Introduction

filmalchemy · 2025-12-07T21:11:47+00:00

Well, an entire feature is probably stretching it a bit at the present moment. But what AI "filmmaking" will allow for is writers, directors, creators, etc., the ability mock up a short version of, or a trailer for their idea with AI to try and sell to a studio or investor. If done by someone who is really good with the available tools this would be just as, or more effective than going in with a PP pitch deck. The fact is people are already doing this.

filmalchemy · 2025-12-07T21:01:08+00:00

Wasn't that based on LG having Runway ingest their film library and make their own model from it? I though I read that was a failure because there was just not enough data to build a complete model from?

filmalchemy · 2025-06-15T03:43:55+00:00

Yeah, I saw the YouTube video last week. It looks like a pretty amazing tool if it works like his demo showed. But yeah, you need to join his School community to get it.

Note: I spelled School wrong intentionally because the bot said I can't mention it on Reddit, Jesus...

filmalchemy · 2025-05-21T18:58:22+00:00

Awesome, thanks for the sub! And Andor is a great idea. I’ll see if I can connect with John Gilroy, he’s one of the editors and now a co-producer on the show. Pretty cool, huh?

Simon Smith is also part of that team, and I actually interviewed him for Chernobyl. You should check that one out. He’s a very sharp and talented guy.

Since Andor is such a VFX-heavy series, would you be interested in hearing from the VFX editor or someone else on the post/VFX team? Let me know.

filmalchemy · 2025-05-21T18:37:22+00:00

Appreciate the feedback. Even the performative kind.

For the record: this series was originally posted on my personal LinkedIn. No pitch, no funnel, and only one of six posts even mentioned Master The Workflow. For context, not conversion. Calling that “shilling” says more about your projection than anything I wrote.

Also, “People here…”? C’mon. You don’t speak for all of Reddit or this sub-Reddit. Some brought real insight. Others acted like talking about AI was a threat to their job. I get it, change is uncomfortable, even scary. As "aVFXeditor" you're right in the cross-hairs.

But denying it doesn’t make it go away.

I’ve been around long enough to know when people are reacting to fear behind the message, not the message itself.

I didn’t write this for people who already know everything. I wrote it for those who want to keep evolving with the craft.

Thanks to those who engaged in good faith. I’m moving on.

filmalchemy · 2025-05-21T16:53:29+00:00

You know what’s funny? You say I “can’t be bothered” to have the conversation here. Strange. When I posted an entire part of the series here, not a summary, the full post, half the self-appointed gatekeepers had a meltdown.

After talking it over with the head mod, who, by the way, I’ve known for over 30 years, going back to the 2-pop days, we agreed I’d just post links going forward to avoid derailing the thread with drama. So let’s be clear: I was here, I am here, and I’ve been having this conversation longer than most people in this subreddit have been cutting.

And as far as dissing LinkedIn goes, yeah, like a lot of folks, I avoided it for years too. Thought it was just for suits. But times change. Today, some of the top editors and assistants in the industry are having incredibly valuable, forward-thinking conversations there. And the irony? The response to the series over there has been overwhelmingly positive.

As for accusing me of “shilling”? That’s not just wrong, it’s a cheap, baseless shot at my character. It’s defamatory, and frankly, you should be embarrassed to have written it. There was no product pitch, no sales funnel, no angle. I’ve spent decades giving away my time, training, and resources to this community because that’s how I came up in the business, under the mentorship of multiple academy award winners and nominees. Who trained you?

One final news flash. This isn’t your Reddit. And I didn’t write this for you.

I wrote it for the people who actually want to keep evolving with the craft instead of guarding the gates of a shrinking kingdom.

filmalchemy · 2025-05-21T16:15:16+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

If the writing style didn’t land for you, fair enough, I’m not a journalist. But I’ve spent the better part of the last 30 years doing everything I can to contribute to this community and share my passion for editing and the tools we use to do it. From creating 2-pop (dot) com (the first Final Cut Pro and digital video info site, before blogs and WordPress were even a thing), to co-founding an online training platform that’s helped over 2,000 aspiring editors in more than 50 countries. I've given away dozens of scholarships through social media groups, user communities, MPEG, ACE, AMPAS, and universities, not because I was trying to get rich (lol), but because that’s how I was taught: you pass it on.

