We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Skylar Lin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Skylar below.

Skylar, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Taking risks has been a significant aspect of my personal and professional journey, and one of the biggest leaps I took was deciding to uproot and move to Los Angeles. Leaving behind the security of a steady, well-paid job in Taiwan, I jumped into the unknown. Starting over in a city where I barely knew anyone or anything was a bit scary to be honest, but it was also thrilling.
The turning point came when I found myself torn between accepting a job offer in Japan and exploring opportunities in LA. Just like Robert Frost wrote, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both.” On one hand, Japan offered familiarity and proximity to my home country, along with a culture I was well-acquainted with. On the other hand, the unknown and uncertainty of LA deeply attracted me. I knew that if I wanted to take my career to the next level, I had to go to LA because it has the best film industry in the world. In the end, I left my beloved behind, gave up well-paid jobs and offers, and came all the way to LA. I hope this road will lead me to a life full of unusual adventures.

Skylar, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Sure! My name is Skylar Lin, and I’m a Los Angeles-based film editor with a passion for storytelling and visual communication. My journey into the industry began over five years ago when I got my first job as an editor in San Francisco. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity of working on a diverse range of projects, including short films, documentaries, commercials, and music videos. Besides my technical proficiency in editing software and techniques, I believe what truly sets me apart is my ability to understand the unique vision and goals of each project and tailor my approach accordingly. Whether I’m working with an experienced director or a first-time filmmaker, I strive to collaborate closely with them to bring their creative vision to life.
Editing has always been fun for me. Every time I start a new project, I feel as though I am stepping on a new journey. I have always learned a little more about the world by editing different projects. I believe films can transcend cultures and languages and touch people’s hearts. In the end, I see myself not just as an editor, but as a storyteller. I am eager to continue honing my editing skills, taking on new challenges, and bringing diverse stories to the world.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

At 17, I was already set on a career in the film industry. However, back then, most Taiwanese people viewed filmmaking as financially risky. It is getting better now. When my dad learned that I wanted to pursue a filmmaking major in college, he wasn’t particularly supportive because he was worried about the financial difficulties I might face. While he didn’t outright forbid me from doing it, he took me to visit a movie studio, not to encourage me, but to discourage me. He asked the owner if making movies was tough and if it was possible to make money. The owner explained, “Filmmaking is incredibly challenging, and achieving success is rare. It involves demanding work on set, often with heavy physical labor. Many movies end up losing money, and there are instances where directors have to resort to mortgaging their own homes.” My dad even said: “Taiwan has a population of 23 million, and there is only one Ang Lee.” (Ang Lee is a well-known Taiwanese director for winning the Academy Award for Best Director twice.) At that moment, I couldn’t help but feel irritated. I silently wondered; how do you know I won’t be the next big thing?
Initially, they hoped I’d opt for a more conventional path, such as accepting the offer to work in Tokyo. However, despite this skepticism, I chose to follow my passion and I am now in LA, actively pursuing a career in film.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is delving into different cultures. I’ve always been fascinated by how storytelling varies across cultures. Through my extensive work in documentary editing, I’ve had a lot of opportunities to dive deep into various cultures simply by immersing myself in the footage. My experience in editing documentaries has allowed me to explore this in depth. For example, while working with a director from Burkina Faso, I was exposed to the rich traditions of African music and culture, as he captured scenes featuring traditional wooden instruments from his homeland and other African countries.
I’ve also enjoyed collaborating with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Asia’s Housing Experiments, a documentary distributed on the National Geographic channel about social housing projects across Asia, brought together an international team, with filming locations in Taiwan, Mongolia, and China. Our team members were from Europe, North America, South America, and Asia. Although it was challenging to switch back and forth between different languages, I loved that the project brought people from different cultural backgrounds together. Despite the cultural and language differences, it was rewarding to work together and learn from each other’s perspectives.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://skylar-lin.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/movietaku/
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/skylar-lin

Image Credits

Sklyar Lin