Yu Jung Hou, an astonishingly talented female film editor currently working in Los Angeles, has been passionate about filmmaking since childhood; and, in recent years she has carved out a solid place for herself as an undeniable creative force in the Hollywood entertainment industry.
Whether she is editing a heavy hitting drama like the award-winning film “Drone” or a sci-fi thriller like Kyle Smithers’ recent film “The Perceivers,” Hou intuitively knows how to take hours of footage and seamlessly sew it together in a way that allows a story to unfold flawlessly on screen. Hou honed her skills as an editor at USC’s prestigious School of Cinematic Arts where other notable female editors such as Debra Neil-Fisher (“The Hangover”), and Anita Brandt-Burgoyne (“Legally Blonde”) attended.
In addition to working as a lead editor on the films “Clustertruck,” “Limbo,” “The Wytches,” “What Would Beethoven Do?,” Ivan Bordas Butler’s “The Beach” and others, Hou has spent the last few years using her skills across various other platforms.
Some of the companies she’s worked with to date include Interloper Films, the production company behind the documentaries “DIG!” and “We Live in Public,” which won the Grand Jury Awards at the Sundance Film Festival, and Defy Media, a digital media company that produces original online content through the brands Honest Trailers, Smosh, The Escapist, Shut Up! Cartoons and others, as well as Saban Brands, an LA-based entertainment acquisition company that owns the “Power Rangers,” “Yu-Gi-Oh!” and “Digimon” franchises and The CW4Kids block.
Hou is one editor who has managed to diversify her talents in a rare and unique way. In between working with mOcean, an LA-based creative marketing agency that was named PROMXBDA North American Agency of the Year in 2015, and Mob Scene Creative + Productions, the production company behind “300 Rise of an Empire: Women Warriors,” “Dolphin Tale 2: Underwater Magic” and “Alien Abduction,” Hou is currently working as the editor of the upcoming film “Hunt,” as well as several other highly anticipated projects.
To find out more about Yu Jung Hou’s work as a film editor, some of the valuable tools of the trade, and what it takes to succeed, make sure to check out our interview below!
Where are you from?
YJH: Taiwan.
How and when did you first get into working as an editor?
YJH: It was a gradual process. I attended USC’s film program and in our first year we had to do everything– directing, producing, writing, editing, sound designing and so on. By the end of the first year, being exposed to all aspects of filmmaking, I already felt strong about editing. I was confident enough to do it and my brain just knew what to do in the cutting room.
What inspired you to pursue this profession?
YJH: I love the sense of achievement I find in editing. I’m always learning something new, that’s always exciting. On top of that, editing never stops challenging me. I need to have an engine that never stops pumping, instead of relying fully on talent. I was once known as more of a director of photography and production designer, however I never got the same chill as editing from those jobs. I was naturally good at spotting and creating something pretty, but it came so naturally like I almost didn’t need to work hard for it– getting it “done” so easily plus having only very little ambition to pursue a higher and better level, I realized it wasn’t something I was really passionate about.
Can you tell us about the storyline for the film “Drone”?
YJH: “Drone” is about a rookie air force drone pilot who finds himself incredibly attached to his first target who he watches from the monitors halfway around the world. The story shows the rookie’s emotional attachment to the target in comparison to the more seasoned pilot in the film, who is completely detached.
How did you approach editing this film and why did you take that approach?
YJH: This was a film that used a lot of VFX compared to other films, and this is definitely not a story you see everyday considering the military environment setting. However, I treated it like how I’d treat any other film– to me the emotion is always the most important thing. The script has a wonderful payoff at the end and it was definitely moving and inspiring at the same time. As an editor I worked hard to keep the pacing and keep the story pushing forward. What I was thinking about most of the time while editing the movie was, is it easy for the audience to keep up and pay attention– are they easily engaged? At what points do we lose them both entertainment and story wise? Is this part boring and not giving new information? I wanted to keep the lead’s emotions relatable so that every step he took led him to the final decision logically.
It was a very emotionally engaging piece.
Can you describe some of the other projects you’ve worked on and some of the challenges you’ve faced?
