Edit girls career story - Stephanie Filo - Editor
An interview with editor Stephanie Filo, as part of a collection of career stories for Edit Girls, a platform championing women in post production. 'Meet Stephanie Filo, an editor with an impressive eye for comedic timing. Starting as a night assistant editor, and now to editing the comedy ‘A Black Lady Sketch Show’ on HBO, her career story is certainly an impressive one!'
Tell us about your job role and the kinds of projects you work on;
I'm a video editor, which basically means I take all of the footage that was shot for a specific project, and put it together including music, sound, sometimes VFX, to tell the finished story. I work primarily in television and in the social impact campaign sector, but I also try to expand into other realms such as indie features or whatever else I can get my hands on to try to keep my palette fresh.
What does an average day look like in your post-production working world?
On a typical day, I will begin by watching through the footage/dailies either from filming the day before or sometimes prior to the edit starting. From there, I usually create a sequence where I will pull all of my selects from the footage - my favorite takes or moments, best reaction shots, best improv/ad-libs if it applies, or if it is unscripted, sometimes important interview bites that I know I want to work into the story or create a moment out of. At this point, then I will start to think of music that might be helpful (even if it's just temp, it is good to find the tone that you're going for so that you can pace it out). Sometimes I'll make playlists in that tone so I can listen in the background and get into the headspace I'm after. I am also obsessive about sound so I will usually try to think through what sound design elements I might need in order to also enhance that story. If it's a more serious piece, the sound design might feel more grounded, but if it's horror or comedy a lot of times you are using sound design to emphasize moments or add a little extra something to make them pop or make the moments land. Then, I start cutting the piece together. For me, I find that brainstorming about all of these things ahead of time makes it feel it a little less daunting when you get started on an empty timeline.
How did your career in post-production begin?
When I was in middle school, I saw the movie Se7en and developed an obsession with its opening title sequence - I think I was fascinated by how someone could tell a story visually like that and started shooting things on our home camera and splicing VHS tapes together (the whole time, not realizing that editing was even a career path I could take). When I eventually moved out to LA hoping to get involved in Film and TV I didn't know anybody and just started knocking on every door I could find. Eventually, I landed a job as a night assistant editor on a documentary, and realized 'Hey! this is kind of like what I used to do in middle school/high school!' I fell in love with the process, the storytelling, and the collaborative nature of it, and just pushed myself to network and hustle for more post work. I got a job at Fancy Film (a post house) and from there I worked my way up and have been editing as a freelancer ever since.
Tell us about a career highlight;
I would say that one of the most amazing moments of my life was winning an Emmy for my editing on a news documentary, "Separated", about ICE Deportations. I've spent a good portion of my career making social impact documentaries and campaigns on the side, and to have that work transition into a more prominent space than just a "side hustle" was amazing. Being a first-gen, it felt extra special being recognized for my storytelling on this particular subject, as it's a topic I am so passionate about, and feeling like it had gotten through to others and hopefully opened some people's eyes was a feeling that I can't compare to anything else.
Working on 'A Black Lady Sketch Show' with an all-women and nonbinary post team and an all-WOC editing team was also an experience unlike any other. The post-world is predominantly male and white, and to come into a space that felt so understanding, supportive, and welcoming was incredible. Having that safe space made collaborating so much more fun because it felt like we all just 'got' each other. It's indescribable to work in a space where you just feel heard.
Tell us about a pivotal moment in your career;
This industry has a tendency to pigeonhole people - especially women - and a really pivotal moment for me was when I realized that we are capable of breaking out of being pigeonholed, we just have to be very intentional about how we position ourselves. I had a few years early on where I almost exclusively edited True Crime Documentaries - partially because those jobs kept getting offered to me so of course, I took them. The more I worked on them, the more offers in that genre I kept getting and it was starting to take a toll on me because of working on such heavy content exclusively without breaking it up a little bit from time to time. So, I started to really hustle to reconnect with people and build a new network. I adjusted my resume so my non-true crime doc projects were more visible, and pretty much told everyone I could that I was trying to explore different genres, and the different styles I was trying to visit. I still got True Crime doc offers but I turned the work down as much as possible and did as many small projects as I could to make ends meet in the meantime and also diversify my resume a little bit. Eventually, I landed a job in a completely different genre and I was so relieved I could spread my wings elsewhere for a little while. After that project went well, it gave me the opportunity to find work in more different styles. Ever since then, I try to make it a point to bounce around to a variety of genres as often as possible. Of course, we all have to pay the bills while we are doing this so it is not always easy, but it was definitely pivotal for me to realize it is possible to break out of feeling "stuck" in one particular style.
Which women in post do you admire?
There are so many! The entire Black Lady Sketch Show post team is simply amazing. Elisabet Ronaldsdottir is an incredible person and editor and I'm always inspired when I see her work. Joi McMillon's body of work is absolutely beautiful. Carla Guttierez is a super-talented documentary editor whose career I've been watching for 15 years. Maura Corey is another amazing female editor whose career path has inspired me and who has been a huge support system for me. I could honestly go on for ages!
Favourite piece of work?
Most recently, Courtroom Kiki pt. 2 (the Black Lady Courtroom sketch) and The Last Supp-Her are two of my favorite A Black Lady Sketch Show sketches I got to work on because they're both just so fun and dynamic. The documentary 'Separated' has a moment that interviews children whose father has been deported - I am proud of this sequence because it had to be approached so sensitively, and after a lot of discussions and back and forth, reworking the scene and thinking through it, I think I was able to tell the story while also protecting these children and their safety. The show that I am currently working on has one of my favorite scenes I have ever cut, but I can't tell you about it yet so stay tuned!
What advice do you have for other women wanting to start a career in post?
Persistence is key! The more you work in this industry - even if it's small projects to start - the more you learn and grow. Don't be afraid to reach out to people whose work you admire, or try for all of the opportunities you see, even if you feel imposter syndrome (we all feel this!) Build a network of women around you - post tends to be very male-driven and it is great to have other women in the field to talk to, share experiences with, and work with.
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