Michel Aller - Editor
Job title - Editor
Experience - 10+ years
“As an editor you are involved in all the creative aspects of the film coming together, that is another reason I enjoy it so much.”
Tell us about your job role and the kinds of projects you work on;
I’m a feature film editor that makes creative decisions on how a film is pieced together, shot by shot. I’ve had the fortune of cutting different genres from comedy to horror films to combining the two genres for major studios like Paramount Pictures, New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. I’ve collaborated several times with David F. Sandberg, along with Corin Hardy who directed The Nun and most recently with Radio Silence on the latest Scream film.
What does an average day look like in your post-production working world?
Most people don’t realize editors start when shooting begins and go all the way through finishing a film on the sound stage, including color correction and the check of final deliverables. There have been times when I’ve started during pre-production to review pre-visualization.
An average day for me varies depending on where you are at in the post-production process.
Once shooting begins I usually receive the material shot the next day. My assistants will sync and check to make sure we have received all our material from the previous day's shoot. While they are doing that I review what I’ve already cut, making adjustments, adding sound and music. Once my dailies are prepped I jump into either watching all the material shot, making selects as I watch, or assembling it, depending on the scene. If I’ve just assembled an edit, I’ll go back, re-read the script pages and then start to watch all the dailies for that scene. A rough assembly gives me a clearer direction to where I want to take that scene once I watch the dailies.
I like to keep up to camera, no matter how rough the assembly is so that I can give the director feedback if I feel something is missing. There are always times when I’m asked, do you need anything more for that scene before they strike the set. Films are shooting faster and faster these days and you have to keep on top of all the material coming in.
Once shooting is done, the fun part of digging in with the Director starts. I really enjoy features because it gives you the time to try things out and really craft the best film possible. All the while this is going, sound design is starting, the composer comes on and if there are visual effects, that is also going on. Then comes the stage of the DI, color correction. As an editor you are involved in all the creative aspects of the film coming together, that is another reason I enjoy it so much. I love being on the mix stage when all the final sound and music come together, it is such a satisfying moment of seeing and hearing all your hard work come alive at yet another level.
What has been your career highlight?
I’ve had several career highlights but most recently being a part of the Scream franchise. Such a classic and beloved horror franchise and to be involved in another installment of it was wonderful.
How did your career in post-production begin?
I started in movie trailer advertising working in an editorial position. From there I realized how much an editor can bring to telling a story in so many different ways.
Which women in post do you admire?
There are so many women in post I admire, but one that comes to mind is Dody Dorn. When I was working my way up in the feature editorial world the film Memento had come out, I remember seeing the film and thinking how brilliant it was and that a woman had incredible creativity and influence on the final product. In editorial, there has been so many innovative and creative women that have made a huge mark, but she wasn’t in all the film books yet and I was like yeah we are still kicking butt and I want to follow in those footsteps.
What advice do you have for other women wanting to start a career in post?
Cut anything you can, and continue to do it. An editor had given me that advice early on and he was right. You never know where an opportunity will lead you, or at the very least the experience prepares you for the next and so on. It can be a demanding job, but also very rewarding.