postproduction facility or a local television station is another potential
inroad.
Professional Profile: Michael Reynolds, First Assistant Editor
Raised in Southern California, Michael Reynolds initially planned a
career as a theatrical director. He studied at UCLA, earning a bachelor's
degree in theater, film, and television in 1989. While in school, his direction
of department productions
received acclaim. But it was
when he directed a short film
that he realized his eye was
better suited for film than stage,
and began pursing editing.
Reynolds' first post-college
job was working as a produc-
tion assistant on the television
series Parenthood. Producer
Sascha Schneider was so
pleased with Reynolds's work
that when he expressed a desire
to get into editing, Schneider facilitated his hiring as an apprentice editor
on the series Veronica Clare. Reynolds did some work for National
Geographic before landing his first film, the low budget feature Pontiac
Moon, as an apprentice for editor Anne Coate.
Impressed with Reynolds's work ethic, Coate hired him as an assistant
editor on the next three features she worked on: Congo, Striptease, and
Out to Sea. He picked up some additional work between those projects,
including a month on The Jackal, before going on to The Horse Whisperer.
When renowned film editor Pietro Scalia mentioned to friend Anne
Coate that he was looking for a first assistant, she recommended
Reynolds. He was hired for Playing by Heart and went on to work on
Gladiator and Black Hawk Down.
Job Overview
The second assistant editor supports the first assistant in all his duties.
Although delegated assignments may vary, second assistant editor Steve
Sacks explains that generally "My job is to conform picture. I get a list
JOB TITLE: SECOND ASSISTANT EDITOR
"Put aside your
ego and realize that
people are hiring you to
work for them. They're
not looking for you to be
the most brilliant editor. You work for them.
Normally you're not going to be cutting
picture right away; you're going to be
making cappuccino."--Michael Reynolds
CAREER TIPS
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