YJH: I worked on this project called “The Perceivers.” It’s a sci-fi featuring two runaways and the tyrant controllers “the perceivers” who are hunting them down. There was a fighting scene in the movie and that was fun but hard to edit technique wise. It was my first time having to deal with a fighting scene, it became a really good learning experience. I learned that you don’t just make it intense by making it choppy, you’d want to make sure the audience are following what’s going on and the action’s flow.
I worked on this film called “Fa Fu.” The story is about a woman who’s struggling with hair loss and is asked to collect her hair on a doll, only to find herself reborn from ashes by the end of the journey. I worked as a director/ editor on this one. We decided really early on in the editing that we wanted to do some crazy sound design and lot of the cuts were designed based on sound cues. We also started sound design as early as editing to make sure what we were planning would actually work. I was glad that I did this so early. Because after this I could never work without including sound anymore. Sound is crucial in picture editing and very few people realize that.
I edited this thriller “The Wytches” about a girl who has a pretty dark family history but she doesn’t know it yet. As the story progress, we as the audience are discovering the secrets with her. This was shot really really well, however, we had big big troubles during production and lost 2 out of 8 days of location, forcing us to literally rewrite the story in the editing room with what we had. The directors and I tried over 10 different structures and spent a huge amount of time talking to each other about what could be done. We also had to screen more often then other projects because we were all too familiar with the story and weren’t able to spot the logic flaws in the story.
My first feature “Pintados” was a 50 minute documentary focusing on a half Filipino half caucasian girl’s journey back to the Philippines to find the traditional tattoo totem of her mom’s tribe and the Warai’s, the fiercest warriors of the Philippines. The challenge lay in the length itself. Since it was my first feature, I didn’t really know how I was going to chop down near 200 hours of footage into a 50 minute film and make it fun to watch. Also I didn’t know the culture as well as the geography and history of the country that well, I had to spend a lot of time doing research in order to make my cuts make sense.
“Happy Bird” was a promo my friend and I made for a social care issue. The story features this girl, who looks just like any other girl, but is actually deeply struggling with the idea of killing herself, she feels suffocated all the time. This one was pretty easy to edit. I got to try some fun intercutting that I had always wanted to do. The hardest part is the emotion embedded. It’s so dark and so depressing, that instead of demonstrating how hopeless the situation is (which is already apparent), we had to cut it in a way that would still allow the audience to feel hopeful at the end, and that if you’re someone who suffers from the same dilemma, you’d want to seek help and not give up.
What tools do you use to edit? Avid? Final Cut? Etc. And what are the primary differences?
YJH: I’m most fluent in Avid, then Premiere, then Final Cut. There’s also this elementary level editing software call Coral Video Studio I used to use for all of my pre-USC projects.
Avid is definitely better at dealing with big projects due to its strength on the sharing of projects between multiple users when working with online storing systems like the Isis. It allows the editor(s) and AE(s) to work on the same project at the same time on different computers. That is also why most studio movies prefer Avid, and have been using it for years. Also it’s done really well on being able to customize almost everything you can see or anything you need. I’m used to my own keyboard hotkeys because I’ve developed my habits as I’ve edited more and more films, and the hotkeys are just for me. However if I switched to another program, since they might have some hotkeys that are just for them, it’d be hard for me to get used to again. Also I could customize the look and what tools I need (a third viewing monitor, volume level tool, audio mixer…) to however I like it.
Premiere is really fast and user-friendly. You don’t have to transcode the media (technically you don’t have to transcode in Avid if you don’t want to, but it’s highly suggested that you do because that’s when Avid works the best), the logic when you’re using Premiere is very straight forward, any person who is familiar with using computers would be able to get the hang of it fairly easily. Also with the rising of the Adobe system, Premiere is gaining more attention because it makes the lateral work flow so much easier and faster between departments.
I’d only use Final Cut when I’m doing something that requires some fancy opening/ ending since FCP has some pretty awesome templates, or when I have no access to the other two programs.
What is it that you love about working as an editor?
