The Avid Assistant

05/02/2025

Calling all Assistant Editors looking to deepen their knowledge and step up to being a 1st AE in Scripted Film and TV!!!

At the end of March I'll be running a FREE fully funded course with ScreenSkills and the Gorilla Academy in 1st Assistant Editing for scripted HETV and Film. We'll be running the four-day course Friday through Monday to make it easier for those of you already working or studying and we're bringing it to the following cities:

Cardiff 14/3 - 17/3
Bristol 28/3 - 31/3
London 25/4 - 28/4

Full details on the course as well as where to apply can be found below for those of you who are interested:

ScreenSkills

30/10/2024

Like Batman responding to the call of his symbol in the night, The Avid Assistant respond to a new Avid release with demonstrations of all new features and testing!
This hero would like to thank the Avid lords for delivering that which was promised - a working Avid Title Tool! [As well as several other sweeeeeeet new features]

IT’S FINALLY HERE!!!More than anything I am so happy that the fixed Avid Titler has now arrived! I feel like there should be an internationally observed holi...

16/07/2024

Saw some pretty cool news this morning that young actress Nell Fisher who played the orphaned Tia in the first feature film I ever edited (Northspur), has just been cast in Season5 of Stranger things!!

Go Nell!!

She really is a terrific performer that made editing her scenes in Northspur a lot easier than they may otherwise have been. As she appeared to draw upon reservoirs of emotion beyond her years. It's also led her to some amazing productions since then with "Bookworm" (co-starring with Elijah Wood) and "Evil Dead Rise".

https://deadline.com/2024/07/stranger-things-season-5-nell-fisher-alex-breaux-jake-connelly-cast-bts-video-1236010110/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1Eal3yjV-nJRi9-jzZpNF-OfAh6Tgv1UF-SJin0j5DV72cnTXad_gyIrY_aem_F8BvFPeciFxum8oZE4DVbg

Netflix has revealed three more cast additions for the upcoming fifth and final season of Stranger Things: Nell Fisher, Jake Connelly and Alex Breaux.

27/06/2024

Hey Guys,

Some of you may have seen in the download center that Avid Media Composer 2024.6 is now released!

As always I have a video going through the new version over on the YouTube channel and demonstrating all new features for anyone interested:
https://youtu.be/8Kt8P4hEM2A

I've also updated my MC feature tracker document to reflect the new features in 2024.6 as well:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/138AUOAukUjOeXMONWUXctRneLI9kLEuxr-9qweH1cVU/edit?usp=sharing

Enjoy the new version everyone!

Useful info down here!!!Linked mentioned in the video:Avid Support (and recreating user settings)https://youtu.be/kdvSeWIQGzkTips for updating Avidhttps://yo...

24/06/2024

Hey Everyone,

So I've been posting here a lot more often this year. Mostly promoting my work as "The Avid Assistant" or my in person teaching shenanigans. As I make more and more connections here on LinkedIn though, I realised that my posts and general profile have been looking very technical! Either teaching workflows or focussed on Avid features and technology. And while I am interested in all that and it's the toolset I use in my work, it isn't my work or how I see myself.

I have spent many years as an Assistant Editor and VFX Editor but at all time my goal has been working towards cutting stories for great Directors. I love editing. The creative task of telling a story. If the Writers, Directors and On-set crew are creating the story, us Editors are the ones TELLING it. And I have loved doing that ever since I was small and read a book to my wee sister while "doing the voices".

So with that in mind, here's a selection of SOME of the projects I've worked on as an Editor telling stories:

Guns Akimbo - Additional Editor (I was involved in Assemble editing many scenes as well as re-editing towards the end of the fine cut)
https://youtu.be/ZOFatKD0Vzo?si=1N4tjSESZ-zuOXBP

Northspur - Editor (Lead and only editor for this Kiwi action/drama feature)
https://youtu.be/jtHqv7WqiCs?si=YItktQLiYAZOv3ie

AMAH - Editor (Edited this fantastic half hour Sci-Fi thriller for broadcast on TVNZ+ in New Zealand)
https://youtu.be/bKDgSPOxLoU?si=mkM78TTvrUSVGhxZ

