2020 in review; Cabin cuts to the chase

In a year that's seen the lack of diversity in the advertising industry highlighted, what are your thoughts about how it has tackled/is tackling gender diversity?

TW: I feel like gender diversity is much less of a big issue in advertising, both in post and on agency side. Most of the projects I get to be involved with are led by female producers, art directors, copywriters, directors, and EPs. In the room/video chat, I'm very aware of the balance. I feel like there have been intentional steps put in place over the last few years with campaigns from big brands that aim to bring on teams of women. I'm glad that it wasn't a fad and that it's stuck around to continue to be a permanent change in the industry. Plus, ladies run in packs, so you hire one and she's going to bring her girl friends along for the ride.

I also often hear how nice it is to have a female editor onboard. I find it interesting that no one ever says [that about] a male editor.

EB: I’ll only speak on the matter from an editor’s point of view. I’ve seen teams take an active stance on not only including female members but members of color as well.  I think that’s good. I also often hear how nice it is to have a female editor onboard. I find it interesting that no one ever says [that about] a male editor. I guess I don’t see the point in mentioning my sex in combination with my professional role. If the project is very related to women, and stories about women, I can see that it’s nice to have a female editor and to mention that, but I do think it’s weird in other contexts. The work and craft of editing should always speak for itself I think, not the sex of the editor.

DB: Hiring-wise, I feel initially there was more noise than action; but now companies are, finally, actively supporting diversity hires, and the doors are being opened to talents who would have been ignored previously. In terms of advertisements specifically tackling the issue, there have been varying degrees of success. It's a fine line between supporting and pandering, both of which have been present.

Above, from left: Cabin's Taylor Walsh, Emma Backman and Debbie Berman.

What barriers - if any - did you face when you were making your way into the industry, and are those same barriers still an issue?

TW: Most of the barriers I faced when starting out were ones that I put up for myself. Lack of confidence, not knowing when to push forward, self-doubt. I genuinely feel like every editor, or person in a creative role, goes through this. It's difficult to invest yourself in a project and then be able to come out of it knowing if you're any better than when you started. It takes a lot of stepping back, re-evaluating who you are/where you are, asking trusted colleagues for their outside opinion. All in all... yes those are all still barriers in some capacity, but I'm much more aware of it now than I was when starting out.

It's difficult to invest yourself in a project and then be able to come out of it knowing if you're any better than when you started.

EB: To be honest, I was quite young and naive, which is a good thing in the beginning, since you have to work super-hard to get recognition. I just kept going. I rarely shifted focus to see obstacles at all. I never thought of myself as a 'female editor' in the sense of that being an obstacle, or making any difference. The only thing I was in conflict about in the beginning were the politics around bigger projects, and trust. Like, if you don’t have a car ad on your reel you’ll probably not get the car job. Once you get the car job, you get a lot of them. Nowadays, most editors have agents, even new talent editors. That’s great because an agent (if you have a good one) will know what you are ready for and they can vouch for you being the person for the job better than you can on your own.

DB: As an immigrant, it’s certainly an industry of ‘who you know’, and not having any homegrown relationships can certainly be a challenge. As a film editor trying to break into the commercials industry, I find that there is a trepidation as to whether those skills can translate to a shorter form. There is also the constant fear of hiring someone who has not previously worked on the exact product and style of proposed commercial. While I am cognisant of financial calculations erring towards proven success, in truth we are all storytellers and it transcends genres. Quite simply, some fresh eyes on an old take from a skilled hand can only be a good thing. 

Above: The Sam Ostrove edited Heartbeats film.

What changes to promote inclusivity need to be introduced to help make this issue a thing of the past? 

TW: I think an area of improvement should be focused on highlighting BIPOC and LGBTQ+ professionals. I'm still learning and educating myself, but I think the imbalance of race and orientation in the post world is a very important topic. To not only bring someone on for a project to physically be a presence, but also listen to their ideas and experiences, provide space for them to contribute, and give them credit. I see many companies already pledging to do this, which is a step in the right direction, but I'm excited to be on more projects in the future where I see the pledge being fulfilled.

I'm still learning and educating myself, but I think the imbalance of race and orientation in the post world is a very important topic.

EB: This is a really hard question and I don’t think has simply one answer. When you grow as an artist you understand that there are so many styles and mediums in the industry. They only thing I can say would be to keep things authentic and genuine, and keep having conversations. 

From an editing perspective, what work have you seen over the course of this year that has stood out?

TW: Oh my... well, The Last Dance was beautiful. There was an Art of the Cut interview with the four editors and they broke down their process over the last couple years of working on it. It's just mind boggling how truncated the timeline became once Covid-19 hit the country, and these guys kept up with all of the footage to deliver us needy plebs the sporty goodness we were craving. 

EB: Sam Ostrove’s USGA, directed by Rohan Blair-Mangat, was really great. As usual from Sam it is very rhythmical and precise. Also, Sam’s Amason x Dante, Heartbeats [above], directed by Marcus Ibanez, makes me cry every time and I’ve probably seen it 10 times now. Volvo The Parents, directed by Niclas Larsson and cut by Carla Luffe at Trim was really strong for me. Great balance of storytelling, rhythm and comedic timing. And The New York Times' Life Needs Truth [below], cut by Tom Lindsay at Trim and directed by Kim Gehrig, is really exceptional for me as well. The craft in that is through the roof.

DB: I love the Hyundai commercial [I'm in Charge] that Amber Grace Johnson directed and Emma Backman edited. Visually breathtaking, and powerful.

Above: Tim Lindsay edited Kim Gehrig's New York Times spot.

What three words would you use to describe the key attributes someone needs to be a good editor?

TW: There are so many traits needed to be a good editor but, as Jon Favreau said in a Mandalorian round table discussion, you need to be able to adapt, collaborate and see obstacles as challenges. I couldn't agree more. 

EB: Curious, creative, precise. 

DB: Obsessive. Slightly-mad. Storyteller. 

It's Christmas; there's been a deluge of festive commercials but which has been your favourite?

TW: I prefer not to answer. I'm embarrassed that I enjoy the annual Old Navy Christmas pajama commercials. 

EB: Too early to tell, but I am excited to see Google’s Year in Search campaign this year. They have historically been great, and this year has been something special.

DB: I love the Taika Waititi directed Coca-Cola commercial that Chan Hatcher edited. It's unexpected, and with surprising heart.