I met Amy McGrath at her house while she was editing my friend Chioke’s movie with a broken arm. That’s right. She wasn’t able to work at her assistant editor job because of her arm so she took on editing an entire movie. When looking for an editor to come in late in the editing process for my feature, Best Friends Forever, she was top on my list and proved to be one of the best decisions we made in the making of the movie.
Brea: Amy. You’re awesome. Everyone who has worked with you recommended you like you are a goddess. Why is that?
Amy: Aww, thanks! I really like to collaborate and maybe that makes people feel comfortable with me. A lot of editing requires being a good listener and helping the director / producers have their ideas come to fruition.
Brea: Okay, so you’re an adorable, smart woman who decided to spend her days sitting in front of a computer editing movies. What drew you to that line of work?
Amy: I went to college for painting at School of Visual Arts in Manhattan and have always enjoyed the arts growing up. It wasn’t until I took a class on women directors with Amy Taubin my junior year that I realized I felt more connected to filmmaking. I think it was the documentary “Paris is Burning” that really spoke to me and changed the way I thought about film. I think there’s a strong connection between the process of painting and editing; there are a set of rules that naturally develop and its about finding them intuitively to help guide the work.
Brea: For people who know technical stuff (unlike me), what do you prefer to edit on? Talk shop to me for a second. How would I find out more about this stuff? Is there an Editor Monthly? Where did you learn the world of editing and post-production?
Amy: I edit on Final Cut Pro and Avid, but I honestly don’t have a preference. I think ideas are the most important skill to have when editing and the software is just a tool. After graduating college it took me a handful of years to come to the realization that I wanted to work in film. I took a few summer courses to learn editing, shooting, etc, but it wasn’t until I got a job at a post production facility that I learned what it really takes. I worked as a facility producer for a number of years which is basically a liaison between filmmakers editing / finishing their films and the in-house colorists, audio mixers, engineers, and sales people. It helped me gain a lot of contacts and build a higher level of professionalism. I asked a lot of questions which helped me gain a broad knowledge from dailies to the DI and I also utilized the equipment to cut small projects at night. One of my clients at the time was Steven Soderbergh. When I finally made the decision I was going to pursue editing, I emailed his post supervisor with my resume and got my first job as an apprentice editor on “The Girlfriend Experience”. I was able to get into the Motion Picture Editors Guild. From there I kept getting assistant editing jobs where I met a lot of talented editors and learned the ropes of editorial. My advice to an aspiring editor would be to get involved. Contact your local union and find out the steps to take in order to join. They usually have courses available and events to help you network. There’s also the magazine Cinemontage that highlights the top editors to stay informed. Its also important to keep connected with your peers that are directing shorts or films that you can edit in order to build your reel.
Brea: I met you through a friend whose movie you edited (and just won Best Film in the LES Festival – congrats!) that was a little indie drama, but ours had all these creepy horror scenes that you had to cut. How do you deal with doing different types of movies? What is your favorite thing to work on?
Amy: Thanks! Yeah that was Chioke Nassor’s film “How to Follow Strangers” and we’re super excited about the award! I don’t let the genre dictate how I’m going to cut a scene. I think some people may associate horror with lots of jump cuts, but I think it can be much creepier and effective if you let moments breathe. I always prioritize the actor’s best performances and let that guide the pacing of a scene initially. I love cutting sex scenes. Kidding! I really love cutting heated dramatic fights between lovers. I also like dark, creepy scenes with zero dialogue and cutting the actor’s body language to set the tone.
Brea: When you came into Best Friends Forever, we already had a cut of the movie but you came in to change it up and fix some things we were having trouble with. What’s the difference between editing a project from scratch and coming into a project like that?
Amy: In some ways its nice to come into a project that already has a rough cut. When you watch it for the first time it can be easier to identify what’s not working because you’re not intimate with the material. On the flip side, it can be more pressure for the editor to fix the problems.
Brea: You were pregnant when you were working on “Best Friends Forever”and now you have an adorable little girl. I suppose this is one of the wonderful but difficult things about being a female editor. What was that like? What’s it like balancing being a mother now and editing a feature film?
Amy: I do remember feeling nervous about telling you I was pregnant out of concern that I’d be treated differently. Of course when I did you were great because you’re awesome! I’m currently home full time with my daughter and cutting a feature on the side. Its definitely a balancing act. I try to fit it editing when she’s taking a nap or I’ll wake up super early like 4am and cut for a few hours while she sleeps. When I decide to go back to work full time its going to be hard. I’m sure there will be a part of me that will ask myself during an interview If I need to tell my future employer that I’m a new mother. Is that necessary or even relevant? Would the same thought even cross the mind of a new father? Editorial can be such long hours sometimes and I’ve met a lot of male editors with families, but not many women. I don’t let that idea discourage me though. I want it all!
Brea: Dream job – what is the genre, the director, everything?
Amy: I’m all over the map. I’d love to cut a movie like “Donnie Darko” that combines coming of age drama with dark, creepy elements. Anything by Lars Von Trier. I also really enjoy music documentaries – so something along the lines of the doc about Fugazi “Instrument”.
Brea: What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned about your career or about yourself during your last few projects?
Amy: Each new project has helped me move past any insecurities I had about editing in front of people. I feel much more confident about my skills and voicing my creative opinions.
Brea: If I wanted to be an editor, first of all, how would I know that? What skills would I need to have? Secondly, what advice would you give me once I started pursuing my dream?
Amy: Something about editing just clicked for me because it combines imagery with human psychology – I also contemplated on being a therapist in college. I think the biggest skill you’d need to have is patience and attention to detail. It takes a good amount of time to learn the technical skills and all the little tricks of editing before you can sit there and cut fluently, so you have to really love it and be patient with yourself. I think the best advice I can give is to align yourself with people you respect. If you love a particular movie or filmmaker, find the production company that produces their films and try to get an internship. Work really hard once you get there and people will respond to that and want to move you up.
Brea: What’s in store for you soon? And what do you hope to do in the next few years?
Amy: I’m currently cutting a feature film directed by Drew Daywalt which I’m really excited about. I hope to continue cutting every day and being surrounded by people that inspire me and watching my daughter grow up.