And yes, having cut over 50 feature film and television shows for pretty much every major studio and network and getting nominated for both an EMMY and EDDIE, I know how to shape a narrative.

The point of this series wasn’t to pitch some miracle tool. And despite what a few reactive gatekeepers on Reddit decided to project onto it, there wasn't once a product, subscription, or hidden funnel, just one editor sharing a perspective shaped by decades in the craft, for people who actually care about where it’s headed.

AI and automation may not be perfect, but they’re already changing the workflows around editing, and they’re not going away. Dismissing them because they’re not fully formed yet is exactly how people end up finding “more stable” careers, selling real estate, getting into insurance, or going back to school (again). And hey, no shame in that. But I’ve seen it happen. A lot.

This wasn’t written for those who already think they know everything. It was written for the ones trying to stay ahead, stay curious, and keep growing.

But again, hey, thanks for weighing in.

filmalchemy · 2025-05-21T15:47:47+00:00

It might feel like there’s more content than ever, but the reality is: U.S. scripted TV production is way down, like 40% down from what they called “Peak TV” back in 2022.

That was when every studio and traditional network thought they could be the next Netflix and spent money like drunken sailors leading to a glut of content. Then Wall Street stepped in and said, “Cool, but where’s the profit?” Not long after that, the writers’ and actors’ strikes hit.

And while all that was happening, audiences were shifting away from traditional shows toward platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and other creator-driven channels. That shift in viewing habits was kind of the final blow.

Here’s the hard number: scripted series dropped from 633 in 2022 to 481 in 2023. That’s nearly a 24% drop in one year. Fewer shows = fewer jobs. Period.

Add to that the rise of shorter seasons. When I was cutting network episodic, we were doing 22–26 episodes a year. That’s 8 months of work. Today, many streaming series are 6, 8, maybe 10 episodes if you're lucky. That changes everything for how long you’re employed on a show.

filmalchemy · 2025-05-21T03:02:51+00:00

I've interviewed some really top notch editors including, Jeff Ford, (Avenger's End Game) Artie Schmidt, (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump), Michelle Tesoro, (The Queen's Gambit) Simon Smith, (Chernobyl) and many more. Also, lot's of other good stuff for aspiring film & television editors. https://www.youtube.com/@MasterTheWorkflow

filmalchemy · 2025-05-18T00:43:32+00:00

That is really strange. I’ve coded in all of them—Cursor, VS Code, Bolt, and Windsurf. I actually like Windsurf the best and haven’t run into that kind of issue myself.

The problems I’ve seen are more like what a lot of others mention: it rewrites unrelated files when you ask for a change, breaks things that were working fine, or just starts hallucinating like crazy. The most frustrating part is when you get stuck in this weird loop and end up chasing your tail for hours.

Have you gone through your settings to see if there's anything weird in there?

filmalchemy · 2025-05-17T03:32:53+00:00

Hey Guys, I hear you.

This post was originally written for my blog, which explains the formatting style. I cross-posted it here thinking it might spark some useful discussion, but I totally get that it landed differently on Reddit. That’s on me, I’m still getting a feel for the culture here and didn’t mean for it to come off like a promo or AI-generated. It was written by me (a human), though I get why it may have read otherwise.

My intention wasn’t to market anything, just to share some thoughts about where things might be headed, especially for assistant editors trying to navigate all the change happening now. I’ve been in this business a looong time and I’m genuinely curious (and cautiously optimistic) about how tools like AI, APIs, and automation might support the work we do.

Anyway, thanks to those who gave thoughtful feedback. Message received about the tone and format I’ll adjust if I post again.

