Her Story
About Linda
I have been working as a visual effects editor for 25-30 years, freelancing on feature films as a member of the Motion Picture Editors Guild. In my role, I handle any visual effects that were not shot on location, such as green screen backgrounds, and create temporary composites to show what the final visual effects shots will look like. I work closely with the editorial team and directors to review and make changes, and then coordinate with the final visual effects companies that produce these shots. There are many technical aspects to what I do. I have also worked as a stereoscopic conversion editor, converting films to 3D, which is similar to visual effects work. Throughout my career, I have worked on many films, with The Amazing Spider-Man 2 being one of my most notable projects where I served as the stereoscopic conversion editor. I started my career in Denmark, where I graduated from the Graphical School of Arts as a still photographer and took classes at the Danish Film School before transitioning to editorial. My work often involves 60-65 hour weeks, with many times working 18-20 hour days. I was inspired to enter this field after seeing the film Death in Venice by Visconti, which left such an impact on me that I saw it twice back to back and decided I wanted to work in a medium that would leave an impression on people.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Linda
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to dedication, persistence, and loving what I do. I keep at it even when it's difficult, and I've worked many 20-hour days throughout my career. Most of my jobs have been contracted on a 60 to 65 hour week, and there were many times where I worked 18 to 20 hours, which is difficult but necessary. It's about staying committed to the work and pushing through the challenges.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
When I first started out in visual effects, my mentor told me that if I don't know how to do something, I should ask him and he'll explain it. And if I go back and try to do it and I still don't know how to do it, I should come back and ask him again. Don't be afraid to ask, because it's better to ask 2 or 3 times and get it right than get it wrong or do it wrong.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
You need to have dedication and you need to love what you want to do. You're going to need to start out in a lower position and be humble. Learn along the way and be creative. But also be a team player, because that's really important in this work.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is to work on a project that I enjoy, loving the material and working with the people. That means a lot because we do work very closely together for long hours. So it's not just taking any job because you have to get a job or for financial reasons, but being able to wait it out to get the projects one likes. As for opportunities, there are so many, though the film industry is a little more difficult now than it was some years ago. So you have to take what is a good opportunity when it comes.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I think being a team player is the most important value. I've seen a lot of people trying to work independently, not working with others, and I think the biggest value is working together. You're working together to create something big, and being a team player is essential to that.
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