Today we’d like to introduce you to Yossef Elmassri.
Youssef, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
From an early age, storytelling in all its forms has always fascinated me. I believe that it is the most powerful tool of imagination. Like lot-of filmmakers, there is an inciting incident in every filmmaker’s story, a moment when he decided to walk through this challenging and entertaining journey. My moment started after watching “The Passion of the Christ,” a film by “Mel Gibson.” Mel evoked a few contradicted emotions within me, which I didn’t experience before, inspiring me to be a Filmmaker. After I had finished my Bachelor’s degree in electromagnetic engineering, I flew from Egypt to Hollywood to fulfill my passion as a filmmaker.
Firstly, I didn’t know how to start, but I was eager to learn more about the industry. I applied to the MFA program at “NewYork film Academy” in Burbank. During my program, I was exposed to such an extraordinary world full of mystery. What grabbed my attention are these three essential roles behind every story, Writer, Director, and finally, the editor, who writes the last draft of the film in the editing room. “How should we build a story”? That was my main concern. Throughout my academic study, doing some research and reading many books, I was able to achieve the skills of how to portray a story. How to write an interesting character, direct a character to become a part of a real-world, edit a scene, to come up with a great story.
In my thesis, I decided to put what I graved in my academic study in a 15 min short movie. I didn’t want to make the best movie in the class. I just needed to do it right, with slight challenges, few characters, controlled budget while doubting my ability as a fresh graduate filmmaker. But the most memorable moments are the ones you never planned. I was awarded an invitation to the Cannes Film Festival to screen my movie in France. OMG!
After school, editing was my window to get through the filmmaking society and introduce me to different projects. I was lucky to get introduced to Felix Ramos, who granted me the opportunity to edit “In The Defense Against Tyranny,” this movie has an extraordinary story. Although it is an independent movie, Felix has succeeded in delivering truth to his picture, the same true moments that every filmmaker should try to achieve.
We spent months trying to come up with the best cut for the film, and we finally made it. I was the lead editor for the movie, and no one with advanced editing experience directed me. I was entrusted with such a responsibility, I didn’t want to let “Felix” down. Firstly, we were skeptical about the sequence, as we have been living with it for over a year. Then, we started questioning ourselves, is this good? Is this entertaining? Till we applied to some festivals, and “GANAMOS,” the movie’s first award as an editor for a feature movie was awarded to me! Such an astonishing surprise and recognition. I couldn’t thank “Felix” enough for such an opportunity.
It is a hard path to go through. There is a moment to decide when to become a filmmaker. Another one is when it is too late to turn back when you feel you cannot do it, and lastly when you get surprised that you are suitable for this industry and can achieve some difference. Every independent filmmaker has to walk through these steps.
That helped me start my own editing agency, “Master Sequence.” In this Agency, we help independent filmmakers with the latest and skilled techniques to edit their films and have a better editing experience. I started a few months ago, hoping to help more people who think they can make difference in this industry and have stories to tell.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
A post-production Agency that helps independent filmmaker to get in touch with the latest skills and technology found in the post-production industry at affordable prices.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I dream that every filmmaker is able to tell his story and make his story stands out, with the help of Agencies and having the knowledge and experience exposed everywhere on the internet, it is becoming easier to tell your story.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/master_sequence/
- Facebook: facebook.com/mastersequencepp