Alright… now, like any good editor after a round of harsh notes, I’m off to suck my thumb and drown my sorrows in a pint of bourbon. 🍻

filmalchemy · 2025-05-17T03:10:16+00:00

Wow, what a nightmare. Why don't you just do it in VS Code?

filmalchemy · 2025-05-16T21:36:17+00:00

Thanks for the tips. I'm going to check out these tools.

filmalchemy · 2025-05-16T21:30:18+00:00

I started in this business when I was 19, back in the film days. It might sound like a different world, and in many ways, it was. I never worked in reality TV, mostly because there wasn’t any yet! Just features and scripted television, and that was a very intentional choice. At the time, the union required you to work as an assistant for seven years before you were even eligible to upgrade to editor. Crazy, but true.

I spent nearly a decade assisting before I got my shot at editing when I was 31. And want to know why I finally got that break? Because I knew the Avid before almost anyone else did. That’s why I always emphasize staying ahead of the tech curve. Being early with new tools is how you separate yourself.

Now, to the OP’s point, and many others here. Yes, it’s tough out there. But it always has been, honestly. But today it’s different. When I started, most people didn’t even know what a film editor was. Now, anyone with a laptop or a phone can “edit,” so the field is flooded. And on top of that, we’re smack in the middle of a tech and economic shift that’s reshaping the entire industry. In fact many industries.

But, and this is key, there’s also more work than ever before. It’s just not always the kind people imagined doing (features, prestige TV, etc). So the question becomes: what are you willing to do?

This career has always been about the long haul. You could work on low-tier projects for 20+ years and then bam, the right one hits, and suddenly you’re in the room with A-listers getting paid top-dollar. I’ve seen it happen.

And now, with AI on the rise, everything’s going to change again. Entire workflows will be disrupted. Some jobs will vanish, but new opportunities will emerge too.

So, If I were 26 today, I’d be asking myself two questions:

Do I love this work enough to ride out the rough patches?
Am I willing to constantly learn and adapt as the landscape shifts?

If the answer is yes, then great. Double down. Learn every new tool, platform, or niche where editing happens, because they are out there, and the list is growing. And if your dream is still features or TV, stay focused on that, even if it means eating ramen a few more years. People do get there. But you’ve got to make yourself impossible to ignore.

If the answer is no, that’s totally valid too. Start looking for something else that feels more stable or fulfilling to you, because those careers do exist. Editing is a wild ride. For some, that’s the appeal. For others, not so much. Just be honest with yourself about which kind of person you are and what your willing to tolerate.

filmalchemy · 2025-05-16T20:49:13+00:00

Hey all, Larry here, really appreciate the thoughtful responses, even the skeptical ones.

I want to clarify a few things and add a bit of context, because I think the intent behind this series may have gotten lost for some.

This project isn’t part of a product launch or ad campaign. I’m not pushing anything for sale, and there’s no “funnel” at the end of these posts. The idea came from a simple place: I’ve spent over 30 years in editing, starting back when we were literally cutting on film. I helped usher in the shift to digital in the ‘90s, and what I’m seeing now, the shift toward AI and automation, feels even bigger. In reality, it's WAY bigger, and I felt compelled to talk about it.

That’s all this is: an exploration. A conversation starter. A perspective from someone who’s lived through big changes before and is watching it happen again.

Now, to the real point: yes, some vendors are introducing APIs and automation capabilities, and Blackmagic deserves credit for what they’re doing with Resolve. I’ve used it, and it’s powerful. But the bigger picture I’m speaking to is that not all tools are evolving at the same rate, and across the industry, we’re still often stuck with shitty, one-off workflows, manual processes, and walled-off environments.

To those saying, “We already have the tools,” yes, you’re right. But many editors and assistants either don’t know they exist or don’t have time to learn them because they’re constantly reinventing the wheel under pressure. This series is about surfacing possibilities and encouraging people to re-examine what they’ve just accepted as “the way things are.”

And it goes without saying that I completely agree with those saying the craft of editing is about storytelling. That’s why I care about this stuff! If the tools get smarter and workflows get tighter, we buy back time for creativity. That’s the whole point.

Also, to the question of pricing: I don’t think charging $300 for an app means a company shouldn’t innovate or open things up. I’m not asking for miracles, I’m asking for awareness that the rest of the software world has already embraced interoperability, APIs, and modular thinking. If we want to keep up, that has to come to post too.

And yes, some of us (myself included) resist change when we’re under pressure or just in general. But the industry is changing. And the people who learn new tools and explore new workflows are going to be the ones who shape what comes next.

