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A Post Pro’s Journey: Making the Move from Jamaica to NYC

By Twain Richardson

In 2022, I decided to close my post production company and moved from the warmth of Jamaica to the cold of New York City. You might be wondering why I would do something like that. Let me start at the beginning.

I began my career as an editor in 2006 in Kingston, Jamaica. I worked with local production teams over the years until I eventually opened a post studio of my own. It was a team of three, and we created magic, working on some of the best productions coming out of Jamaica.

Though I enjoyed the projects we worked on, there was something missing. I wanted to do more. I attended my first NAB in 2017 and it changed everything for me. It was an amazing experience networking with my peers in the industry from around the world.

Jamaica

Twain Richardson embracing NYC and all if offers.

At the same time, the local industry in Kingston was drying up. As technology became more readily available, there was more and more competition in an already small industry. Companies sought the cheaper options. I realized that I had to make some tough decisions.

When I surveyed the market, I recognized that 95% of the colorists/finishing artists that I looked up to were working at a post house. This gave them the support they needed to be creative.

But how would I make the move? I didn’t know where or how to begin.

I continued my journey and placed it in the back of my mind. If it happened, great. If not, I’d live with it. I was working on TV shows, commercials, music videos, documentaries, you name it — the best post work coming out of Jamaica, I was doing it. So why did this feeling still linger? Am I thinking of the grass being greener on the other side when it wasn’t?

I went to NAB 2018 and wrote about my experience for postPerspective. I attended again in 2019, this time demoing DaVinci Resolve for Blackmagic — each time making more connections. I was flying high, but when I got back home, the feeling kicked in again.

During a conversation with a colorist friend of mine, he told me that the company he worked for was seeking a finishing editor. I expressed interest but then carried on with our conversation, not even thinking twice about it. A couple days later, I got an email from Goldcrest Post that they were interested in adding an editor in New York City. Three interviews later, we agreed that it was the right fit for both parties, so I started the process of making the move.

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Twain at the Brooklyn Bridge.

Literally Making the Move
Moving is hard. Moving to another country is even harder. While I visited New York on a few occasions, surely it would be different to live there?

A move like this meant that I would be in a new environment in every single aspect of my life. I was starting a new job, leaving everything and everyone I knew behind. That’s when the doubts started to creep in. There were days when I questioned if I was doing the right thing. Do I want to move and be a little fish in a big pond or stay as the big fish in a little pond?

After some soul searching, I looked at this as a way of getting out of my comfort zone and challenging myself. After all, I wanted a new challenge.

So I packed my bags, and off I went. I can still remember the tears I cried on my way to the airport. I remember the feeling of excitement when I stepped off the plane in New York. This trip marked the beginning of a new journey.

Twain riding the subway

Goldcrest welcomed me with open arms. The team has truly been fantastic to work with, and the environment allows me to be creative. In my capacity as conform/finishing editor, I have completed some amazing projects with my team, including Seasons 5 and 6 of the Netflix series Somebody Feed Phil, Hell of a Cruise from Goldcrest Films and director Nick Quested, and the Disney+ documentary Idina Menzel: Which Way to The Stage, to name just a few.

I’ve also started to attend in-person Post New York Alliance events again for which I serve as a member on its education and diversity committees.

And the city! Oh, the city is buzzing with life and creativity. The food, the people, the parks, the museums…there’s so much to see and do. It’s amazing. Though I’m not fond of the cold, I’m almost through my first winter.

As I close, I want to share with you a message a mentor of mine shared with me a couple years ago. He said, “You have to be like the grazing gazelles on the plains of Africa; you have to go where the opportunities are. When the gazelle runs out of grass to eat, and there are no rain clouds on the horizon to grow more grass, they move on to the next plain, and the next, and the next until they find fertile ground.”

I hope my story inspires you. Change can be frightening. Change is hard. But you will never know what amazing opportunities await you until you do it. So whether you want to change a habit, change your career or change something else, take that leap of faith. And good luck.


Twain Richardson is a conform/finishing editor at New York City’s Goldcrest Post. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram.


5 thoughts on “A Post Pro’s Journey: Making the Move from Jamaica to NYC

  1. Tricia

    Determination and persistence is the key. When life throws you lemons, make lemonade. Your story is very inspiring❤❤.

    Reply
  2. Dean Sutherland

    Look at that we were just talking about Weh yuh deh? Yaad or foreign.
    Big up Twain keep pushing brother.

    Reply
  3. Pamela Peterson-Rose

    This is so informative and so real — I appreciate the encouraging words of strength and compassion—The push you have is so awesome ♥️♥️Love this♥️♥️♥️

    Reply

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