Rachael Connelly - Editor/ Director
Editor
Experience 20+ years
“As creatives we are always evolving and growing; seeking new curiosities and challenging ourselves. ”
Describe your job role and the kinds of projects/clients you work with.
I am a newly minted-freelance editor and director. I worked full-time at a large national post house until last November cutting for clients like Amazon, Honda, Walmart and Carl's Jr. With the industry quickly changing and jobs becoming more scarce my company decided to close my local branch and I quickly learned to pivot. I am now my own assistant, producer and rep in addition to editor. For the past several years I found myself also growing into the role of director and shooting feature-length documentaries in my "spare time.”
What does an average day look like in your post-production working world?
A typical day now begins with me reaching out to former clients and prospective new ones. I schedule coffees and lunches before starting my day on the projects I am currently working on. Right now these include shooting and cutting episodes for a new YouTube series -ironically on the state of our industry. I'm also close to finishing the edit on my second feature doc, Shark Cowboys. I will work on cutting a scene for the film and finding footage for social media posts to accumulate for future postings.
How did your career in post-production begin?
My career in post production started by taking film classes for fun while I was finishing a public relations major. I ended up with enough credits to double-major but had to find an internship to complete the degree. I found an unpaid internship at a local commercial post house and never looked back at public relations. I fell in love with the creative atmosphere, collaborating with clients and over-turning short projects. I moved to Los Angeles shortly after to work as an assistant in larger national post houses and work my way up to editor. At the time I was usually one of the only female assistants and I found a lot of support and encouragement to keep working my way up. I was lucky to find a few great mentors in the editors and producers that hired me and loved working with me.
What has been your career highlight?
As creatives we are always evolving and growing; seeking new curiosities and challenging ourselves. A few years ago I was listening to a podcast about a beauty pageant held in West Texas that crowns a teenage-beauty-queen ahead of a rattlesnake round-up. The queen stands in pits of rattlesnakes in a tiara and sash holding vipers up for tourists. I had never directed before but I knew this was a story I had to show. I collaborated with a supremely talented fellow editor and director, EmaLee Arroyo, and together our first feature, Miss Snake Charmer, won multiple festival awards and ran on Hulu for a few years.
Who are your role models in post?
I've been so lucky to work with insanely talented editors who generously shared their knowledge and post house owners who not only encouraged and supported me but also modeled forward-thinking and adaptive behavior. The editors are Lisa Gunning, David Henegar, Jim Haygood and Nicholas Wayman-Harris. The post house owners are Rob Van, David Brixton and Rick Lawley.
What advice do you have for others wanting to start a career in post?
I think it's integral to find a mentor and someone who loves sharing their craft and knowledge. A huge part of editing is collaboration and that in itself is a skill best learned through observation and experience. I find when editors skip the assistant-stage they're foregoing a very important apprenticeship still necessary to thrive as an editor.
Connect with Rachael on Instagram