We recently connected with Michelle Botticelli and have shared our conversation below.
Michelle, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
In my first job as an apprentice editor, I learned from the editor Kris Boden that the more time you put in, ultimately the better the edit. I watched her edit when she would come on weekends just to check out cuts and over go over certain performances. Now that I am editing projects, I take that lesson and continue to strive for the best edit, performance and way to tell the story the best way I can.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I grew up in a small town in Southern Oregon where luckily my first job was working at a shakespeare theater and it was while working there that my love for comedies and drama emerged. I thought I would work in the theater but I began to love visually what you can do with film and television even more than theater.
I am so lucky to be a freelance editor despite the uncertainty of work and the ebb and flow of the film/television industry which is constantly changing. I have gotten to work on so many interesting movies and documentaries and work with so many talented people. I am starting to write, direct and produce myself and excited about where that will take me.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
In editing, I think the best qualities one can have is patience, good listening skills and perseverance, especially when working on movies. When editing a movie, it can takes months and it is critical to be looking at each scene with fresh eyes until it is locked. It is also important to really listen, because sometimes in editing people are reacting to a specific scene that might not be working and it could be that the scene before or after hasn’t earned it. I have found it is so important to listen the story and let it tell you what it should be.
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
Due to the ever changing landscape of streaming services and the way we consume movies and tv, it is difficult to know where the industry is going. It is important to be flexible and adaptable since things change fairly quickly. I am constantly trying to keep up with new editing programs and stay connected to the people I have worked with as they also can keep me informed and potentially lead to new jobs.
Contact Info:
- Website: michellebotticelli.com
Image Credits
I own all the photos. I have the rights. Michelle Botticelli
