The answer they were looking for was “everyone”. 

I disagree. 

After 10 years of working in the film industry, I can tell you without a doubt, the editor is the most valuable person. And I don’t say this to say that I am the most important person or the best editor that ever lived.

In fact, I worked for years to become the best cinematographer I could be. It wasn’t something that came naturally to me, understanding the relationship of aperture to shutter angle, moving the camera around the subject, learning to shape light; these were all things I had to learn over the course of years. 

Slowly but surely, I realized, it meant nothing if I couldn’t edit it into what I wanted it to be. No one wants to watch a long, drawn out tracking shot (no matter how beautiful it may be) if the sound doesn’t immerse you into the world, if they’re not invested in the characters, it it doesn’t serve the story.

And that’s when I pivoted. While I still love to shape light and move cameras around subjects, what really lights me up is telling a beautiful story. As an editor I have worn many hats; producer, script supervisor, director, sound designer, script writer, colorist, graphic designer, animator, the list goes on and on. Because the editor is the person who brings it all together, who brings it to life, and who sometimes, makes something out of nothing.