WOMEN I N POST | SPECIAL
hired as an assistant to the director of DI for commercials, where I was cultured on the technical side of post.” Guajardo’s interest was piqued at this point and she took on film scanning for commercials full-time. After working her way into operations and later producing for a number of colourists at Company 3, she joined the newly inaugurated TV finishing department as the head of post-production: “I was asked, ‘Do you want to do it?’ and I said, ‘I don’t really know how, but sure, let’s do it’. So, that’s where I am now and I’ve been doing it for four and a half years.” Guajardo concludes: “If I could pass on advice to women wanting to get into the industry, I would say that it’s OK to change your mind. A lot of the time, people beat themselves up thinking, ‘This is what I chose, this is what I have to do,’ but it’s OK to try out new things and keep learning – having a wide range of knowledge can work to your advantage.” Ortuño has been cutting box office hits ever since – she was recently nominated for a German Film Award for her work. She says: “You wait so long to land that big opportunity. And when you finally do, there’s always a small element of self-doubt. You end up asking yourself, do I know what I am doing? But never lose confidence in your ability.” Her advice? “Work hard, and be prepared to sacrifice time with family and friends. Always learn to voice your ideas, concerns and suggestions. You’re collaborating closely with people for months on end, so communication is critical.” where you need to condense 70 hours of footage into just two minutes. On another day, it will be a documentary that requires you to craft a narrative that will keep an audience’s attention for an hour or more.” Her advice is: “Take every opportunity that comes your way. Remember, each project has the potential to teach you something. Don’t underestimate the value of good, strong and clear communication. Don’t be afraid to express your opinion. After all, you’re the artist. Equally, don’t take it personally if at first you are ignored. People will eventually take notice as you gain more experience.”
ALEXIS GUAJARDO
ABOVE The Netflix remake of Lost in Space, for which Alexis Guajardo was a producer
Job title: Post producer at Company 3 Location: Los Angeles Portfolio: imdb.com/name/nm4113260 Recent Work: The Boys , Lost in Space , Love , American Gods Alexis Guajardo moved to Los Angeles to find work in post-production. She was initially interested in editing and VFX, but
struggled to get her foot through the door of the industry. She explains: “It was during the recession that I moved, so nobody was hiring at that point. I managed to get a job in client services at Company 3 and, as I began to learn more about what this company did, I started to wonder about colour correction. I was then A committed industry veteran, with credits including 47 Ronin and The Three Musketeers , Ana de Mier y Ortuño studied architecture and was working as a DJ before setting foot in an editing suite for the first time. “I had no formal training, and no idea what I was getting myself into,” she reveals. “I didn’t even realise that editors were the ones responsible for the final cut that audiences watch, but once I did, the process fascinated me.” Ortuño took on every opportunity to hone her craft. She went from intern to assistant editor to assistant stereographer, before finally getting her big break. And A Wildscreen Panda Award winner, Riva began her career as a junior editor at a small production company, working on advertising and corporate projects, eventually heading up post-production. She then decided to widen her horizons by going freelance, editing content for clients including the BBC. She says: “Since I started editing, I have seen an increase in women in the industry. It’s still not an equal split, but the numbers are rising, and I’m proud to be a part of that.” She adds: “These days, each type of project comes with its own challenges. Some days you’ll be working on content for YouTube
ANA DE MIER Y ORTUÑO
Job title: Film editor Location: Munich, Germany
Portfolio: imdb.com/name/nm3802996 Recent work: The Most Beautiful Girl in the World, The Three Musketeers, The Baader Meinhof Complex
VALENTINA RIVA
Job title: Freelance video editor Location: Bristol, UK Portfolio: thisiscraft.co.uk Recent work: BBC Natural World, BBC YouTube channel Earth Unplugged, National Geographic The New Boundaries of Dentistry
Don’t underestimate the value of good, strong and clear communication. Don’t be afraid to express your opinion
OCTOBER 20 1 9 | DEF I N I T ION 49
Powered by FlippingBook