I’m A Part Of That! (Re: My Job at The Nightly Show)

March 13, 2016

Aurora's first editor credit
That’s my name in the credits! 🙂

Yesterday, my post ended with how proud I am to work on the show I do.

The Nightly Show says a lot of stuff that I think needs to be said.

We’ve done a couple of pieces on Hillary Clinton and the way the media treats her vs. the male candidates. (I even edited a montage of Chris Matthews yelling, and some male republican candidates yelling, that was helpful in showing hypocrisy about the way her voice was talked about.)

And I am honored that I get to be a part of that (of saying real and important things in a funny way that makes people listen) – and not just any part. Like, a biiig tangible part!

I didn’t even necessarily think I wanted to be an editor when I started on the show. (Big, huge, humongous props to my boss for allowing me to kind of find my way and go from not super being on the editor track to that being what I wanted to do. Have I mentioned she’s one of the greatest people I’ve ever met?)

I love producing. And I like to feel like I’m part of the action. And I love to work with people.

To me, (at least in reality TV, which is where I was before), sometimes editing doesn’t super feel like part of the action, because you’re alone in your bay working on the final product – some days you could not even see another human being.

There’s of course still tons of creativity, and you do still have people you work with. But I didn’t know if staring at a screen alone all day was really the way to go for me…

But working as an editor on The Nightly Show is different than any other editing gig I’ve ever seen.

I get to work with practically everyone here! The graphics department comes in to ask for freezes. Producers come in to watch down montages and things that have been asked for. I talk to the control room as I send them rolls.

I even export things for the legal team to watch, so I get to kind of understand more of that side as well.

I’m also literally watching the script be written and re-written by the writers all morning (as I can see it in real time on the computer, as I’m editing the rolls the writers need).

I get to work with practically every department in the building. I get to really see how the show gets made, and how it changes throughout the day. I like such a huge part of the show, and I love it!

I also love that when I watch the taping, I get to see, “Hey, I made that montage!” Obviously, it’s a huge team effort with writers and producers and me. But to see something go from my hands to the television – and to hear the audience laugh… It feels sooooo good.

Every single person in the building matters a ton. And in all my other jobs before this one, I always knew I was part of a show.

But it feels different to me to not just know it, and know how you helped it come to be, but to see tangibly, with immediacy, something that you made put on television. It’s just an incredible feeling.

And I love it. I just adore it.

I'd love to hear from you! So whaddya say?