We were lucky to catch up with Richard Bai recently and have shared our conversation below.
Richard, 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?
For me, passion and dedication are at the core of everything I do. I consider myself fortunate to have discovered editing, a craft that I truly love. Encouraged by my parents from a young age to find and pursue my passion, I initially found it in strategic games, particularly the Chinese version of chess called “Go”. I delved into it, turning professional by the age of 12. The game instilled in me a love for thinking, observing, and making strategic moves.
Another profound passion of mine is watching movies. My parents frequently took me to theaters. A particular art cinema in Beijing became my weekend go-to place.
Becoming an editor is like merging these two passions. While editing is often seen as a long and enduring process, it never feels that way to me. Witnessing a movie come together in the editing room is a joy. I find myself easily spending entire days in the editing room, never experiencing boredom.
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?
As a film editor, I see my role as a collaborator in helping directors achieve their visions. I pursued my undergraduate education at Beijing Film Academy and gained valuable experience as an exchange student at Columbia College Chicago. Working on short films in various positions exposed me to every aspect of filmmaking, including directing, camera work, editing, and sound. This broad understanding allows me to better comprehend a director’s goals and contribute effectively to the filmmaking process as an editor.
Storytelling and evoking emotions are paramount in my approach to editing. This perspective allows me to work across diverse projects, including narrative films, documentaries, and commercials, all of which I have found enjoyable. Constructing compelling narratives and conveying emotions to the audience are aspects of editing that I take pride in.
I believe in the transformative power of movies and their ability to impact society. I am particularly drawn to projects that shed light on different communities. An example is the short film ‘Bingo Queens,’ where I collaborated with director Nicholas Finegan and producer Tuli Litvak. The story, centered around a transgender ex-ballet dancer and a server in a bingo hall, aims to inspire courage. Seeing this film reach festivals worldwide and resonating with audiences brings me immense satisfaction.
I cherish the time spent in the ‘dark’ room, where every bit of progress, no matter how small, brightens my day. The challenging yet fulfilling nature of the editing process fuels my passion for the craft.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Listening, communication and thinking.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
I am extremely lucky to meet many amazing teachers and mentors. I would like to shout out to Sharon Zurek and Leslie Simmer at Columbia College Chicago. Sharon was teaching Advanced Editing Seminar and Leslie was teaching Editing the Doc. Sharon and Leslie not only gave wonderful lectures but they cared about every student. I was a little shy when I was studying there. There were many cultural differences between Chicago and Beijing. They encouraged me to reach out to the projects I wanted to work on. I gained so much confidence from them. They also showed me what is a good editor. They set a bar I want to reach in my life.
Also my parents and my girlfriend, they’ve always been very supportive to every decision I’ve made. I really appreciate their supports.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://richardbaieditor.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuxuan-richard-bai-57b067185/
