We were lucky to catch up with Shelly Westerman recently and have shared our conversation below.
Shelly, appreciate you joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
Laughter, the love of movies, life long friendships, curiosity – things that describe my parents, Bob & Jean. My mom was a movie fantatic. Her nickname was “Dances On Tables”, musicals a favorite genre. My father’s family background was rooted in theatre, I like to say it’s in my blood. My first filmic memory is from the backseat of a convertible, at a Minneapolis drive-in theatre, mom and Grandma Lucy up front. I must have been five years old, and can clearly remember images from Doctor Zhivago. My parents, obsessed with Blood Simple, turned me on to the Coen Brothers! Though I originally followed a more traditional career path, spending a decade in computer operations at the Federal Reserve Bank, they were very excited and quite supportive when, in my mid-30’s, I completely changed course to work in film editing.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am a Film and TV Editor. I spent a decade at the Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank, in computer operations. I knew I had to get to NY or LA to seriously pursue a film career, and jumped at a NY Fed position. While working my corporate job, I immersed myself in the local NYC film community, volunteering at film festivals, joining various film organizations – anything to foster connections. I took a leave of absence and interned at a post-production facility. I met the most incredible people who shared their knowledge and skills, and was offered an assistant editor job on one of the coolest NY indie movies – Velvet Goldmine! Though sad to leave my Federal Reserve friends, it began a glorious adventure. I can honestly say, the relationships I made early on have been crucial to my success. There’s a large group of editors, we started together in NY, some migrated to LA, our friendships have endured for nearly 30 years. We’ve leaned on each other throughout, and it’s with much pride and joy that we share in our successes. When I talk to up and coming assistants and editors, I always stress the importance of nurturing connections and being open to collaboration. I’m most proud of working with incredibly talented artists, being open to shared experiences, supporting directors and showrunners, and also honoring the legacy of my mentors by taking time to train the younger generation.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I am driven by wanting to work in a healthy, creative environment. That means establishing relationships with my co-workers, both in post-production and production. I make it a point to reach out to crew members and offer compliments on things well done. Too often, in the crazy rush we always seem to be in, we’re frequently pointing out problems. It’s nice to take a moment to notice the wonderful, beautiful things. I’m also a propenent of sharing my experiences with aspiring editors. I love the creative work, I love the people. I encourage assistants to edit, sketch scenes and show me what they can do. If they’ll put in the extra effort, I will take the time to critique their work. Equally as important is sharing knowledge on “how to operate”, how an editing room runs, how to navigate politics, how to work with studios. So many kids are extremely tech savvy, but don’t know how to handle basic office politics. I’m starting to feel like Grandma Shelly, hahaha, telling stories, but I’ve been told they help!
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
Working freelance was a big swing from my corporate beginnings. You must learn to navigate unpredictable schedules, never knowing when or how long you’ll have work. Having an emergency savings account (of any amount) is key. I waited years to incorporate, and in hindsight that was a mistake. I am now a California S-Corp. It takes a bit of time and effort to figure out bookeeping and payroll, as I am the “president” and the only employee, but I’m going on seven years and it’s made a huge difference in my retirement savings, as well as being able to claim relevant business expenses.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @filmgirl13
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shelly.westerman.50
Image Credits
Shelly Westerman, Payton Koch