Sophie Solomon - Editor
Job title - Editor
Experience - 5+ years
“Hone in on your taste and have opinions. A lot of times, editors can be seen as button pushers or tech wizards but I think, as is the case for any great creative, knowing why you believe shots work together and being able to externalize that is essential.”
Describe your job role and the kinds of projects/clients you work with.
I'm an editor at Final Cut in NY. I do mostly commercial and branded work as well as music videos and shorts from time to time!
What does an average day look like in your post production working world?
I'm not sure there is an average day in post, which is part of the appeal. I like routine but I get bored easily so I thrive in the short-form edit world where the work is fast-paced and the projects are super varied and keep my interest. Once I get a new project in, it all begins with selects. I usually can't contain myself and try to watch and assemble as quickly as possible. The sooner I've consumed everything shot, the sooner I can visualize how I think the story will best come together. From there I try to assemble as quickly as possible as well. I think getting the rough shape of the edit down as fast as I can and then taking my time refining my vision is how I work best.
I'm a big stacker, and my timeline is known to be rather messy… but it's usually to keep alt takes available to me at a moment's notice. As I'm assembling I love to keep everything in play and really allow myself to make mistakes and try things even if I know they won’t work. That way, when I'm in the room with the director or with the agency I know I've played a lot already. It helps move the process along if I've already thought through how alt versions might look and can speak to that & show alts swiftly when we’re in crunch time. I know when I'm in the thick of assembling an edit I can lose days, time just flies. I'll get started at 9am and look up at the clock after being glued to my timeline and realize it's 9pm. But that's why I love it. I love those hours of assembly and playing and figuring out the absolute best way to tell the story. Getting lost in the zone is my favorite part of the job.
How did your career in post production begin?
I stole my mom's camcorder from her at age 12 and never looked back. I learned Final Cut 7 in high school at 15 and then when I was at Barnard College here in the city I studied Film Studies. To be honest, I always thought I'd pursue screenwriting... but in college I ended up doing a fair amount of internships around the city in post and I fell in love with editing. I realized it is almost the same as writing, you just aren't writing a first draft of a story... you're doing the final rewrite. A very technical rewrite. And once I learned the technical side of things I knew it was the career for me. I was so lucky to have found Final Cut when I did because I needed to hone my Avid skills, and the more technical exposure I got as an assistant the more I confirmed my assumptions that editing is technical storytelling and it ended up being the exact right role for me!
What has been your career highlight?
This is tough because I've been lucky enough to work on some really incredible projects. The NYTimes “The Truth Is Worth It” work that I did alongside Jim Helton, directed by Dan and TJ, was a process I don't think I'll ever forget being a part of. I’ve also gotten to work with some all time directors like Jamie Babbit, Darius Marder, and Spike Jonze. But one huge highlight, while not directly related to the job, was actually in Shanghai where I was working out of the Wieden + Kennedy offices on a Nike project and I actually met my dog who was a street dog that we found. His name’s Frank and he now lives with me in NYC and loves coming into the edit suite :)
Who are your role models in post?
My girl Dede Allen needs top billing here because she cut my favorite film, Dog Day Afternoon. But honestly I’ve been so lucky to have such amazing first hand mentorship at Final Cut. Rick Russell, Amanda James, Dan Sherwen, Ed Cheesman, Patrick Colman, Ashley Kreamer, Jim Helton… the list goes on and on but I would trade absolutely nothing in this world for my time spent sitting in a room learning about film craft from these editors.
What advice do you have for others wanting to start a career in post?
Hone in on your taste and have opinions. A lot of times, editors can be seen as button pushers or tech wizards but I think, as is the case for any great creative, knowing why you believe shots work together and being able to externalize that is essential. Also, ask tons of questions, write everything anyone ever tells you down, work as much as you can, say yes to as many different types of projects as possible & talk to everyone and anyone who works in film. I've always believed that the more people you get to know... well... the more you know. Everyone has a story to tell and the best thing you can do when you’re starting out is to listen.
Favorite piece of your work
A very difficult Q to answer. I’m really proud of a lot of projects I’ve worked on and I think there’s a fair amount of variety across my work. There was a music video that I made with some close friends of mine called ‘Jaded’ for Ms. White and it was just such a fun cut to bring together and I still love watching it years later, so I hold that one pretty close to my heart. But then a few more honorable mentions… a Kenzo eyewear campaign that I cut a while back really speaks to my campy and absurd sense of humor and I think I’ll always get a kick out of that edit. And then my more recent cuts for USTA or Nissan were both such awesome rides and I absolutely loved getting my hands on the footage for each of those projects & I think that’s when you know it’s one of the best, when you just feel lucky to be the one in the chair picking the frames.