YJH: I love being able to play with the infinite possibilities within limited footage. By receiving only what’s shot, I get the sense of the frame and I know I won’t be ask to do things overly crazy outside the frame. I feel safe that way. I know I’m being given this little playground with sand, so I know that I won’t be asked to build a swing. I could offer to build a sand one if they wanted to, but if they asked for a real one, I could say, “Sorry, I didn’t have the tools and materials I need. But I have all this sand, I could make you an elephant, or a hat, or a ginger man, would you like that?”
The flexibility of putting same things in different orders to create a different arc, feeling or intensity, as well as the fun of finding the perfect moment and/ or the missing pieces is a great joy for me. It’s like the most creative puzzle in the world where there is no picture on the box, and by putting them in different ways you get different pictures.
Also, being the first person to ever see a movie that will become the movie everyone will be watching later, better yet, being the one who made it happen… to me this is the coolest thing in the world. Editing is a lot of hard work, but whenever I see people reacting to my work, the sense of accomplishment is worth all the hardship that comes with this position.
In terms of the nature of the job, I really don’t fancy going on set and spending a lot of time waiting and talking to people I don’t really feel like talking to. Editing allows me to have the most control over my time and plan my schedule the way I want. I’d like to work intensively when I’m on fire and take breaks whenever I’m tired.
And when the directors are finally invited to the editing room, the environment remains creative. I love debating and trying to figure out with the directors the best way to tell every particular story. I’m super lucky that so far most of the directors I’ve worked with have given me the maximum freedom to include my creative input in the movies. I know there are directors who absolutely want their movies to go their way. They have an idea, and they stick with it. I respect all kinds of filmmakers, but as an editor I really appreciate when directors are open to ideas and willing to try out different options.
What separates you from the rest of the pool of editors in Hollywood? What is your specialty in the field?
YJH: I never wanted to say that being Asian has anything to do with me doing anything since I strongly oppose generalization and I think you’re just who you are. However, being a female, an Asian– who actually grew up in Asia– I think my background definitely makes me a more considerate and humble person who’s more willing to listen and understand. And here’s the thing—it’s never hard to find someone who’s really good at the tools. It’s not hard to be tech savvy. However, it is not easy to find someone who’s fun and easy to work with. I think I’m less persistent on fighting for my ideas. I fight when I feel strongly about them, but I also know when to back off because ultimately it’s the director’s movie. I’m very good at coming up with an alternative idea to combine all the good ideas we have because I’m good at listening and understanding.
Also me having a completely different cultural background and movie viewing experience helps me to see things slightly differently. It gives me the flexibility to make the best version of whatever the director wants. I constantly find myself saying, “Don’t worry, we can do this. It happens all the time in Asian movies.” Also I’m more open to different ways of story telling.
Being a female helps me to care more about the female characters. Commercially, I’m taking care of the female audience as well. Emotionally, I think it’s just good to send the message that everyone’s equal and should be seen as equally important.
I would say I specialize in sci-fi and drama, which are also my two favorite genres. I’m really good at the narrative pacing, so I’m good at anything that needs strong story telling skills. However, I have no comedic sense and I don’t think I should ever work on comedies. Also, interestingly, I’m good at thriller as well since I’m so good at controlling the timing. However I would never watch a horror movie or thriller if I didn’t have to.
Can you tell me a little bit about your editing process? Once you get the footage, where do you start?
YJH: Since I use Avid most of the time, the first step is usually transcoding either inside Avid or with third party programs such as RedCine or Da Vinci, depending on what camera the footage was shot on and what specs they used. Meanwhile I’d setup an Avid project. I have a project organization template that I’ve been developing and using for years. It allows me to work faster and neater when I actually bring in the footage and start cutting.
When the transcodes are done, I bring the footage in and arrange it according to the function of the bins. Then sync picture and sound. Then watch all the dailies, which is the most boring part but at the same time it is the most crucial step of all.
Usually as I’m watching the dailies I already have a pretty good idea of how I’m going to cut the film, at least for the very first cut. Then once that’s done I’ll see what I don’t like and I’ll fix it. It could be something as small as a few frames or as big as a complete structure change. The point is I want to get the cut to a highly presentable level before I show anything to anyone.
