Hey folks!
It’s time once again to meet one of the many people who’s hard work goes into bringing your favourite shows to life! Today we’re throwing the spotlight on Picture Editor Mary Dorich.

As a picture editor, Mary works on each episode both pre and post-production. First, she places the completed storyboards on a timeline along with the recorded audio, assembling the scenes, trimming for time and adjusting pacing. It’s up to her to decide when an emotional moment needs an extra pause and to hit the perfect comedic timing with each gag.

That preliminary version is then sent off to the animators. When Mary gets the post-production footage back, she takes another pass over it, making any further adjustments, like choosing making a transition between scenes a little faster or cutting the episode down to broadcast time. “It’s both mechanical and creative,” she explained.

Watching the same material over and over again takes a lot of patience, but Mary told me that she always finds a new element to focus on. She described pulling together all of the work from each department as being like bringing together a family. She laughed, “People are always telling me I get to watch cartoons all day.”

The most important skills an editor needs to have, she noted, are an attention to detail and a knack for organization. “You have to bring out what makes people laugh, what makes them think, what entertains them.” More than anything, you have to remember to keep it fresh!

Stay fresh,
Brendan