Editor Jonathan Sanders first discovered his love for editing at
MysticArt Pictures as an intern, and his abilities have grown and flourished at
the company. A fixture at MysticArt, Jonathan can be trusted to flawlessly edit
anything and everything with his innate creative flair. A dedicated member of
the team, Jonathan is currently editing for a high-profile design competition
show.
1. Where did you go to school, and what did
you go to school for?
I went to school at Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL for
Film.
2. Did you always
know you wanted to be an editor? What first sparked your interest?
My original goal was to be a screenwriter but in film school, I
found the casting process to be a lot of fun and served as the casting director
for a few projects. I edited a few projects in school and enjoyed it but never
imagined it as the career path I'd take. After moving to LA and interning at
Mystic for casting, I was asked to help with editing and fell in love with the
process and creative aspects that post has to offer.
3. When you are
first starting a casting edit for a game show, what is your process?
The beginning process for a game show edit is fairly simple. I
capture the contestant’s personality up front, always. And if you have a brand,
that'll be established up top as well. If you make me laugh, it's usually the
first thing you'll see in the edit.
4. When you are
first starting a casting edit for a docu-series, what is your process?
The beginning process for a docu-series is fairly similar to a game
show, with personality and brand being the most important.
5. How long does
it take you to complete an edit? How many edits would you say you complete per
day? Per week?
The amount of time to complete an edit varies based on the show. A
game show edit can take anywhere between 15-30 minutes, while a story-driven
show can take up to a day to finish. For Wipeout, I would complete 20 edits a
day.
6. How do you pick
music to feature in an edit?
Music can be difficult at times, but I usually go for more current
songs/artists, and the song selection will usually match up with a person's
brand. For example, a cowboy would probably have a country/blue grass song.
7. What software
do you use to edit, and how long did it take you to master it?
I just transitioned from Final Cut Pro 7 to Final Cut Pro X and I am
loving the switch. Learning any editing software takes time and patience, but
if you're familiar with the process/Final Cut Pro in general, X is pretty easy
to learn.
8. What kind of
computer system are you using? What equipment would you suggest someone invest
in if they are serious about editing?
My current system I'm editing on is the late 2013 iMac. If you want
to edit, Macs are the way to go. Macbook Pros are great (though the screens are
small) but you can fix that with an external monitor. I’m also really liking the
brand new Mac Pros.
9. What qualities
do you think a good editor should have?
A good editor should always be willing to learn and try new things
in their work and explore not only the editing software you're using, but other
software as well (Avid, Premiere, After Effects). You should also have a good
attitude and an open mind when it comes to working with the producer (or
director, or whoever you may be working with).