When the director starts coming in to the editing room, I have a lot of conversations with them on how and what we think should change to make the picture better. We usually try to screen it to different people and get feedback, then repeat the actions until we’re both really happy with it.
What is the collaboration process like in terms of working with the other departments on a project?
YJH: The collaboration starts as early as preproduction. In order to be fully prepared, editorial needs to talk to the cinematography department and check what camera and specs they’ll be shooting on, so that we can set up a project that matches the shooting material. We don’t wait until we’ve got the footage because sometimes we start pulling sound, music or temp shots, reference videos for the project; and in order to import those correctly we’d need to know everything as early as possible.
Depending on the project, but since now almost every project involves at least a little bit of VFX, editorial needs to sit down with the director, DP and the VFX department in production meetings to plan the execution of the VFX shots as well as the best workflow for each particular project.
Also, depends on the project, sometimes the director would like to have the editor there when he or she meets the storyboard artist, so that more editing can be done in pre-viz. We can never be over-prepared. The better the preproduction is, the smoother the shoot goes and the better you’ll know what to do when and if an emergency happens. Plan for everything but also be flexible and ready for any change.
When things start to move over to post production, especially near the end of editing, we’ll be communicating with the sound and VFX department a lot. We want to make sure that the picture is as precise as it can be for sound so we don’t have to go through the hand over again and again to get it right.
The handover process is a huge pain in the butt that requires a lot of time, work and checking. For what I’ve done so far, we’d handover to sound, composer, VFX, title artist and colorist at the same time in separate packages since they all need different things. Editorial would export every deliverable for every department working after us. And obviously we need to stay reachable when these departments are doing their thing just in case there are any problems.
Then finally depending on the budget, sometimes I’ll have to do the finishing, which means I’ll be the one merging the final picture from the colorist, final sound from the mixer, and export it to whatever specs we need depending on where the screener is going to go.
What companies have you worked with in the industry?
YJH: I’ve been working for mOcean in the machine room since October, and this job definitely forces me to be more detail oriented. Even though I’d say I’m really good at organization, which is important in editorial, I’ve really trained myself to look into details more now, especially working in an environment that you’re doing a million things at a time.
Last year I also worked as an assistant editor at Mob Scene Creative + Productions. I did a lot of logging there and it taught me how reality or documentary editors get to work more efficiently given limited time but huge amounts of footage. Also since there was basically no one at night in the company, I had to learn to trouble shoot precisely and quickly.
One of the first companies I worked with as an assistant editor was Defy Media, and working with them was significant because it showed me how companies work. Since I’d been doing more freelance style jobs (project by project), it was great to learn when there are so many projects going on, how a company develops systems to handle them. I also had to do a lot of grouping there, and it’s definitely a great skill to have for a postproduction filmmaker.
I also worked with Interloper Films when the company was cutting “Brand: The Second Coming” so I was lucky enough to be part of the post production team of the movie as well as being invited to the screenings and listen to industry people’s inputs. I shadowed how Ondi, the director of the movie, worked and was able to learn about her passion and attitude, but also spotted her weakness so hopefully I could figure out ways to avoid it when I encounter the same problems. Being able to shadow industry filmmakers as they’re working is always the best way to learn their ideology and way of dealing with things.
I worked in production at Saban Brands where I was often asked to sit and watch A LOT of animation videos on line to find the next shining star like “Adventure Times.” It was great because I got to see all these different art styles and stories everyday and it really helped me on a personal level to be a better filmmaker.
What has been your favorite project so far and why?
YJH: I think “Drone” has been my favorite project so far for sure. It has nothing to do with it receiving the recognition of Student Academy. I really enjoy the process of it. There was very little drama and my director and I just work together so well that everything flowed seamlessly. Our editing logic was very similar and the few times that we needed a debate, it always brought out the best ideas. Also the entire team was very dedicated to make the best film, and it was a very positive energy that kept everyone working hard and creatively involved. Because you knew everyone else was working so hard, you wanted to work harder to appreciate and celebrate them; and because we were all so engaged, the hard work felt more like passionate fun to us.
