By Debbie Mitchell
In this morning's installment of our summer series How Did You Get Into Television?, where TV professionals tell us about about their entry into the television industry and give advice on how to survive, we get the inside scoop from a video Editor. I love Editors. They have the power to take a handful of raw tapes and turn them into an edited masterpiece.
As a field producer I have sat, side by side, in dark edit rooms, with many different Editors during my career and know that a talented Editor is a producer’s best friend. I’ve always viewed the relationship as a collaboration. Two creative minds sharing ideas on the best way to tell a video story, some times under a very tight deadline. At the start of a project a producer should be able to convey to the Editor his/her vision for the video piece, provide a script, along with logged tapes of desired B-roll video and A-roll (sound bites from interview), sound effects, graphics, and music if needed. The next few hours or days will be filled with a lot of creative give and take as the final edited piece takes shape.
Today we meet Chicago film school graduate Matt Kugelman who ventured to New York City to pursue a filmmaking career. Matt’s website is KUGIEFILM.COM . He is currently a video editor for the CBS: This Morning Show and in the process of developing an independent feature film.
How Did You Get Into Television?
I emailed Michael Moore asking if I could intern in his office over the summer. Seriously. I was in Chicago and just about to graduate from film school. Surprisingly, his office manager called, interviewed me over the phone and within the week I was on a train to Manhattan. It was during the release of the movie Fahrenheit 9/11, so it was a really exciting time to be in New York, especially interning at Dog Eat Dog Films.
Before the election, Michael went on a speaking tour. I was in Central Park one weekend and his producer called asking if I knew how to edit. Michael had come up with an idea for a series of comedic short videos and there was no one in the office that could help since he had taken his editor with him on the road. I literally ran into the office and started editing. We over-nighted a DVD to Michael and his team, who were preparing for their biggest venue of the tour. Apparently the last video got a standing ovation in Gainesville, Florida. The next day they offered me a full-time job.
What’s your job title today and what are your job responsibilities?
Right now I’m a video editor for the CBS: This Morning Show. It’s a live show, but when the anchors introduce a story, that’s something that we’ve been working on for a day or two; sometimes as long as a week. I go through hours of video footage and assemble the best parts to illustrate the story we are trying to tell.
What has been your favorite television job to date and why?
My first job at CBS was the editor/photographer of the CBS News on Logo show. We travelled all over North America shooting news stories and documentaries for an LGBT audience. We went to the Sundance Film Festival, followed Cyndi Lauper on her concert tour, attended the “Out Games” in Montreal. I remember editing on a laptop in a Chicago taxi, while racing to the bureau to send our segment to the network. We were a team of five and worked around the clock so it felt more like a family. It was a blast.
If you could go back and say anything to yourself at the start of your television career, what would it be and what’s the most important thing you’ve learned during your years in television?
I’ve learned that it’s always a good idea to say “yes” to every possible opportunity because you really never know where your next big break will be.
What is your biggest regret in your television career?
I don’t really regret anything, but at one point I had to make a decision between two opportunities that presented themselves at the same time. One was an assistant job at Nickelodeon and the other was as a P.A. on an indy film. I wanted to get more on-set experience so I chose the indy film, which ended up falling through because of production problems. That led me to accept a waitering job on fire island, where I met someone who recommended me for the CBS News on Logo job. So in the end, it ended up working out, but sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I started working at Nickelodeon.
What’s your secret to having a happy career in television?
Red Bull.
What’s the most important lesson you would tell anyone pursuing television?
It never hurts to ask. The worst anyone can ever say is “no.”
Which person taught you the most in your career?
The first week editing the CBS News on Logo show was a huge challenge. Mainly because all of our equipment hadn’t arrived yet…like a computer. So even though we had an impending daily deadline, we’d have to wait until an editing station opened up at another show. Some days we’d have to crash the segment together in less than twenty minutes.
I remember my boss showing off the segment from the previous day to a friend of his, who ripped apart the graphics I created. I remember thinking “who is this guy, and why is he trying to get me fired!?” Well, he happened to be the director of the CBS Evening News weekend show. After that, every time he would stop by to talk to my boss, I would show him some graphics I was working on. He’d usually give me some criticism and I’d revise accordingly, but eventually he had nothing to say except for “It looks pretty good.” After four years of shooting and editing for CBS News on Logo, he recommended me for an editor position at the CBS Evening News: Weekend Edition, where I worked for another four years. We’re friends to this day and I still consider him one of my biggest mentors.
What are your top three tips for television survival?
There’s always going to be issues with the footage that’s handed to you. Whether it’s shaky, the microphone wasn’t turned on, or there’s simply not enough to work with. Learn to fix as many problems as you can and never throw anyone under the bus.
When you realize your deadline is less than thirty minutes away, start throwing footage into your timeline as fast as you can. Go back and make it perfect later if there’s time. Uneven audio and a sloppy edit are better than a giant black hole on TV.
Obviously, it’s important to be really creative and really fast, but I’ve learned it’s equally important to be easy to get along with. No one wants to work with a grouch.
What are you most proud of in your television career?
I collaborated with a comedian friend of mine on a commercial video contest for Crunch Gyms. He’s a very popular drag queen and the idea involved him going to get a mammogram while in full drag. I called all of the doctors and medical professionals I knew and none of them had any leads on where we could get access to a mammogram machine. We almost gave up until I thought I’d give a last-ditch attempt with an ad in the film/video section of craigslist. Sure enough, someone had a contact in a friendly radiologist who let us come and film. We ended up winning the $10,000 grand prize!
If you weren’t working in television, what other job would you have pursued?
I was really big into drawing and painting and I actually almost went to art school, but chose the film route instead. I’d still like to get into more film work eventually, but for right now, the morning news has treated me very well.
When you think about a career after working in television, what does it look like?
I just finished writing a feature length comedy screenplay that I want to direct next summer, so in my spare time, I’m working on getting that project developed.
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Thanks Matt.
As technology grows, today producers are editing their stories themselves on their laptops using a program like Final Cut Pro and or iMovie. But I maintain there is nothing quite like the Editor and Producer collaboration. (DM)
As technology grows, today producers are editing their stories themselves on their laptops using a program like Final Cut Pro and or iMovie. But I maintain there is nothing quite like the Editor and Producer collaboration. (DM)
TV/Social Media Producer Debbie Mitchell is an Emmy nominated producer who is a member of the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and is currently a member of the James Beard Broadcast and New Media Awards Committee. If you are a brand interested in blogger outreach campaigns, a blogger or personality interested in television placement follow Debbie Mitchell @TVProducerDeb or contact TheBloggerConnection.com.
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