Making the Jump From Assistant Editor to Editor

About Episode

Making the transition from assistant to editor is never an easy one. There isn’t a roadmap that everyone can follow, everyone’s path is different. In today’s episode I chat with Minority Report editor Tyler Cook about the steps we believe are important for assistants to follow if they want to sit in the editor’s chair someday. This conversation applies to scripted, documentary, reality, marketing, you name it. This is not about technology, it’s about what it takes to get noticed.

Although he’s relatively young, Tyler’s success did not happen overnight. Tyler worked hard as a college student at the North Carolina School of the Arts, a small conservatory for the arts at the University of North Carolina, then transitioned to assisting on indie features and eventually made his way to scripted television.

I spoke with Tyler about his career path and how he was able to move through the ranks of intern, assistant editor and editor so quickly. Not only does he talk about essential skills an assistant editor needs to make it as an editor, but also how important it is to have a positive work ethic.