The day is here! I’ve made it to one year with Disney Animation. What a blur of a year it’s been! I still can’t believe I was wrapping up “Vivo” around this time last year before hopping into this new position shortly after. It’s been quite the journey and I look forward to the challenges to come as I continue to dive deeper into my current project as a 1st Assistant Editor. Here’s to another round my friends!
Hey, Who's That?
Hello Everyone! I just wanted to pop in to share that I was recently featured on all of Walt Disney Animation Studios’s Social Media outlets as part of their March Women’s History Month celebration. (Link to Instagram Post).
In my profile, I talk about my love of post production, working as a woman in animation editorial, as well as some fun side commentary on my love of video game storytelling. I had a blast getting to answer these questions and share some insight into the part of the animation industry that I love working in!
Hope you enjoy this fun, small peek into my mind!
The One and Only...VIVO!
The day is finally here! “Vivo” has officially been released on Netflix! I’m so incredibly proud of this film, and am so excited it's out there in the world to enjoy. It was an absolute blast and honor getting to work on this movie alongside such a talented group of artists and creatives (including my sister Karina McBeth who was a Storyboard Artist!). This was my first feature working as a 1st Assistant Editor and I thank my Editorial team for encouraging me through it all. It had a HUGE learning curve, and I'm so grateful for the patience they showed me each step of the way, allowing me to stumble and learn from my mistakes. I can’t express how excited I am to call this my first animated film that I have seen from beginning to end (previously had only gone up to the Layout stage). I hope you have fun getting to dive into the beautiful sights and sounds of "Vivo" soon enough. Congrats to Kirk and Brandon for directing such a enchanting film, and cheers to the crew!
Onward
Hello and Happy New Year! I just wanted to pop in to give a quick update on what’s been going on with me. First and foremost, as of January 6th 2020, I am now officially Vivo’s new 1st Assistant Editor. I still can’t believe it! It’s a bit surreal that the next step forward has already shown itself, but I suppose God’s timing is always outside of our own timetables. I’ve been blessed with a wonderful 2nd Assistant who is so eager to learn and has already started to master our workflow in only a matter of 2 weeks!
Not going to lie, it’s a bit scary having to think about the wave of responsibilities that this new position will bring, but I can find comfort though in knowing that my team and the Lord have my back to help get me through it all.
Now with almost being a year out from our release date of April 2021, I look forward with anticipation for the challenge ahead. I pray for a clear head, a calm heart during stressful times, and good communication. The finish line is steadily approaching, and I am so excited to see it through to the end :)
A Chance
I can’t believe the day is here. This past Tuesday, June 4th, I celebrated my one year anniversary with Sony Animation. In many ways it feels like no time has passed, and yet when I look back at each month, I realize just how much has happened.
It’s been a while since I’ve been able to say that I’ve been with a place for a whole year. With the nomadic nature of Editorial, it’s such a blessing to finally set up some roots at a studio. With each job, I’ve had the opportunity to be surrounded by professionals that challenge and encourage me to approach work with fearlessness - and team Vivo is no different. And while we still have a long way to go, I couldn’t ask for a better group to be serving alongside.
As I look to the next year, I am pumped and ready to plunge right into the production side of animation. It’s an area that I have only really dipped my toes into, and I’m so thrilled to see this film through all stages of production. I’ll be entering uncharted territory, but I know with the leadership of my 1st Assist, that the editorial process will become second nature to me in no time.
On a side note, I apologize for the tardiness of this update. This past year has been filled with quite a few big life changes, including getting married to my best friend. (That said, I wanted to mention that professionally I will be going by my maiden name, McBeth, while legally I will be utilizing my new married name.) Here’s to remedying this drought and getting back on track with more consistent updates!
Thank you so much to Sony for such a wonderful year. Let’s make this next one even more memorable!
Water's Edge
The day has finally come. At long last I am now working my first ever Union job with Sony Animation!