Olga da Polga - Editor (One of two Editors for the whole second series of this wholesome kids show for CBeebies)
https://youtu.be/Q4zfnpfUuOQ?feature=shared

Kung Fu King - Editor (Lead and only Editor for this short film starring Jacob Scipio [Bad Boys 4 Life, Expend4bles] and Andrew Koji [Bullet Train, Gangs of London].
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31236011/?ref_=nm_flmg_unrel_2_act

NAI - Editor (one of two editors brought on to revise and complete and existing cut for this beautiful short film about the trials of Motherhood. Starring and Directed by Michelle Ang [Fear The Walking Dead, Star Wars: The Bad Batch])
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12610924/?ref_=nm_flmg_unrel_2_edt

For a full list of my credits as an Assistant Editor, VFX Editor and Editor going back to 2013 you can check out my IMDB page, linked below!
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6283314/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Nai/Milk: Directed by Michelle Ang. With Michelle Ang, Cindera Che, Florence Hartigan. A young mother torn between cultural and societal expectations is faced with the dichotomy of selfless parenting and the desire to reclaim her identity for herself.

11/06/2024

Hey Everyone!

So you may have seen me promoting the amazing new podcast from Salon Rentals and Post Super hosted by the incredible Nick Long and Gemma Nicholson respectively. It's full of great insights into post from professionals currently working in the industry in a variety of roles, with each episode taking a look into a different area or topic of post production.

What you may not know is that I found out about this amazing podcast through being a guest on it! The episode was recorded a while ago prior to the podcast itself launching and goes into the topic of online conforms. As well as featuring Gemma, Nick and myself, other guests include: Head of edit at Halo post, Jamie Wrapson, Mark Purvis from Mission Digital and Origami and Post Production Supervisor Steven Forrester. I am still very privileged to have been in such good company!

You can check out the podcast on their website here:
http://www.peopleinpost.com/episodes/turnovers

As well as at all major podcast platforms:
On Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/.../people-in-post/id1739331676
On Spotify here:https://open.spotify.com/show/3jTi3DqiStmNyMfVr5AqeT...
Amazon Music here:https://music.amazon.co.uk/.../a524f707.../people-in-post

30/05/2024

New video over on the channel today demonstrating an amazing media management tool that is completely free, very simple to use and will massively help with managing avid media!!!
..so long as you're on a Mac 😉

MDV - The best way to manage Avid Media!

Useful info down here!!Link to download the amazing MDV app:http://djfio.com/mdv/If you liked this video here's where you can find more of my content:Instagr...

28/05/2024

For all the Avid Editors and Assistants, do you ever check when going onto a job which version of Avid the post facility is running for the sole purpose of checking to see if you'll have access to a feature you really like? I definitely do!

Well to help with that I've made this google doc that tracks all features added since 2019.6 (The Avid redesign). You can click on any avid version along the left hand side to jump straight to the details of that version. So you know exactly what you're in for when you go into your next next job! There's also links to videos demonstrating the features in each release as well at the bottom. I've pasted the link below for you all to keep handy as a reference and I'll keep it updated as each version is released.

Hopefully this proves useful to some of you!

Avid features and updates tracker:

Avid Media Composer Feature Tracker 2019.6 Modern UI redesign with panel interface Bin containers allowing multiple containers of tabbed bins Bin Map. Handy visual reference for all clips in a bin. Great for viewing small bins on a monitor in frame view! The Inspector Tool. Hit cmd+I while selec...

21/05/2024

Hey Everyone!

I'll be appearing on a US-based Podcast called "Creative Tech Chats" with the amazing Marcelo Lewin to talk all about Editorial and turnovers to other departments!

You can check out a preview of the upcoming episode (releasing May24th) at the link below:

What are turnovers and why are they so important to the entire post production workflow? That's the conversation I'll be having in this episode with Assistant Editor, Jack Brown.

16/05/2024

Had the honour of being a guest tutor for a couple of days at The Sean Connery Talent Lab in Edinburgh for NFTS this week! A huge thank you to students Jonathan, Lu, Sam and Roddy for being so wonderful to work with as well as a massive thank-you to NFTS Scotland for having me 🙂

13/05/2024

Hey Kiwis!

