It takes a village to fully unleash your creativity. ELM Editor Rebecca McCutcheon credits her strong support system, the collaborative process of post production and her passion to never stop learning to help bring a fresh perspective to her work.
Rebecca first joined the ELM team as an intern in the summer of 2016. Back then, she was a rising senior at Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida. Her passion for creative conception and producing coupled with her unique set of skills gained from work on student films, propelled her right into our offices. She joined ELM full-time in 2017, and worked her way from assistant editor to a seasoned pro which is why we interviewed her to kick off our new series on the creative process.
When she is seeking to get her creative juices flowing, she brainstorms with other creatives or seeks support from her loved ones. If you hit a creative roadblock, Rebecca recommends turning to your support system, so “you have people around you who know you’re worth and talent, and will remind you of it.” She is at her most inspired when she sees what others have created, and thrives in ELM’s collaborative, supportive environment. The door swings both ways, as our team is constantly inspired by Rebecca’s creativity and she is quick to pass along important lessons along the way. For example, Rebecca wrote this blog post on the 180 rule axis a few years back and we’re pretty sure her perspective has been helping film students understand the concept ever since.
“As a kid I spent many hours scrapbooking, a hobby I credit to my passion for the post process. Scrapbooking exposed me to the magic of working with a range of materials that together, can create something not only beautiful, but tells a story.” Rebecca not only finds joy in pulling together documentary edits, but also immense satisfaction in taking on the daunting task of organizing all the different materials that are needed to make one. From the footage, the audio, graphics and specials effect to tackling the schedule, and managing the people who are necessary in creating a dynamic video. Rebecca loves chatting with the animators, troubleshooting with fellow editors, and watching the masterpiece slowly form, bit by bit. She says, “I am constantly learning from others and applying adjustments to my own workflow to guarantee I am always providing a high quality product and experience.”
Rebecca likes to “disassociate from work and clear my head by watching animated movies. A couple of my favorite include – The Book of Life, Home, A Bugs Life, and this traumatizing animated short that I will never be able to forget exists, Kiwi!”
Our team of brilliant creatives is what makes ELM so successful. Follow along for more features on how our employees tap into their creativity.
