The day is finally here! “Vivo” has officially been released on Netflix! I’m so incredibly proud of this film, and am so excited it's out there in the world to enjoy. It was an absolute blast and honor getting to work on this movie alongside such a talented group of artists and creatives (including my sister Karina McBeth who was a Storyboard Artist!). This was my first feature working as a 1st Assistant Editor and I thank my Editorial team for encouraging me through it all. It had a HUGE learning curve, and I'm so grateful for the patience they showed me each step of the way, allowing me to stumble and learn from my mistakes. I can’t express how excited I am to call this my first animated film that I have seen from beginning to end (previously had only gone up to the Layout stage). I hope you have fun getting to dive into the beautiful sights and sounds of "Vivo" soon enough. Congrats to Kirk and Brandon for directing such a enchanting film, and cheers to the crew!
Changes...Changing...Changes
Greetings! I can’t believe it’s been over a year since I’ve checked in. Shortly after being promoted to 1st AE on “Vivo,” my production made the shift to working from home due to the pandemic. Not going to lie, finishing the film completely from home during Covid was one of the most challenging things I’ve had to do in my animation editorial journey. Not only was I overseeing two Assistant Editors (one joined us during wfh), but I was covering a lot of new ground I had never experienced before while working on an animated feature. Up until “Vivo,” I had only seen animated productions up to their early Layout stage, primarily working with the film in boards. In the final year of the film, we entered crunch where we were now juggling the film at all stages of production, last minute Production Dialog records, and turnovers to Sound, Music, and DI. I am so grateful for how patient my team was with me as I took on a lot of these deliveries for the first time. Not having the luxury of popping in to ask questions in an office setting was a huge adjustment, and I am so thankful for the grace was shown my way as I waded through it all.
Now that I have officially wrapped with “Vivo” and at Sony, I praise God for his blessings in providing me with a team that encouraged and pushed me to keep moving forward even when I believed I couldn’t do it. I was filled with a lot of self doubt and fear when I was asked to take on the 1st position - feelings that unfortunately clouded my thoughts at the height of the pandemic. But thanks to the love and support of the people God placed around me, my confidence in myself and abilities were healed and allowed to grow.
So what’s next? I’m pleased to announce that I have been hired as a 1st Assistant Editor at the one and only, Walt Disney Animation Studios. To work here has been a dream of mine for quite some time. Getting to work at a studio with such a rich history and holding the title of pioneering feature animation is such an honor. I can’t wait to dive in and learn as much as I can from the Editorial teams at the studio, as well as jump into a brand new feature film alongside my same “Vivo” Editorial posse. Time go “into the unknown!”
A Chance
I can’t believe the day is here. This past Tuesday, June 4th, I celebrated my one year anniversary with Sony Animation. In many ways it feels like no time has passed, and yet when I look back at each month, I realize just how much has happened.
It’s been a while since I’ve been able to say that I’ve been with a place for a whole year. With the nomadic nature of Editorial, it’s such a blessing to finally set up some roots at a studio. With each job, I’ve had the opportunity to be surrounded by professionals that challenge and encourage me to approach work with fearlessness - and team Vivo is no different. And while we still have a long way to go, I couldn’t ask for a better group to be serving alongside.
As I look to the next year, I am pumped and ready to plunge right into the production side of animation. It’s an area that I have only really dipped my toes into, and I’m so thrilled to see this film through all stages of production. I’ll be entering uncharted territory, but I know with the leadership of my 1st Assist, that the editorial process will become second nature to me in no time.
On a side note, I apologize for the tardiness of this update. This past year has been filled with quite a few big life changes, including getting married to my best friend. (That said, I wanted to mention that professionally I will be going by my maiden name, McBeth, while legally I will be utilizing my new married name.) Here’s to remedying this drought and getting back on track with more consistent updates!
Thank you so much to Sony for such a wonderful year. Let’s make this next one even more memorable!