Archive notice: This article was originally published on October 23, 2017. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
At the beginning of April, you completed your studies at the SAE Institute. Looking back, what was your course like?
On the one hand, I completed the SAE Diploma, the practical training in specialist fields such as camera, lighting, editing, sound, computer technology, storytelling, 3D and much more. On the other hand, the 24-month bachelor’s programme ran at the same time, in which we were able to acquire theoretical foundations: for example, business and legal topics such as copyright, marketing and business plans, as well as journalistic foundations for writing specialist articles or giving specialist presentations. In my opinion, this combination is brilliant for entering the profession well prepared. I invested a great deal of time and work in the course and tried to take the optimum from every area.
What benefited you most during your time at SAE?
The extensive practical experience I was able to gain. The SAE system works through constant user-oriented “learning by doing”, so that the theory learned is always applied. We were able to put many concepts into practice, such as commercials, music videos or feature films. With varied tasks and constant deadlines for project submissions, the course trains independent time management and a self-reliant way of working. In addition, preparing specialist articles and papers paved the way for advanced academic work.
What areas were you able to focus on during your training?
During the practical work, my fondness for editing quickly emerged as one of my strengths: I find it quite easy, it suits my abilities, and the technology fascinates me. Over time, I developed an increasingly better feel for how, where and why particular images should be cut together. But something else that gave me a great deal of pleasure, especially towards the end of the course, was screenwriting. Of course, the first screenplay drafts were not perfect and also needed improvement, but this area of filmmaking fascinated me so much that I wrote a complete screenplay for a sitcom I had developed myself as my bachelor’s thesis.
What is the sitcom project about?
In the final year of my studies, I shot the pilot for the self-developed TV series “FreiHaus” as my final production with a fellow student. It was primarily about the practical implementation of such a production process. I had written the screenplay with a colleague, although it still certainly had room for improvement. But I generally found the concept behind it appealing. So, as part of my bachelor’s thesis, I rolled out the project again, reset it and reworked the initial concept. The story revolves around five students with completely different personalities who meet in a shared flat (youtu.be/G0mUWSYHHVA). Accompanied by extensive theoretical foundations on screenwriting and sitcoms, I was then able to put an independent screenplay for the first episode of the series on paper as part of my bachelor’s thesis. Escaped pets, annoying neighbours, student silliness—the screenplay offers numerous points of connection for identifying with the characters and stories. As a next step, I now want to clarify whether the concept can be realised in some form.
Last year you told us that after graduating you wanted to gain experience as an editor in the industry. What has happened in that regard?
A lot. And above all, very quickly. At the end of my studies, I had planned to add a master’s degree in the media field. I had already picked out universities and degree programmes that I wanted to review after completing the SAE course. But in the penultimate week of classes, I learned that Disney had advertised a trainee position in the on-air area. I liked the job profile so much that I applied at short notice—and it worked out, which of course makes me incredibly happy. I have put my plans to do a university master’s degree on hold for now and am currently more than happy to be able to learn and work as a trainee in Disney’s on-air department.
From your personal experience, can you offer any tips on how to get a foot in the door of the film industry as an editor?
If someone had told me three years ago, “You’ll work at Disney one day,” I probably would have laughed and said, “Dream on!” At the time, I was still studying political science at a university. The course was genuinely interesting and I liked it too. But at some point I realised that it was not right for me. So alongside the lectures I began asking around, trying practical things and looking for where my real professional passion lay. This led to the opportunity to complete a broadcasting internship lasting several months alongside my studies, and I was also able to look at the SAE Institute in Munich. That quickly made it clear to me what I really wanted to do. After a lot of thought, I actually decided to study “Digital Filmmaking” in Munich. And in my view, precisely this step was decisive: simply having the courage to really do what your heart beats for. You should not compare as such, but I approached my studies at SAE with so much more commitment and enjoyment—I had never experienced that before or in this form. And once you have found your professional path, I can only recommend that everyone gain as much experience as possible in this area. At SAE, I had the chance to help with numerous productions by colleagues, repeatedly carried out smaller projects of my own on the side and, through university contacts, also found my way to animago, for example.
What are your duties as a trainee at Disney in Munich?
My main duties include editing trailers for Disney’s TV channels and social-media platforms. This includes both writing voice-over scripts and developing concepts. I have also been able to take on tasks in Adobe After Effects, Photoshop and Illustrator in the graphics area, contribute to trailers and gain my first impressions of the organisational workflow and audio area. Fortunately, however, I still have quite a few months ahead of me to develop further in the areas I have worked in so far and get to know new areas of the company.
Which experience from last year helped you this year in producing the animago trailers?
It was of course an advantage that I knew the structures and processes better this year. The editing procedure was similar again: while viewing the clips, I made notes about specific topics and content, which gave me a rough overview of the material available. In the next step, I integrated the music. I listen to this composition many times and, while doing so, develop stories and images in my head that I want to use at specific points in the trailer. I then edited the trailer with Adobe Premiere Pro CC.
About the author
Redakteurin der Digital Production
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- Mirja Fürst
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