Meet Spenser Reich, ACE

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Spenser Reich, ACE. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Spenser, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

There are a couple key moments that stand out to me. One was when I was picking what I wanted to major in when I was accepted to university. I was deciding not only what interested me, but what I thought would keep on interesting me for many years to come. It was between a few options, but eventually, I narrowed it down to Film because storytelling is something I was passionate about and there are always important stories to tell.
A few years later, as I was working in the film industry, I began to notice the lack of diversity in Editorial and greater post production. It became a huge part of my purpose in this industry to elevate other POC and especially Black women, as there is such little representation of POC/Black Women behind the scenes.
All of this to say, purpose for me was finding something I love doing – editing – and by creating spaces for others within this world.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m a Film/TV Editor based in Los Angeles, though I’m originally from the Bay Area. My journey into the world of editing stems from a deep passion for storytelling. Editing excites me because it allows me to shape stories and feels very much like an extension of writing. It’s an underrated yet crucial part of the storytelling process, a process that I love so much. I love being able to craft the story on my own, being immersed in the footage, and then collaborating with other filmmakers, like the directors, producers, etc. to perfect it. All stages of the Edit and collaborative process are incredibly rewarding.

In addition to my editing work, I am deeply committed to mentorship. I believe in the power of supporting and guiding aspiring Editors. I’m a Junior Mentor in the ACE Diversity Mentorship Program, a Mentor in MPEG’s Women’s Steering Committee’s Lift Women Up Mentorship Program, and I mentor an Editing Fellow at the AFI Conservatory. I also mentor several individuals independently.

As for exciting news, the show I edited, ‘Diarra from Detroit,’ premiered to rave reviews in March, resulting in a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Additionally, the feature film I edited, ‘You are Always Right Here,’ opened the Harlem International Film Festival. Currently, I’m editing the third season of ‘Power Book IV: Force.’

Outside of the film industry, I enjoy wheel throwing (pottery), traveling, hiking with my dogs, and exploring the various neighborhoods of Los Angeles.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

One of the biggest skills (besides knowing Avid!) that helped me grow so much in my Editing journey was listening to and watching other Editors. The best way you can learn besides going out and doing it, is to watch those who are already doing it. It was invaluable to me to have mentors who imparted so much wisdom, let me ask a lot of questions, who didn’t mind me sitting in their room periodically to observe the way they worked, and importantly, who gave me feedback on my edits. Being a good listener is such an important and necessary skill as an Editor and storyteller.

A quality that’s really important to have is resilience. When you’re coming up in the film industry, you will face a lot of rejection, which can be disheartening, but the people who keep going are the ones who have careers. Additionally, when you’re a newer Editor, it can be tough to hear notes on an edit you present. You’ve spent so much time on the cut and it can feel like a gut punch to realize the cut isn’t working the way you thought it was. As I grew more experienced, I realized that receiving notes is a part of the job and I can not take it personally. We’re all just here to make the best version of the story we can and the notes are there to support, not undermine that purpose. Now the notes stage is such a fun part for me because of what that collaboration can lead to in the edit.

I’ve found it’s also been important to be extremely patient and compassionate as an Editor. A lot of time and energy goes into telling a story well. If you think about how large a team is on a film or a show, there are so many individuals all coming together to make the best possible version of that story. If you then, as the Editor, rush through and are impatient with the edit, you’re not doing justice to the story or showing compassion to all the people’s time who came before you. That also goes for the story itself. It’s crucial that as the person shaping the story in the edit, you are compassionate for the characters, what they’re going through, what their emotional arc is, what’s the point the story is trying to make, etc. All of this takes special care and crafting, which requires a lot of patience and compassion.

The best way to develop or improve on these various qualities/skills is through practice. Practice reaching out to other Editors and ask for their feedback. Practice taking your time in an edit, rather than rushing through. Practice putting yourself out there and doing the job to the best of your ability.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

Small bites!

Whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed, I narrow down the larger task I need to do into small, manageable steps. Every time I finish one of those small steps, it feels like I’ve accomplished something, it builds momentum, and the momentum leads to the larger tasks being finished and the overwhelmed feeling lessening.

Sometimes, I’ve accomplished so much in a day and it feels like I still have so much left to do, which can also lead to feeling overwhelmed. In those times, I remind myself that the work will still be there tomorrow, make a game plan for myself for the next day, and then I leave the work at work. The game plan typically involves creating a task list for the next day, updating anything on my calendar I need to, and snoozing whatever emails I would like to address in the following days to reappear in my inbox at a less stressful time. All of that makes it easier to leave work behind when I’m home.

In these overwhelming times, when I do leave work, I make an effort to not check work emails, not think about work, etc. and focus on something relaxing like walking/hanging out with my dogs, doing an art project that’s unrelated to film, reading, or something where I can just turn off my brain for a bit like putting on a good movie.

In finding a healthy balance, I’ve found it enriches my personal life and that in turn enhances the quality of work I’m doing and ultimately benefits the edit.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Peter Zakhary

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