From the viewer’s perspective, T.V. shows and movies appear seamless. Smooth transitions, perfectly timed music and clear chronology to tell the story. Everything lines up precisely. People often forget about the behind-the-scenes work that leads to the finished product they are viewing. From start to finish, it requires months of writing, filming, and, of course, editing. One of NDB’s very own alumni, Nicole Conrad ‘92, works behind the scenes every day to make this happen. As a freelance Hollywood editor for shows like “Project Runway,” her job is to turn hours of raw footage into the polished shows people can watch with a click of a button. Conrad shares her journey, struggles, successes and advice.
During her time as a Green Gator at NDB, Conrad followed her interests, which ultimately led her on the path to editing. “My favorite class was musical theater. … It actually formed a lot of my interest in editing. I was in the music business before I became an editor, so that class, in particular, really shaped me,” Conrad said.
Her journey truly began after high school. After moving to New York City, a whirlwind of events led her back to California, where she eventually became an editor.
“So after I graduated…I decided I wanted to be in the music business and moved to New York City. I was doing music there for about six years, and I had worked for the manager of Britney Spears and some other well-known artists. Just when an artist was about to release their album that I had worked on with her, I ended up getting laid off. So that led me to…Los Angeles, because I still wanted to do something within the entertainment business. … I got a job as an assistant at the toy company Mattel, and then I started taking night classes to try to figure out what on earth I was going to do in the entertainment business…and that led me to discover editing. … When I took a class that talked about editing, it just absolutely clicked in my mind that it was something that would go perfectly with my skill set. So after three years of going to school and working full-time, I decided to take the leap, quit my full-time job, and pursue a career as an editor,” Conrad said.
Editing is not a simple job. It requires a specific skillset: creativity, patience, organization, and persistence. “I face challenges every single day. Because that’s actually the nature of editing, is overcoming challenges that you don’t have control over. For example, if one of the camera operators was not able to get an angle we need in order to tell the best story, I have to figure out creative ways in order to tell the story without it looking sloppy. … My job as an editor is to be a problem solver… It’s a challenge every day. Editing takes a lot of patience,” she shared.
Nicole Conrad also has advice for not just aspiring editors, but anyone thinking about their journey after high school.
“For me, my philosophy has always been, don’t wait for life to happen to you. Make it happen to yourself. And that applies so much to anything in the arts, in any career, and for me, it definitely was the case with editing.… You have to recognize your strengths if you want to excel. … If you can pinpoint what your strengths are, you’re going to have an easier time convincing others you deserve a chance,” Conrad said.
In any TV show or movie, the main focus is on the actors. However, there is an incredible cast behind the scenes as well. Editors, photographers, directors, writers. The work done by these crew members often goes unnoticed. When watching a favorite show, it is important to look beyond the flawless finished product and also think about the magic behind the screen: the people who make it happen.