It's been a journey, but I wouldn't change anything about it. With each position, God has challenged me to continue to rely on Him and trust in His perfect timing. There's been ups and downs, but with each new opportunity came growth. My skills in AVID were further honed at Pilot, Playmobil got me experience as a 2nd Assistant Editor in Animation Editorial, Audience gave me experience in live action, and Reel FX pushed my independence and abilities as an AE. I've grown more comfortable working as an Assistant Editor, to the point where I even get excited to wake up to go in each day. I've enjoyed getting to learn new tasks in post production and stretch my AE knowledge. I still find it super surreal that I actually get to do this day in and day out.
I am very excited to see what's in store at Sony. The team is fantastic and I'm looking forward to working alongside my sister who is serving as a Storyboard artist on our project. I can't wait to work on an animated feature to its completion for the first time and see how it morphs and develops.
Here's to new discoveries!
Follow You
And so the adventure comes to an end. This past Saturday I flew back to Southern California, bringing my excursion in Dallas to a close.
My goodness, where to begin? This whole experience was such a lovely whirlwind filled with a lot of growth. This was the first time I had ever worked outside of LA, or even visited Texas for that matter. I was rather nervous about going in head first without knowing anything about the city or even getting to see the studio in person before I arrived. When I walked in on my first day, my head was swimming with questions and thoughts about how I would adjust. Would I be able to get around the city easily? What would the Editorial team be like? All of these fears were quelled two seconds later when I was introduced to the team I'd be working with for the next few months.
God not only gave me a fantastic Editorial group to work with, but a family that was extremely giving and loving. In no time at all, my homesickness subsided, and I was able to settle into my new environment with ease. Over the next few months we did the impossible of putting together 3 different screenings. It was a feat that couldn't have happened without the grace of God and the teamwork He instilled in us to push forward into the crazy hours and schedules set before us. And while tensions were high, we all still made time to check in with each other and catch up in between work.
I am going to miss each one of these Editorial comrades, and I hope that one day we'll be able to work together again. The camaraderie that comes with filmmaking is something that I treasure dearly and keeps me going in an industry filled with many ups and downs.
Thank you ReelFX for a memorable time and enjoy some chocolate pie on my behalf. Until next time, partner!
Waving Hello
After a few months out of work, I am happy to announce that I started a brand new job today as an Assistant Editor with the Audience Network.
While the waiting was hard, and at many times I grew frustrated, this position was a blessing that could only have come from God. The commute this time around will not be quite as taxing, meaning I'll be able to catch up on rest and get home at a more reasonable hour. Being that I previously met the other Audience AE while I was on Playmobil, I was able to quickly form a relationship with the Post Team. Finally, as someone who loves to learn, getting to experience yet another side of Editorial has filled me with joy as I get to continue to broaden my Assistant Editing knowledge.
I'm greatly looking forward to what's to come as production ramps up in the next few weeks, and can't wait for the new adventures to be had!
That's a Wrap!
This past Wednesday, March 22nd, I wrapped up my work on the Playmobil Movie before the production moves up to Montreal. It was a bittersweet goodbye, but I am so grateful for the relationships I formed and the experiences that came with working on this independent feature.
I unfortunately wasn't able to make a blog post last month as we were in major crunch time for February and March. Believe it or not, we put together a whole new movie for our second screening in about 9 weeks! It's a feat that should not be the norm by any means, but it was an impressive achievement for our team and I'm quite proud of what we accomplished.
Over these past few months I was definitely put through the ringer and stretched to and beyond my limits in Editorial. Myself and our 1st Assistant Editor wore a variety of hats and were asked to act outside of our job descriptions at times. However, because of this, I was able to truly push myself to be the best team player I could.
Not only would I run the scratch sessions and break down dialogue, I was also "talent" for a handful of characters. Because we lacked a script supervisor, I was in charge of keeping tabs on all the pick up lines the Editors requested as well as any new lines added by our writers. In addition, because we were pressed for time, I actually got to edit a short sequence and even went through the process of getting notes from the director and addressing them.