It was a really good vibe. I was really happy going to the cutting room everyday.
What projects do you have coming up?
YJH: I have a feature and two other films coming up. The feature is a story structured like “Crash” featuring 4 different groups of people who are connected in some way. I’m excited to do it. I’ve always wanted to try this kind of multi story lined shows like Heroes. Now I’m getting this awesome opportunity. It’s pretty great.
One of the other films, “Hunt,” will be directed by Kyle Smithers, the same director I worked with on “The Perceivers.” It’s about a hunter going for a hunt but that part of the story is paralleled with his relationship with his wife. I’m excited to intercut the two and see what I can do. It’s going to be fun!
Do you have a passion for working on a specific kind of film or project, if so what kind of project and why?
YJH: I definitely find myself having more fun doing scifi, fantasy and drama. I love scifi and fantasy because I’m always amazed by the creativity that lies in building the world within the film. In a different world we all get to do all these different things that our real lives don’t allow us to do. How cool is that! A good drama brings out your realest emotions as a human being and I think that’s valuable as well. Sometimes we watch films to find an excuse to explore ourselves, and drama serves that function. However, I’m all for trying new things. Actually I WANT to try new things, so that I know what I’m good at and what I enjoy the most.
However if I have to choose for the future, I’ll admit that I’d love to edit a fun superhero movie like “Galaxy of the Guardians” or “Deadpool.” Lately female editors have been doing better and better, we’re editing movies like “Star Wars” and “Mad Max.” I think it’s totally encouraging. I want to show the world that women can edit something fun and exciting and non-girly just as well as male editors. Actually, women or not, I think good editors are able to pull off great stories and exciting sequences regardless of their gender, race and cultural background. On top of my personal passion, I just want to be part of the group that proves that idea to the world.
Also I just fancy the working environment where everyone’s a big nerd and constantly discussing every detail of the movie.
What kind of training was involved in order to become an editor? How long have you been doing this?
YJH: I’m not sure if I agree that editing could be taught, so if you’re talking about physical training then I’d say other than practice, practice and practice, I don’t think there’s any other way. Editing, much like everything else, comes from talent plus practice. I don’t think there are right answers to editing and so I don’t think there’s really a way to teach “good editing.” You can’t find a rule and apply it to all.
I’ve been editing for more than 7 years.
How important is formal education to getting a job in the industry?
YJH: I don’t think it’s important at all although that’s the route I chose. If you could get a job without the connection and education at school, good for you! Film education can be very expensive and for some, possibly a waste of time. There used to be no film schools, but the filmmakers were just as outstanding and talented. Film is very physical so the point is you have to keep doing it, not necessarily from an institutional education.
However, since USC taught me everything I needed to know, and what’s worth more than anything else is the fact that it gave me this huge alumni base that might be able to help me connect in the future, I have no complaints. It seemed expensive at the time, but the experience and tuition have paid off along the way.
What do you hope to achieve in your career as an editor?
YJH: I want to keep creating stuff that makes me think “Oh god, how am I ever going to top this?” I hope that I could work with directors that I admire like Ang Lee, Christopher Nolan, Richard Linklater, David Fincher and Wes Anderson; and I hope I can make movies that really touch everyone’s heart world widely.
Any advice as to how to maximize your chances for landing that first gig? What is your advice to other aspiring artists?
YJH: I’ve heard of so many stories and I’m not even kidding– they’re all different! So the short answer is, I don’t think there’s one particular piece of advice that could help you maximize the chance to land the first gig. However, I’d say the only unchanged rules are, work hard and be nice.
I’d like to tell people who are new to this world, it’s going to be frustrating and it’s so easy to lose faith, passion and hope. Not everyone is as lucky as Ryan Coogler. But don’t forget who you wanted to be in the beginning, and just keep trying. Don’t push yourself too hard when things aren’t going well. You can never predict anything, all you can do is keep trying and do your best every time. Because this is a people business and if you’re hard working and easy to get along with, people will see it, and then you’ll start getting to work on projects by people you don’t even know.
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