How a Happy Accident Became a Creative Collective

I never saw myself as a business owner.

I didn’t manifest this in any five-year plan or vision board. It just kind of happened. 

Like my birth, it was a happy accident. (That full story will remain a private family matter)

Last Summer, I had the privilege to work with a great post team on a months-long contract for a beauty company. I’m not going to get into my personal beliefs on the product itself, but I really enjoyed the project. I was off and on it for about seven months, working with the same team of editors, colorists, and mixers. 

This was where I started to watch what the Post-Supervisor did and what made him so successful. Not only was he editing, but he was managing us contractors and the all-mighty client. His cool demeanor, but firm leadership kept the ball running. He knew not only how to talk to the client and keep them calm when things got hot–which rarely happened–but he also knew all the ins and outs of the editing process. 

As a video editor, I’ve worked full-time and freelance.

I have a love/hate relationship with both. 

Being at a company full-time as an employee, you have no control over your time. You’re told what to do and when. I’ve never liked that. I work harder and more diligently when I feel some semblance of ownership over something. 

What you do get out of a full-time gig is community. People to interact with on a daily basis with, to grow not only professionally but personally with. I’m not going to say “chosen family” because I heard that way too much at a past job and it hits a certain nerve. 

Being freelance gives you freedom.

You are in control of what you say yes and no to. The answer was usually yes because of money, but there is still that sense of “I chose this. I need this.” 

However, freelancing is lonely, especially as an editor. You sit at home by yourself, trying to network via a computer screen. Most of the time you’re just heads down on an edit, not seeing or speaking to someone all day. 

Which I guess to some, sounds like a dream, but I’m an extrovert in post-production. Terrible choice in career. 

Edits Etc. was my answer to this dilemma.

I wanted to bridge the gap between freedom and community, taking what I liked best from both options. And this was a totally selfish choice.

Initially I did this because I wanted it, but it’s rapidly grown to a community of almost 30 post-production workers, from editors, sound designers, producers, VFX artists, and more. 

Everyone in the collective is a contractor, living their best freelancer lives of freedom. When Edits Etc. is hired by a client, they’re not hiring one company of robots, but a team of subcontractors, all hungry to show their worth and skill in their field. 

What started as a way for me to work with my friends, bringing on a sound mixer or a colorist to a project I was editing, turned into me running a company full-time. 

Most recently, we had the privilege of working with the UFC. Our team stretched across the country—Editor Brittney Briggs in California, Animator Jordan Stone in Kansas, Post-Production Supervisor Jillian Sczesnak in Illinois, Colorist Jon Fuentes in New York, and Animator EJ Brieva and Sound Designer Rob Acocella in New Jersey. 

Yes, it’s a lot of moving pieces. Yes, it’s a lot of phone calls and Slack messages. Yes, I had to buy more cloud storage. But the client is happy. My team is happy. And everyone believes in this new venture. This is the future of post-production. As more and more traditional post-houses close down, I truly believe the industry will transition into a fully remote, fully freelance work environment. 

I haven’t truly edited something in months.

I’m now learning about sales, marketing, business organization, accounting, project management, the works. Which after 10 years of editing is a strange thing to get used to.

But the truth is, I’m loving it. I love seeing my friends and trusted collaborators thrive.

▶ No Punches Pulled: UFC/Thorne – the Ultimate Matchup

▶ This ain’t your grandma’s soap: Peek into Unbreakable Guard

▶ Coming in hot (but cruelty-free): Vegan Pop Eats. Watch last year’s special while we cook up the next one.