Today we’d like to introduce you to Spenser Reich.
Hi Spenser, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m originally from the Bay Area. In my senior year of high school, I took the brand new broadcast journalism class, which was the first time I ever touched editing software and the first time I really even became aware of editing. Senior year of high school is also when I decided I wanted to pursue a filmmaking career. When I moved to Los Angeles, I thought I would pursue a writing/directing career, but when I started shooting and getting on some sets, I quickly realized that being on set wasn’t for me. I still loved writing and filmmaking but decided to go a different route. Remembering how much I enjoyed editing back in that broadcast journalism class, I decided to start dabbling with it a bit. I quickly fell in love with it and realized it was what I should be doing. I went to film school with editing being my goal and took on as much editing as I could during that time. It helped me grow so much to get that hands-on experience, so the moment I left film school, I was lucky enough to land a feature film.
I edited many feature films in a 2-year span before pivoting into television, which is where I am now. I feel extremely lucky and very grateful to be able to do what I love for a living.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’ve been very lucky overall in that my path with editing has been fairly smooth. There are some challenges being a younger female editor in a male-dominated field. There are people who won’t respect you and you have to prove yourself over and over again. There have also been some really wild projects I’ve been on where I will be working every weekend for months on end, and 16+ hours a day nearly every day.
Overall, most of the people I’ve worked with have been nothing but lovely and working conditions when you’re on a good team are usually better than that. I think every industry and every journey has ups and downs/good and bad, but you do your best to navigate each individual situation and try to surround yourself with the good of it all.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a film/TV editor. I am currently focusing on television but still do cut feature films as well. Something I’m extremely proud of in my career is that I’ve been able to tell Black female stories. I’ve had the pleasure of working with two Black female directors on feature films so far, and it brings me so much joy to tell our stories. The features couldn’t be more different from each other, but that’s something I love about them: just like the films, we’re not all the same. We’re not a monolith. Being able to tell stories from Black women and POC in general is something I’m extremely proud of.
Besides that, I got extremely lucky that the first TV show I ended up on has a Black female showrunner, Courtney A. Kemp. Being able to see the way that she runs the show has been inspiring and honestly, an indescribable experience. I’m proud that even in the TV world, I’m able to tell Black stories and be under such a powerful, Black woman.
What sets me apart from others is that I absolutely love editing, I’m extremely passionate about the work, and I’m a great collaborator. As an editor, you have to spend a lot of one-on-one time with the director, producer, etc. and you need to be good in the room with them. I’m great at taking in their feedback and translating it into an edit they’ll be really pleased with and I’m able to build upon they’re notes to elevate it further. I love the collaborative process of editing and it’s what has helped me work on amazing projects and form great relationships in my career so far.
What matters most to you? Why?
Something that’s extremely important to me is giving back. No matter how new you are to your career if you can help even one person along the way, do it. That’s the mindset I’ve always held and something I’ve followed through on in my editing career.
It’s important to me because I never want to be the person keeping the door closed for someone else. I always want to help bring other people into the fold. If you’re willing to do the hard work, then I’m willing to help you in any way I can!
I’m also extremely interested in getting more POC/WOC into editing and post-production. I think the post-production world is a little less known and therefore, it’s fairly male-dominated/homogenous. When people are interested in filmmaking but don’t really know what they are specifically interested in pursuing, I encourage them to dabble in the post-production side of things. Even if they don’t end up pursuing posts, it’s such a vital part of filmmaking, so it’s important to me that aspiring filmmakers are aware of it.
Contact Info:
- Email: Rep: [email protected]
- Website: www.spenserreich.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spenserreich/
- Other: imdb.me/spenserreich