Watch our Episode of TVNZ's Motherhood Anthology - AMAH on TVNZ+ and be in to win a $500 grocery voucher and infrared beauty mask!

Just follow the Incredible production company I worked with on this one, A Grain of Rice Productions here and/or on Instagram and DM them the answer to this question:

"What does MEI find sour?" and tell us your favourite scene!

Winner will be drawn on the 3rd of June at 5pm NZT. Good luck!

09/05/2024

09/05/2024

New videos launching on both the public channel and Patreon/YT Members today!

YouTube - Mask Margins and Aspect Ratios

Subscribers - Exporting vertical outputs for social media

08/05/2024

My proudest editing project, episode two of TVNZ+'s "Motherhood" Anthology is out this weekend on TVNZ+!!

Kiwi friends add it to your watchlist here!!
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/motherhood

Written by Angeline Loo and Directed by Michelle Ang, this story takes place in a not too distant future where it's possible to purchase an AMAH - Artificially Maternal Android Helper - to assist with domestic chores as well as child rearing. When Leila (Dawn Cheung and David (Justin Fong) bring home their AMAH (Janet Tan) all seems to be going well at first, with AMAH even saving young Mei (Isabelle Li) from serious harm. However things slowly begin to turn as AMAH notices Leila's stresses with work and questions her commitment to young Mei.

Produced by A Grain of Rice Productions with funding from NZ On Air watch AMAH this Saturday on TVNZ+

07/05/2024

This is a really fun comedy series that I had a blast editing for Viva La Dirt League last year. If you haven't checked out their hilarious content yet head over to their YouTube channel to enjoy some really hilarious skits with a tech / gaming focus.

This serious follows Britt as she comes to terms with an ADHD diagnosis and learns how to live with (and talk to!) her ADHD!!

Catch ADHD&Me this Friday over on YouTube!!

02/05/2024

Was amazing to get the chance to have a chat with Marcelo recently about AI, NLEs and how the tools aid in the creativity of storytelling! Marcelo is a passionate colorist based in California who really knows his tech! Having originally come from that sector before the film industry.

So much so we'll be having another long chat on his podcast - Creative Tech Chats - on the topic of turnovers from Editorial to Grade, VFX, Sound and how all our amazing departments intersect. During my time as an assistant editor these processes were something I did many times and dedicated a lot of time and thought to!

Will share the link when it's available at the end of May but in the meantime here's a link to details of the episode as well as Marcelo's awesome website. He's had some really amazing guests on!!

What are turnovers and why are they so important to the entire post production workflow? That's the conversation I'll be having in this episode with Assistant Editor, Jack Brown.

01/05/2024

For anyone Scotland based, I'm going to be bringing the AE100 Essentials for Assistant Editing course to a live format this June!

Partnering with NFTS Scotland The course will run for five days from the 17th to 21st of June covering setting up projects, ingesting, sync'ing and logging, multi-cam prep, common assisting tasks, online turnovers and more as we go. This live format will allow people to ask questions as we go and give everyone the chance to try all these tasks at an Avid.

I'm really excited for this course as teaching Assisting is something I've been motivated to do for years as it's rarely covered in film schools.

You can find all the details on the course at the link below:
https://nfts.co.uk/essential-skills-assistant-editing-scripted-hetvfilm

29/04/2024

I was very privileged to recently appear on the US-based After Film School podcast to discuss my experience at Film School and entering the industry.

It was an absolute delight talking with René and was very grateful to be the first guest to attend a non-US based film school - Unitec in Auckland, New Zealand🙂

Here are the links for anyone interested:

Apple:
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/after-film-school-sharing-alumnis-journeys/id1724873824?i=1000653944466

Spotify:
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/after-film-school/episodes/Jack-Brown-Editor-Unitec-Institute-of-Technology-Auckland--New-Zealand-After-Film-School-017-e2it356

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd7DsQcaqzA

‎Show AFTER FILM SCHOOL - Sharing Alumni's Journeys, Ep Jack Brown Editor Unitec Institute of Technology Auckland, New Zealand After Film School #017 - 29 Apr 2024