Ryann Harrison is an editor at Cutters, a high-end editorial and post studio in Detroit. She joined Cutters as an assistant editor in 2018, rising to editor this past June.
A graduate of Central Michigan University, Harrison earned her master’s degree in video editing from DePaul University. She began her career as a receptionist for Whitehouse Post and became an assistant editor at Hudson Edit before joining Cutters. Her credits include campaigns for Ford, General Motors, Chevrolet, GMC, Quicken Loans and the Detroit Lions.
Let’s find out more…
Can you talk about what you do as an editor and what it means to you?
I piece together footage, music, voice, stills, sound effects and graphics to tell a cohesive and complete story. I look at editing as being very poetic. There is always a reason why I made a cut. It’s always intentional and artistic.
What would surprise people the most about what falls under that title?
You have to have strong people skills. While on paper being an editor is a technical job, you have to build relationships and rapport with your clients so they want to continue working with you. Being an incredible editor is only half the battle.
Buick and NCAA’s “See Her Greatness” March Madness campaign
Can you name some recent jobs?
Buick and NCAA’s “See Her Greatness” March Madness campaign.
Being a part of a campaign that highlights women and their accomplishments was extremely meaningful to me as a woman in a male-dominated industry. I was the assistant to Kathryn Hempel, who is an incredible female editor. She really inspires me, and that made working on Buick’s campaign that much more incredible.
Can you talk about transitioning to work-from-home?
My job became fully remote overnight. I set up a desk on a camping table in my kitchen and that’s where I worked for six months. Once I started to realize this wasn’t temporary, I ditched the bed in the guest room and turned it into my office.
With the lack of production and shoots happening during shutdown, editing and post production became the only way to produce commercials. We had to pivot and adapt to this new way of cutting. For the first year of COVID, we were cutting from previously shot footage, existing spots and stock footage. We still cut a lot of incredible spots this way.
Do you expect these workflows to stay with us going forward?
Everyone is so accustomed to working from home now. It would be difficult to hold onto and hire talent if we required everyone to work in the studio, in-person. To a degree, I think this is the new normal.
What software do you edit on?
I use a combination of Avid Media Composer and Adobe Premiere Pro… with a sprinkle of Adobe After Effects.
Are you often asked to do more than edit? If so, what are you asked to do?
I read A LOT of voiceovers. As our resident female voiceover artist, I do all the scratch reads for the entire Detroit office. It’s awesome because sometimes it leads to me getting booked for the actual gig!
What’s your favorite part of the job?
Collaborating with a range of clients on new and exciting campaigns. Because commercial production is so fast-paced, every few weeks I am on an entirely new project with a new group of creatives. It keeps me on my toes and is a constant learning experience.
What’s your least favorite?
These days, it’s the lack of in-person collaboration. I sincerely miss being in the room with creatives and working through edits together. Working remotely is great, but it does hinder the creative process a bit. I also miss my co-workers.
Harrison’s home editing setup
What is your most productive time of day and why?
Unlike the majority of the industry, I am a total morning person. I wake up at 5am most days, hit a cycling class, then start working by 7:30am. I tend to be most productive then because I have fewer interruptions while the rest of the world sleeps.
If you didn’t have this job, what would you be doing instead?
I never met a dog I didn’t like, so I think I’d be a vet. I always excelled at school, so the extensive studying and schooling wouldn’t phase me!
How early did you know this would be your path?
I knew I wanted to work in the video production industry from a very young age. When I was 7, my mom got a video camera for Christmas, and I never put it down. My friends and I were always making our own movies for fun. I knew I wanted to get into editing specifically when I got to college and was able to explore all aspects of filmmaking through different college courses.
What are three pieces of technology you can’t live without?
My iPad, my iPad, my iPad. Most people get iPads, use them for a month, then they collect dust somewhere. I use my iPad to teach my cycling classes, listen to music, text, check emails, play games and watch TV. I love that little thing.
This is a high-stress job. What do you do to de-stress from it all?
In all honesty, I watch a lot of reality television. It’s a nice escape to relax and watch something that takes no effort to comprehend.
