all union controlled. To subsidize his income between nonunion produc-
tions, he got involved in the computer industry, doing programming.
Salier's first break came soon after, editing the horror film Silent
Scream. He found more work on low budget independent features and
then got involved in videotape editing. "What I saw happening was, the
future of television was going away from film and toward videotape, so
I made the decision to get
involved at an early date . . .
In terms of editing, they were
looking for people that could
learn the new computerized
editing system. I was in a
position to do that. I had the
dramatic editing background
and the computer background,
so I could learn these new
systems that were replacing the
traditional film editing equip-
ment, that very few people
knew how to run."
Salier mastered the new technology and was admitted into the union,
and work began coming in a steady stream. Over the next decade he
worked on a variety of television series, including Beverly Hills 90210, The
Client, The Division, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman,
Quantum Leap, and Sliders.
Job Overview
The manager or director of a postproduction facility helps achieve the
client's postproduction goals, from taking the initial phone call that asks
"How do we do this?" to offering suggestions and explaining what can
be achieved with different effects, to creating the master tapes that meet
the technical specifications of the end user.
As senior editor at Scene Three Media Works, Joe Askin's responsibili-
ties also include hands-on editing of material that Scene Three produces,
as well as being hired to edit for outside clients.
JOB TITLE: POSTPRODUCTION FACILITY
MANAGER OR DIRECTOR OF POSTPRODUCTION
"It's a very, very
tough business. It's
highly competitive. You
have to be prepared for a
lot of disappointment
and a lot of struggle. You have to be willing
to put in years to get to the point where you
have opportunities. It's not going to happen
overnight."--Edward Salier
CAREER TIPS
User Comments Add a comment…