Episode Details

Yvette M. Amirian, ACE is an award-nominated film and television editor who’s recent credits include Animal Planet’s Whale Wars, John Singleton’s L.A. Burning: The Riots 25 Years Later, and most recently the scripted feature for critically acclaimed filmmaker Robert Machoian, The Integrity of Joseph Chambers. She's spent most of her career bouncing back and forth between editing scripted and unscripted documentary content, a feat that is coveted by many editors and creatives. (And in case you missed it, my conversation with Stephanie Filo is another shining example of someone who balances the unscripted and scripted worlds very successfully).

No one wants to be pigeonholed, whether you are an editor, an actor, a writer, a director or any other creative professional. Many of us would love the opportunity to stretch our creative muscles and jump across genres and formats with ease. But how many of us really understand what it takes to be able to do so? How many of us know the different challenges that arise and different skills that are needed in each discipline? How many of us assume that since we are good storytellers that should automatically make us good at whatever genre or format we want to work in?

Yes, being a good storyteller and good at your craft is an essential piece of the puzzle. But it's just one small piece. And as Yvette tells us in this conversation, each discipline has its own language and you need to learn the vocabulary before you can be fluent in speaking it. If you are someone who has been trying to make a career transition or wanting to diversify your experience and grow your creative skills, this conversation is what you've been waiting for…especially if you’re terrified that it can’t be done if you’re also raising a family (Spoiler alert: It can totally be done!).

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Here's What You'll Learn:

• How Yvette has been able to switch between unscripted and scripted editing
• Telling your story so that people see how your skills are transferable
• The power of saying no to the wrong projects
• What to do when your intuition and logic disagree
• KEY TAKEAWAY: A fulfilling life comes from solving problems you enjoy solving
• What it takes to be able to bounce back and forth between scripted and unscripted
• The key differences between the two editing worlds
• How Yvette proved she was the right person to edit her latest film that went to Tribeca Film Festival
• Navigating parenting while editing
• Agents and publicists: What they will and won’t do for you and your career
• Important questions to ask at every job interview
• KEY TAKEAWAY: Know your list of non-negotiables for every project you take

Useful Resources Mentioned:

Panel with me, Yvette, & Dan Lebental moderated by Norman Hollyn:

Tackling New Projects - Part 1 of 2 - YouTube 

Tackling New Projects - Part 2 of 2 - YouTube

Yvette's Web Page

Yvette’s Facebook Page

Yvette’s IMDB Page