Phila Demi - Editor
Job title - Editor
“Never underestimate the value you bring to a project. You are not only what you bring with your technical skills, but who you are as a person.”
Describe your job role and the kinds of projects/clients you work with.
I have worked as a freelance editor over the past years and am now entering a position where I combine both worlds - working in the field and editing. Selected works were for clients such as Volkswagen with director & DP duo Hometown, Armed Angels with photographer and director Ahmed Chrediy, HET Nationale Ballet with director Kevin Osepa or short documentary film projects with fashion photographer Alex Lockett for magazines Document Journal and CR Fashion Book. My projects usually revolve around topics like dance, movement, fashion and people who express themselves artistically.
What does an average day look like in your post-production working world?
I definitely am a breakfast person. Without that, I’m just half of an editor. So starting my day with that, I usually dive into the project right away. Duplicating the project and sequence with the current day date, I get right into it (Not to forget to check on my last backup of the project!). And from there, it really depends where I'm at with a project; either working my way through adjustments that came from the post team or director, or I prepare myself for a session in person or online. Most importantly, I re-watch where we're at with the edit and try to analyze what I like and don’t like about the current cut. Sometimes you bump over these cuts that interrupt the rhythm of the film, which becomes obvious when you watch it again with a fresh morning eye.
Best-case scenario you and your team agree on killing these exact same darlings. And cut, gone. But every project is different and usually it’s a compromise. I think the most valuable thing is to understand the director's vision and work collaboratively on the project. For that, I love to have, especially in the beginning of each project, an intense exchange with the director to understand his or her way of thinking in storytelling. Once that is clear, it usually goes hand in hand. It's always like learning a new language. Project to project, director to director.
What has been your career highlight?
One career highlight happened recently, when I was able to edit four short documentary films for Volkswagen with director and DP duo Hometown and production company Bonaparte Films in one month (!) only. The challenging part was that we had to work remotely most of the time as the film crew was on the road in Europe to shoot the projects to then send me the material via proxies and move to the next city to shoot the next film. Once I had the material, I had to start right away and edit under super tight deadlines.
The director, Eric and I didn't know each other, so somehow we had to get to know each other's way of working along the way. Despite all challenges, we made it happen and created four documentary works that all have their very unique ways of telling the story of the talent in the documentary. It’s great to see how things came together in the end. Next to this, of course, my experience working in New York in the post production world was a whole highlight itself for my career. Working at the New York Times Opinion video department, a dream that became reality. Having worked at two post production houses and learned from their editors was a super great opportunity that taught me a lot. I can only say that what made these situations a highlight to me was usually the challenges I faced along the way that truly made me grow, through ups and downs.
How did your career in post-production begin?
It all started during my studies, when I worked as a videographer to gain some hands-on experience; I filmed concerts, artist portraits, and events, which I then edited. I really enjoyed filming the projects and while filming, I was already excited to edit the material. This is how I knew that I had a strong interest in this particular field of the filmmaking process. I became more and more curious and decided to fully dive into it.
Editing delivers such a vast variety of possibilities, endless ways of telling a story. I especially felt it when filming and editing a project with Virgil Abloh for RIMOWA. I was free to work with archive material, phone footage, Super 8 footage, and the digital footage I shot. Which in the beginning looked like a chaotic, colourful bin slowly added together. It's like playing a puzzle game, especially when the challenge is to mix and match differently formatted footage. I love that challenge.
Tell us about a pivotal moment in your career;
A great moment in my career was working on our ballet film “I Feel It Too” for Het Nationale Ballet with producer Katarina Pepichova, director Kevin Osepa and choreographer Sedrig Verwoert. You could really feel how much love and passion Sedrig Verwoert, our choreographer and creative director, brought to the project. And overall the whole team felt strongly connected to the dance, the music, the words, the imagery and aesthetic in general. So working on this film, challenged me to be extra concentrated and detail-oriented as it was so mandatory to find the right rhythm for the choreography of the dance performances. I truly felt the love and connection of the film myself. It’s always fascinating what it does to the work when there is so much love and positivity for a project in the room.
Women in post you admire?
I really loved having Annika Ahrens in Berlin as my producer on one project. She gave a lot of great energy to our project with her positive nature. And I loved working with Katarina Pepichova, the producer for our ballet film “I Feel It Too”. She is both such a warmhearted person but at the same time clear in knowing what is needed and best for a project. It was a wonderful experience working with her. In general, I believe it’s beautiful to have a great level of trust when working together, no matter what gender.
What advice do you have for other women wanting to start a career in post?
Know your tools, but be open to go off script sometimes, experiment and experience the material. Play with it. That's the only way to learn about your own direction and style. Trust your instinct and be brave to speak up, even if it's against the directors or creative team's opinion. Sometimes it can open up a whole new world to a project because maybe that possibility was left untouched until you named it! Never underestimate the value you bring to a project. You are not only what you bring with your technical skills, but with who you are as a person. Be open to play that ping pong game with the director and creative team. That's all that matters.
Read every project as a new landscape that is worth exploring. And allow yourself to take a break, if you need it. Sometimes dancing helps. :)