Stephania Dulowski - Editor
Job title - Editor
Experience - 10+ years
“Confidence is key, and sure, you’ll get there with years of experience but showing that you believe in yourself and are comfortable in various situations will make others believe in you too. ”
Tell us about your job role and the kinds of projects you work on;
I'm an Editor represented by Exile Edit and based in NYC. I primarily cut commercials and music videos, with some narrative projects here and there. Since most of my projects are commercials, I collaborate with a variety of brands and clients which makes commercial editing much more interesting as I get my hands on a diverse amount of work and am constantly meeting new people.
What does an average day look like in your post-production working world?
When I first begin an edit I'll read the script and look over the boards to grasp the initial intent of the piece before screening. It's important to understand the themes and goals for the project so you know what to look for. I'll also try to get the director on the phone or in the room during the first few days of editing because their perspective is quite critical to the job. I really value having a relationship with the director and it's always nice to work with them to figure out the piece a bit before the agency comes in. Then as the job goes on I work with the agency until we ship the spots. This year it's been all supervised virtual edits!
How did your career in post-production begin?
I started as an intern in a post house in Chicago when I was 22. I interned for free for two days a week, worked at a paper factory to make money, and quickly started interning/assisting on a feature the other days of the week. I watched tons of edit tutorials in my free time since I had no proper edit background from school! I worked seven days a week for my first few months in post-production until I ultimately landed a full-time assistant editor position where I was brought on to work in Avid. After a couple of years in Chicago, I realized I wanted to expand my work in the NY market. I moved to NY to work at Exile Edit and I've been there ever since.
Tell us about a career highlight;
Making 'Excelsior' with my friend Elle Ginter has been my career highlight. It was the piece that moved me up from assistant to Editor. Granted I was getting closer and closer to a promotion, that film launched me to my next level because it demonstrated my ability to find a solution to keep creating when life halted–the Covid-19 pandemic just hit and no one knew what the film landscape would look like over the next few weeks or months. Elle and I set out to make a film about the initial quarantine and it really catapulted from there getting the attention of various people in the advertising industry which ultimately led to my official promotion.
Which women in post do you admire?
Honestly, I admire all the women who edit that I meet. There are still not a lot of us! You look at an edit roster and you only ever see one or a few women who are represented. I also try to support a lot of women in color grade and audio any chance I get.
Favourite piece of work?
'Excelsior' is one of my favorites because of the layers in that film. It was very freeing to create such a complex soundscape filled with slices of pandemic life. It's such an unconventional piece but the emotion just pierces through. 'Wait' is also one of my favorites because it has a lot of nuanced moments that were important to get just right.
What advice do you have for other women wanting to start a career in post?
Fake it til you make it. That has been my #1 motto from day one. Confidence is key, and sure, you'll get there with years of experience but showing that you believe in yourself and are comfortable in various situations will make others believe in you too. You can always find the answer to something you don't know by asking a colleague or researching it yourself but sometimes you won't get an opportunity unless you blindly just go for it.