That's what I found to be the coolest thing about our production. Due to the fact that we were so small, everyone was asked to do more than what was asked of them on paper. Unlike a larger studio where there is a job for anything and everything you can think of, we became an interesting meld of various jobs all working together in order to make sure we made our screening on time.
It was an emotional day when our screening rolled around. After the hustle and bustle of getting the file set up with our screening room and setting up breakfast for our guests, we got to enjoy this near brand new cut of the film with an audience who had never seen the film. Suddenly all the long hours and late nights became worth it as our audience clapped and laughed at the appropriate moments and left the theater with big smiles.
I am truly going to miss this production as it moves up to Canada, leaving almost all of the LA group behind here in the States. From Editorial, to Story, to Production, they all inspired me to strive to be the best I could be at my craft and allowed me to experience a sense of camaraderie I hadn't felt since my time at Dodge. I am so thankful that God allowed all the pieces to fall into place for this opportunity to take place. It was the perfect first feature for me to serve on as an Assistant Editor.
As I get the necessary materials ready to apply to the Editor's Union, I can't wait to see where I am led next in this industry and beyond. :)
P.S. Hope you enjoy these pictures I took with some of the crew, as well as a snapshot of the half dismantled sound Cube we built.
Part of the Playmobil crew
The end of an era. The end of "The Cube"
Here We Are Again
As I write this, I still find it hard to believe that I've been in the working world for almost two years now, with school seeming forever away.
With every year, there comes a remarkable amount of change and growth. After a year and a half with my Pilot family, I set off to join a new one at ON Animation Studios. The confidence and skills I gained from Pilot allowed me to jump right in to the bustling animated feature world, unafraid and ready to work.
2016 saw me becoming more comfortable in my own skin, as well as with the strengths and weaknesses of my abilities. Going in to the working world I was convinced that I needed to know everything since I was brought on to a team that wanted me to work alongside them. Looking back, I realize that I put too much pressure on myself to have all the answers, when I didn't. The great thing about being "fresh meat" is that you're still learning. While you should of course harbor the skills that your employer hired you for, you don't have to be scared to ask questions. I've learned that not asking questions out of fear of looking inadequate can be dangerous in the long-run. Being inquisitive allows you to make new discoveries and have a place to jump off of the next time you come in contact with a similar dilemma. Communication is key to a team working well together, and it can't be done unless everyone is on the same page, bringing their various levels of expertise and knowledge to the table. Staying silent is not the way to go as it keeps you from developing those relationships that will provide you with new points of view, and ways of approaching problems.
With the new year just a stone's throw away, I look forward and up to what God has in store for this blank slate ahead of me. It may look overwhelming, but it's just another step in this journey. And to that I say, "2017, bring it on!"
Transition
Last Friday was officially my last day with Pilot. It was a bittersweet goodbye as I had grown rather close to my co-workers at both the LA and New York offices.
I have Pilot's Post Supervisor to thank for pushing me to challenge myself to be an independent thinker and troubleshooter. With each network having its own set of unique delivery specs, it forced me to become more observant and thorough, as it was crucial that deliveries followed the post requirements to a 'T.' It was overwhelming at first since it seemed like every network had vastly different specifications, but as I did more and more jobs, I realized they were more similar than I had originally thought, with me only having to make slight changes here and there to adhere to a specific network's guidelines.
The next leg of my career journey began Tuesday of this past week. I am now serving as a 2nd Assistant Editor on an animated feature film with ON Animation Studios. One of my former Pixar mentors approached me about this position, and I thought it would be a great next step as I'd be able to serve as an Assistant Editor in animation editorial. I'm very excited for what these next few months hold (especially since the 1st Assistant Editor is another one of past my Pixar mentors!), and getting to really dig my teeth into this project.
Pilot, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for a fantastic first full time job. It was a great learning experience and a time of growth that improved both my post skills, and confidence in myself. You will be greatly missed.