Behind the Scenes at EditFest 2023: Insights from Assistant Editor Priscilla Zambrano
“In a world of remote work, it’s more important than ever that we are still connecting in person. After all, this is an industry based on not only “who you know” but “who knows you” in return.”
EditFest takes place on the Disney lot in Burbank, CA. The atmosphere is always a little bit electric whenever you get to go on the lots (because that’s where some of our favorite movies have been made!), but the thing that truly makes EditFest great is being surrounded by post professionals from all corners of the industry. You really never know who exactly you’re going to meet, but you know they’re going to be just as passionate about making movies and TV as you are.
There were three panels scheduled for the day. I attended all of them!
The first was a panel about editing action sequences (with Zene Baker, ACE; Dody Dorn, ACE; Michael McCusker, ACE; Evan Schiff, ACE; Terilyn A. Shropshire, ACE. Moderated by Matt Feury)
The second was a conversation with Dana Glauberman, ACE, moderated by Bobbie O’Steen. One of the things that I look forward to at EditFest are the conversations about craft. Post-production jobs are often very technical, and it can be so easy to get lost talking about the latest software or workflows that we forget how fun it is to talk craft. Dana Glauberman’s panel was particularly interesting to me. I really enjoyed listening to her insights about editing, as well as her “Dana Glauberman signature” which could be described as “not cutting unless you have to.” I wouldn’t say there was anything specific I took away to implement in my work life, but I certainly took away inspiration from listening to editing powerhouses talk about what they love to do.
The last panel of the day was about AI (with Zack Arnold, ACE; Jon Dudkowski, ACE; Chad Nelson; and Cristobal Valenzuela. Moderated by Carolyn Giardina)
The conversation about AI is much bigger than what can be covered in a panel, and for that reason I think many of us walked out with more questions than answers. In a lot of ways, this is a good thing. We should be proactively thinking about the consequences of AI integration, and we should be asking each other as well as the people who hire us what those consequences could be and how we can move forward with them in this new world of machine learning innovation.
AI is a new technology that is progressing very quickly and has the potential to change how we work. It can eliminate some of the more tedious tasks in our workflow, but it can also do a lot more than that. The specifics of what exactly it can do are still largely a mystery. Therefore, as assistant editors, it is important to stay informed about its developments and keep an eye on new tools that help us in our workflow.
That being said, as we have these conversations, it’s important to include post professionals from all parts of the industry. I would love to see more diverse versions of these conversations happen in the future, as a variety of opinions can best inform where AI could be most productive and fulfill needs on all fronts. I would love to hear from other assistants, as well as those in the VFX fields, and every other branch of post-production on what their needs and concerns are regarding AI.
In a world of remote work, it’s more important than ever that we are still connecting in person. After all, this is an industry based on not only “who you know” but “who knows you” in return. Strong personal relationships can be really beneficial to our careers and I consider myself lucky to be working in an industry where community means so much. Yes, a lot of the people in our circles are also our co-workers (or potential co-workers), but they are also our friends, and given that so many of us are working from home these days, it’s so important not to lose sight of that!
I had a chance to meet new friends, old friends, colleagues, and people who were acquaintances that I now get to call friends after spending the day with them. It’s one of the best things about EditFest. I’d just like to say how much I enjoyed the event in general. I’m really grateful that ACE puts on EditFest every year. It’s one of my favorite networking events of the year and I always walk away feeling inspired.