I mean, obviously no one can take that credit away from me. That doesn’t just disappear.
But it was so nice while I was working on a semi-high-profile show, at a pretty high-profile level to be able to say the sentence, “I’m editor on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore,” when people asked what I did for a living.
There was this kind of built-in level of respect… Industry people who may necessarily give me the time of day otherwise would be more likely to because, “Oh, she’s legitimate.”
Even just, forget the industry! No matter where I went, people would think I was a legitimate TV person… At the mentorship program I participate in (where we mentor high school students)… Even at bars, or anywhere. It doesn’t matter.
I had a legitimate job, and that felt amazing.
And I totally understand that people should judge others based on what they do for a living. That doesn’t necessarily speak to their character. But I also understand that I live in a world where opportunities became more readily available to me once I was editing on a Jon Stewart produced show on Comedy Central.
Also, as has been mentioned a few times (and will be mentioned again a few times in the upcoming weeks, I’m sure…) this year was a pretty tough year for me in a few ways…
But whenever things were tough, I always had this one beautiful, spectacular thing to hold onto… That I was an editor on The Nightly Show. It gave me a sense of power as I walked down the street.
“Okay, I may be struggling with this or that. I may have cried this morning. But as I walk outside now, I get to hold my head high because I am a girl (in her 20s, even! – age doesn’t really matter, but that impresses people nonetheless) editing on The freaking Nightly Show. I’m doing my life pretty correctly. It is going pretty darn well…
And it’s a bummer that that’s gone – a bummer I will expand upon in a post coming up soon wondering, “What the heck happened this year?!”
It’s an adjustment in the freelance world- shows starting then ending. Changeover constantly in jobs. It takes a few years to get used to the fact that none of these gigs lasts forever and that you are just as likely as not to have to move on to a new job before you want to. Great experience you had and I’m sure you’re in for many more.
I’m so sorry I never got back to this! I was freelance before Nightly. So, it’s not that big of a deal at all. In fact, it’s the only way I ever knew how to work before this… Not being freelance was weird haha… But in this one specific place, where I still got about 10 weeks of planned hiatus each year, and I got to make a show I adored… it was lovely. Usually I like the freedom and adventure of freelance. But this job was pretty darn dope! 🙂 Anyway, thanks so much for commenting!
Editing a clip show does not make you an editor. It’s just clips, you’re not even being creative. Stop being so full of yourself.
I’m sorry if I’m coming across as full of myself. I looked up to (and learned from) people in our very building – not to mention other people around the industry as well…
There are so much more than clips on the Nightly Show. (After all, we had 4 editors!) The changing background that played behind YG’s performance? I was an editor on that. I helped edit one of our exceptionally edit-heavy “Super Depressing Deep Dives.” (Though, I’ll admit, another editor did the heavy lifting on that.) Also, sometimes I edited the show to time. That’s an exceptionally fun challenge (and pretty big job) because you’re helping decide what content goes and stays, and how you’re going to seamlessly hide those cuts – all in a short amount of time because you air that night!
And even within the clips themselves, there are little issues people don’t think about until you get in there – the original footage you have may have awkward broll bleeding in from the previous story that you need to fix. There’s also timing and picking the right soundbites for montages. Was it the absolute most creative job in the world? No. But did I get to do tons of creative problem solving and feel amazing about myself everyday? For sure, yes.
Feel free to let me know what you do for a living, by the way, to be able to come from such a place of judgement as to say that editing on a daily variety show isn’t creative.
Thanks, and have a great day!
The fact that you consider yourself a “big time tv person” is such a joke. I don’t see academy award winners or Emmy winners running around saying they are “big time” tv editors. You cut on a variety show that was on basic cable and couldn’t even stay on the air. That’s not big time, sorry to tell you that. I used to enjoy your blog because your story was inspirational and you seemed like a goo down to earth person at one point. But once you “made it” (which you didn’t) all you did was brag about something which isn’t even something to be proud of. I have been involved in big budget features, award winning television shows, and even documentaries that inspired change in the world, yet I don’t go around saying I am “big time” like an amateur such as you. Learn to be humble because trust me when I say this, and this comes from someone that does a lot of hiring in the industry, people HATE those like you that brag about their jobs and see themselves as more than they really are.
Hey again anonymous, I’m sorry that’s how my blog comes across to you. I have used “big-time” as a modifier since, I think, at least my first assistant editor job – which was somewhere around 5 years ago – long before I worked on The Nightly Show. “Big time” is said with an air of silliness and love, and I use it to modify TONS of people I work with. In fact, I think I have probably called every editor friend of mine a “big-time” editor… Just kind of as a loving term of endearment, I suppose… But I’m sorry the silliness and positivity and inclusiveness of it doesn’t come across in print.
Your comments seemed a little harsh toward the show I worked on, but I will forever and ever, for the rest of my life, be immensely proud to be a part of the shows we put out. I don’t care about our ratings, or if we got awards. (I mean, of course those things would’ve been spectacular – especially if they would’ve allowed me to keep my job :-)). But ultimately, I feel great about the fact that we made really quality television, and started important conversations.
My writing is never meant to come across as bragging. The way I see my life/my work on the show this year, is that I am in still in disbelief that I actually was lucky enough to work with such immensely talented people for the best professional year of my life. So, the fact that it comes across as anything except me being the most thankful and grateful person on Earth for getting the opportunity to live in a dream… that makes me sad. ‘Cause that’s pretty much all I have been trying to say about The Nightly Show.
To the point about me “making it,” I don’t think I see “making it” as so black and white. I’m proud that I’ve made my living in the entertainment industry for the past however many years. I’m proud that I work a lot. I’m proud that I got to do The Nightly Show. But I don’t think there’s some magical bar of having “made it.” It’s such an ever-changing thing, and there are always new heights to reach…
I think probably even the people who have “made it” (by most standards) have their own doubts sometimes. And I ceeeeeeertainly don’t think I’m in their league.
So, I’m sorry my post seemed to upset you and that it didn’t come across to you the way in which I meant it.
Thank you for reading my blog and commenting. I wish you had left your name so I could’ve checked out all the great work it sounds like you’ve done. If you’d like to continue this conversation, I’m in LA all the time if you want to have coffee – with the hope of this all being a friendly misunderstanding that can be cleared up and laughed about. (Or you’re welcome to continue to comment here anonymously… Or you’re also welcome to of course stop the conversation anytime you’d like.)
Either way, thanks for opening my eyes to the fact that it’s possible I may not be coming across in the way I wish, so I can potentially try to think about my words more in the future so they accurately reflect how I feel.
Have a wonderful day!