Meghan Ellsworth — Hollywood Film Editing, Movie Trailers & Learning Your Craft From the Ground Up
An Avid Media Composer keyboard, the weapon of choice in Hollywood editing rooms. Photo: TMac. Used with permission.
Meghan Ellsworth ran one of the best Camera 2 tight-follow shots on a basketball court that TMac had ever seen, and she still couldn’t tell you who won the game. Today she’s a film editor in Los Angeles, cutting trailers, scripted television, and blockbuster films including entries in the Fast and Furious franchise.
In this episode Meghan traces her path from Hoover High School video production to Ashland University to grad school at Chapman, and breaks down what editing actually is: the final draft of the script, written entirely in the room with the footage you’re given.
Why It Matters
Meghan almost didn’t go to grad school. It took a lunch conversation and someone telling her flatly, “you have to do this,” to push her past the fence she was sitting on. Sometimes the difference between a stalled career and a real one is a mentor willing to say the obvious thing out loud. For anyone on the fence about taking the next step, that’s the lesson worth sitting with.
About This Guest
Meghan Ellsworth is a Los Angeles-based film editor working across movie trailers, scripted television, and feature films, including entries in the Fast and Furious franchise. She started in TMac’s video production program at Hoover High School, studied broadcast communications at Ashland University, briefly attended Loyola Marymount before financial realities brought her back to Ohio, and earned her MFA in film production with an emphasis in editing at Chapman University. She credits attitude, curiosity, and a willingness to ask questions she didn’t know the answers to as the things that carried her furthest in the industry.
Meghan’s Bonafides
“
You have to be personable, you have to communicate, you have to have a positive attitude. That really does go a long way in this industry. When I started out, I had no idea what I was doing. I was constantly asking questions. But what’s gotten me the farthest is being kind, knowing when I don’t know something, and asking.
”— MEGHAN ELLSWORTH, FILM EDITOR, LOS ANGELES, CAHear This Episode
Watch Here
Episode Timestamps
Your ZoomPod — Exit Ticket
After this episode, you'll know:
- Why attitude and willingness to ask questions matter more than already knowing the answer
- How editing functions as the true final draft of a film's script
- What the assistant editor role actually involves, and why it's the foundation every editor builds from
- Why having a mentor willing to push you past your own hesitation can change the entire trajectory of a career
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Meghan said yes to grad school because someone pushed her past her own hesitation. Same instinct applies behind any camera you’re afraid to pick up.
Stop Shooting From the Stands →BUILD NOTE: Full transcript pending paste-in from Buzzsprout.
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