In this report Playback looks at the state of the union for editors, getting the opinion of tried and true talent on creativity, technology and where do they go from here? (See story this page.) We also talked to a couple of the growing shops, Productions Modulations (below) and Solar Audio (p. 32) to see how they’re functioning in a growing and changing field. And last but not least, we profile three up-and-comers who are making names for themselves early in the game. (See pages 24, 25 and 28.)

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Natural talent and the desire to succeed have made 21-year-old David Whiteson quite possibly the youngest Quantel operator in the world.

While most Quantel operators spend five years assisting before getting the opportunity to edit on their own, Whiteson fast-forwarded through most of that, and after working at it for less than a year, is already handling his own sessions and his own clients.

After graduating from Sheridan College’s Media Arts program this past May, where he spent his third year learning his way around the Quantel, Whiteson quickly became a rather hot commodity in the post world, drawing interest from a number of shops.

With Quantel sales rep Mark Northeast spreading Whiteson’s name around the industry, the young talent landed a job at Toronto’s Post Port (which later merged with The Post Group). He says he chose The Post Group because of its equipment and for the opportunity to work with editor Nick Iannelli.

Whiteson is making the most of the opportunities including sitting in on sessions and learning valuable tricks of the trade.

As junior editor on the Quantel Edit Box, Whiteson applies his talent to a mix of projects including corporate and music videos, commercials, some lower-end jobs (although they’re not that low considering the $650-an-hour cost of using the Quantel), and whatever the senior editors throw his way.

Special effects are his favorite occupation, but not the obvious kind; Whiteson’s preference is assignments that involve removing objects from the picture.

There is still much to learn before the pebble is snatched from the hand of the veterans. Knowing how to push the buttons in an editing suite and learning how to work a roomful of clients are two different things.

A recent 3M commercial through Grey Canada required the online removal of some smoke stacks from the background. It was his first solo project and it turned out to be a real learning experience.

‘It was the first time I ever had a roomful of eight people sitting behind me, and the system got a bug. A senior editor can talk their way out of it or stall for time, but because of my lack of experience I didn’t know how to run the room,’ says Whiteson. ‘I got a little nervous. It was the most valuable lesson I have learned so far.’

When it comes to picking up new talent, Tania Smunchilla, vp of marketing and sales at The Post Group, says the shop looks for fluidity in the work, someone who can get the job done in a reasonable amount of time, and someone who can be a team player, all qualities which they saw in Whiteson.

Ultimately the Quantel kid, like most, would love to be working on big Hollywood feature films, which he believes will soon be posted as well as shot in Canada.

As for the near future, he hopes to become a senior editor at The Post Group.

‘He could be a senior editor within the year,’ says Smunchilla. ‘His youth is the only thing working against him, because you always get clients who see him and say he looks like a little kid, but once they see how well he works, the comfort level falls in.’