We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lindsay O’Keefe a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lindsay, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

From a young age, I knew I wanted to be an editor.

It all started with a head. A mannequin head, that is. When I was twelve, my mom bought it for me to practice braiding hair. Instead, I painted its eyes red and created a horror film. Shot on an iPad and edited on iMovie, that short film eventually screened at the Cleveland International Film Festival FilmSlam.

Until then, I had been making films for myself and my family. But on the big screen, I was connecting with strangers. When a girl screamed at the climax, I realized how much impact a film can have. That scream also showed me the power of my editing decisions. The editor turns raw footage into a work of art. It’s like seeing a film in your head for the first time, before anyone else gets to experience it.

While horror remains a passion of mine, since then I’ve transitioned into directing and editing short documentaries about another passion: disability rights. Now having a B.F.A. in Film & Television Production from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, I am a certified user of Avid Media Composer. Since graduating in December, 2024, I now live in Los Angeles and am a Post PA for Sharp Entertainment, part of Sony Pictures Television. Even though the genres of my films have changed, my love of editing has remained the same. The content we create has the power to change the world’s thinking.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am an Avid-certified film editor located in Los Angeles. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, I earned my B.F.A in Film & Television from NYU Tisch School of the Arts in December, 2024. While in school, I was a Post Production Intern for both Campfire Studios and Blowback Productions. At Blowback, I was a Post Production Assistant on the HBO feature documentary “An American Bombing: The Road to April 19,” executive producer Katie Couric. In the past, I have interned at a variety of places, including Women Make Movies, the National Organization for Italian Americans in Film and Television, the Greater Cleveland Film Commission, and Hemlock Films.

My interests are in both narrative and documentary editing. I recently directed and edited a short documentary titled “Rock Star” about a musician who has cerebral palsy. In 2020-21, my short documentary titled “Alive Day” about a Paralympic swimmer appeared in over a dozen film festivals across the country and won several awards. My passion for disability rights stems from my six years of volunteering at Youth Challenge, a non-profit organization located in Cleveland, Ohio, that pairs teen volunteers with children who have physical disabilities to socialize and play adapted sports together. Since the age of twelve, I saw firsthand just how life-changing this organization was to both the participants and the volunteers. In fact, for my high school capstone project in 2021, I made a documentary titled “Youth Challenge: The Power of Inclusion.” My mentor for that project was two-time Emmy Award winning filmmaker Hollie Brubaker.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the impact you can have on an audience. Whether it be educational, spreading awareness about something, or just an escape from everyday life, the art form of film has the power to change perspectives and the way people live their lives. I remember powerful scenes from movies I saw years and years ago. Sometimes it is the only way to get an important message across to people that solely words cannot.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

The resources I wish I knew about earlier are simply all the incredible people in the film industry. Because this industry is so collaborative, building community is essential to your career as an artist. Set up phone calls, email people. We all want to connect with other humans to bring stories to life, so never be afraid to reach out.

Contact Info:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-okeefe235
• Other: IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9105969/