, I found that working at a post house and learning the craft from professional editors and seeing how the industry works was key. But being a freelancer and evolving my craft with my vision (without the pressure of being part of a post house) was also key. So I find it important to understand the industry from the inside, but still find room to evolve your craft in your unique way.
I always emphasize the importance of working on a mix of passion projects and client work. Passion projects keep you inspired and it gives you the opportunity to really explore your craft and voice without so many cooks in the kitchen like agency and client but it’s also very important to work on client work and learn how to work in collaboration with them and sometimes, how to maneuver around it, and still leave your fingerprint on a project.
Tell us about your favourite pieces of your work;
I'm constantly changing my mind on which are my favorite projects, but I can say some of the most important and recent work of mine is La Rosalía (Mini-doc for Billboard x Honda Stage), Proud Parent (Commercial for Oreo), Megan Thee Stallion (Op-ed piece for The New York Times), Holy Dog (Branded/short film for Marriott) and Ciclos (Music video for Brazilian artist MCMarechal). These are close to my heart for many reasons, but I'm always looking ahead for what's next, so my best/favorite work is always yet to come. Also, I just edited a music video I directed (my directing debut!) so I'm super excited to release that to the world soon. Definitely a favorite!