Special Skills and Education:
In addition to editing skills and a thorough understanding of the film-
making process, a successful film editor must possess a strong work ethic.
Whether knowledge is gained in school or working on the job as an
intern, Askin believes it is important to understand the history of the film
industry, its traditions and special lingo. "It helps you fit in and feel com-
fortable about the environment. It makes people realize you've tried hard
to learn things."
Advice for Someone Seeking This Job
Working as a runner, PA, or grip are good ways to get on set, where
you can gain exposure to all aspects of production.
"Internships are a good way to decide if you're going to like working
in the business," says Askin. "People in the TV business have a certain
personality, just like theater people have a certain personality and musi-
cians have a certain personality. You've got to make sure you're going to
like being around those people.
"If you're in a small town working at the cable TV station, you're not
going to get too many opportunities. So you might have to pick up and
move to a bigger city. Just be aggressive: knock on doors and hope that
somebody, a mentor, takes you under their wing."
Professional Profile: Joe Askin, Director of Postproduction,
Scene Three Media Works
Joe Askin has been fascinated with television since he was 10 years
old. The Louisville native avidly watched news programs, not to keep up
on current affairs, but because he found the production aspect interesting.
By the time he was 15, he had acquired an 8mm camera and a simple
editing splicer, and began filming shorts. He continued to make movies
in high school and would sometimes gather his family together, set up
the projector and screen, and stage a little premiere. "When those were
received favorably and I wasn't embarrassing myself, that people seemed
to like them, I realized it was worth pursuing as a career."
Askin's first lucky break came during high school. His mother worked
for the board of education in the audiovisual department, giving him
access to all of their equipment. "They had just gotten some black and
white cameras and tape recorders--this was '72. These were relatively
inexpensive. Nobody at the school board knew how to use them, or cared
about using them. I'd go in and hook it all up and learn how to make
stuff work. That was my first taste into the technical side." Soon he was
teaching adults how the equipment worked, how to make dubs, and edit.
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