Meet Simone Smith

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Simone Smith. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Simone below.

Simone , we are so happy that our community is going to have a chance to learn more about you, your story and hopefully even take in some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Let’s start with self-care – what do you do for self-care and has it had any impact on your effectiveness?

I used to believe that the best way to be effective and and productive was to throw all of my energy into work. It’s easy to chase the next thing on the to-do list, but no one can ever actually accomplish everything. My work as an editor is very taxing mentally, as I need to make hundreds of micro and macro decisions every day. I’ve learned that taking time for self-care not only makes me feel better, it helps me perform at my job as well.

The number one priority for me is sleep – if I’m not getting sleep it’s easy for everything also to start to fall by the wayside. When I’m tired I’m less likely to be active, and more likely to crave quick energy in unhealthy forms.

Movement and fitness not only helps me have more energy, but it also helps my body from being stiff. My work as an editor requires me to be at a desk anywhere from 8-12 hours in a day, so it’s very easy for pain to start creeping up if I’m not moving enough. I recently started reformer pilates, I also enjoy weight training and riding my spin bike.

Lastly, meditation is really helpful, but truthfully somehow it’s also the hardest to fit in. I’ve struggled to keep a regular mediation routine going, though I definitely feel the benefits when I do.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m an editor, which means I take all of the footage that’s been shot and cut it together into what you see on tv or in a theater. I grew up loving movies so I knew pretty early on this way the field I wanted to work in. I started out editing my own projects for fun as a kid, and then attended Vancouver Film School after high school. From there, I started working in commercial editing, before attending the Canadian Film Centre. I took part in their Editor’s Lab, and from that experience I met many of the collaborators I still work with today. I’ve been fortunate to work with many talented filmmakers and showrunners, and I have won two Canadian Screen Awards for my work. I love my job because it combines artistry and problem-solving. Sometimes something in a project didn’t work the way it was intended, and then it’s up to me to try and find other avenues to work with the footage I have.

My most recent project, MILE END KICKS, was just announced as the Special Presentations opening film at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Patience – the work of an editor requires a lot of patience. You need to be willing to try a lot of different versions before you find the one that works. Then something else changes and it doesn’t work anymore, so you need to go back and try again. You also end up watching the same film or episode over and over for many weeks. For me, this patience took time to gain. Ultimately it’s about enjoying the journey itself and not trying to rush to a completed product.

Empathy – You need to really empathize with the characters in the story to be a great editor. You should be curious and try to understand how they tick, and what they are feeling in any given moment. The editing can then subtly underline the interiority of the character. Are they panicked? Try cutting fast and frenetic. Are they lonely? Hold on the wide shot to show their solitude.

Honesty – You are in the editor’s chair because the team believes in you and your instincts. There is a lot of diplomacy involved in the job, and you need to be strategic about HOW you share your thoughts, but you definitely should share them. If something isn’t working it’s your duty to bring it up, even if sometimes it isn’t fun to be the bearer of bad news.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

Last year was the first time since going freelance that I faced a long stretch without work. It was largely due to external factors, like the after effects of the of the strikes and an overall contraction of the industry. I truly panicked and thought my career was over. I was very fortunate that my fellow editors, Aren Hansen and Cameron Nixdorf reached out to me that they needed another editor for their show BET. Within a little over a week I was back to work, and have been working steadily since. Looking back at me time off, I really wish I had’ve taken the time to enjoy it more. This work can be very intense, and since it’s not a typical job you can’t just take a week off whenever you want to. I have learned that even when things seem tough, I’ll be ok, and you never know when an opportunity can pop up out of the blue. It’s also important to enjoy life outside of work, and to spend time with friends and family. I certainly won’t waste the next opportunity to have some rest.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.simonesmitheditor.com

Image Credits

Headshot by Tom Wood

1.610.1_1.610.1_{01d18f2e-1ca7-ed11-a9e4-c9f45dbdfde1}.jpg and Lawrence at the computer_{dd789287-1514-ed11-a9de-0edcbcd33718}.jpg Courtesy VHS Forever

FIRECRACKERS_1+copy+3.jpg Courtesy Level Film

thequeenofmydreams_03_yellow.jpg Courtesy The Collaborative