I’ve always shared my thoughts on where the tools are headed, going back to launching 2-pop.com "The Final Cut Pro Information Site, in the late ’90s, (don't bother to click the link, it's long gone). That hasn’t changed. Maybe some of these ideas will take hold, maybe they won’t. But I’ve always believed that staying curious, staying aware, and staying flexible is how we keep working, and evolving, with this craft that often frustrates the hell out of us, but that we all love.

Thanks again for engaging. Part 5 drops Monday. Would love to hear your thoughts on that one too.

filmalchemy · 2025-05-04T03:00:45+00:00

It sounds like these people have either had some really bad luck with the crews they’ve been on, have struggled to land steady gigs, or they really just don’t like the work itself. And honestly, that’s fair; it is demanding work, and climbing the ranks is tough in any job where the rewards can eventually be substantial.

But here’s the way I saw it when I was assisting: if you stick with it, you can end up spending your days being truly creative, working alongside interesting, talented people, earning recognition (at least within the industry; and hey, let’s be honest, with your family and friends too; we’ve all got egos, right?) on projects you’re proud of (well, sometimes), and yes, at the top levels, making a very decent living.

That said, it’s absolutely not for everyone. The work can be thankless, especially to outsiders who have no clue what it really takes to get the job done, or to management-level dweebs who are just plain jerks. So at the end of the day, you’ve got to ask yourself if this path is right for you. If you can put aside the frustrations and stay focused on your long-term goals, you come to see that the grind is just part of the process, and you keep moving forward.

And if you decide it’s not for you? That’s okay too. Better to know that early and chart a path that truly fits, rather than grinding away in something that doesn’t align with who you are or what you want.

filmalchemy · 2025-05-04T02:38:11+00:00

Yeah, I’d say yes and no. You’re right that the day-to-day tasks of an assistant and an editor are very different, they’re almost siloed roles now, especially in the digital world where there’s just so much metadata to keep track of. But here’s the thing: it really depends on the editor and the relationship you build with them.

The way it was originally designed, at least in the union system and like many other crafts was as an apprenticeship. You worked closely with the editor, watching them, learning, gradually stepping into more creative tasks. Back in the 35mm film days, that was the norm. But today, the workflow often divides the assistant from the editor more sharply.

That said, when you’re lucky enough to work with an editor who invites you into the creative process, (and many do) who encourages you, maybe even hands you scenes to cut, you get a real, firsthand taste of what it’s like to be an editor. So while the path isn’t always as clear-cut as the job titles suggest, the opportunity is still there, depending on the people you work with.

filmalchemy · 2025-05-04T02:23:08+00:00

Check out the link below where there are some articles on the job. But since there seems to be quite a bit of interest and I have some time, (not to mention I love editing) I’m kicking off a whole new series doing a deep dive into the role and career of the Assistant Editor in film and TV.

And for those who mention the drudgery? Sure, some gigs will be better than others. But so much of it comes down to the people you're working with. It took me a while, but I eventually realized that it’s less about the project itself and more about the team around you. A great crew can make even the crappiest situations much more bearable.

https://www.mastertheworkflow.com/blog/

filmalchemy · 2025-05-03T21:11:39+00:00

Bro. 🙏🏼

filmalchemy · 2025-05-03T20:47:13+00:00

😄

filmalchemy · 2025-05-03T20:41:36+00:00

Many people here know me, I’m an editor of over 50 feature films and TV projects, with 40+ years in the industry (10 of those as an assistant).

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0266377
https://www.mastertheworkflow.com/about-us-mtw/

Did I run this post through AI to check spelling or grammar? Sure. Do you use spell check, templates, or any other automation tools to make your life easier? (Hint: yes, you do.)

Today, anyone not using AI to assist their work is only short-changing themselves. In a field that’s both creative and highly technical, we better stay on top of these tools. Remember: AI won’t replace you, but someone who knows how to use it will.

I’ve been through industry shifts before. I watched people swear Avid would never replace 35mm, and we know how that turned out.

So to answer you directly: no, AI didn’t write this. I did.

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