This veteran editor started his career at LA’s Rock Paper Scissors, where he spent four years learning the craft from editors such as Bee Ottinger and Angus Wall. After freelancing at Lost Planet, Spot Welders and Nomad, he held staff positions at Cosmo Street, Harpo Films and Beast Editorial before opening Foundation Editorial his own post boutique in Austin.

NAME: Jason Uson

COMPANY: Austin, Texas-based Dell Blue

Can you describe what Dell Blue does?
Dell Blue is the in-house agency for Dell Technologies.

What’s your job Title?
Senior Lead Creative Editor

What does that entail?
Outside of the projects that I am editing personally, there are multiple campaigns happening simultaneously at all times. I oversee all of them and have my eyes on every edit, fostering and mentoring our junior editors and producers to help them grow in their careers.

I’ve helped establish and maintain the process regarding our workflow and post pipeline. I also work closely with our entire team of creatives, producers, project managers and vendors from the beginning of each project and follow it through from production to post. This enables us to execute the best possible workflow and outcome for every project.

To add another layer to my role, I am also directing spots for Dell when the project is right.

Alienware

That’s a lot! What else would surprise people about what falls under that title?
The number of hours that go into making sure the job gets done and is the best it can be. Editing is a process that takes time. Creating something of value that means something is an art no matter how big or small the job might be. You have to have pride in every aspect of the process. It shows when you don’t.

What’s your favorite part of the job?
I have two favorites. The first is the people. I know that sounds cliché, but it’s true. The team here at Dell is truly something special. We are family. We work together. Play together. Happy Hour together. Respect, support and genuinely care for one another. But, ultimately, we care about the work. We are all aligned to create the best work possible. I am grateful to be surrounded by such a talented and amazing group of humans.

The second, which is equally important to me, is the process of organizing my project, watching all the footage and pulling selects. I make sure I have what I need and check it off my list. Music, sound effects, VO track, graphics and anything else I need to get started. Then I create my first timeline. A blank, empty timeline. Then I take a deep breath and say to myself, “Here we go.” That’s my favorite.

Do you have a least favorite?
My least favorite part is wrapping a project. I spend so much time with my clients and creatives and we really bond while working on a project together. We end on such a high note of excitement and pride in what we’ve done and then, just like that, it’s over. I realize that sounds a bit dramatic. Not to worry, though, because lucky for me, we all come back together in a few months to work on something new and the excitement starts all over again.

What is your most productive time of day?
This also requires a two-part answer. The first is early morning. This is my time to get things done, uninterrupted. I go upstairs and make a fresh cup of coffee. I open my deck doors. I check and send emails, and get my personal stuff done. This clears out all of my distractions for the day before I jump into my edit bay.

The second part is late at night. I get to replay all of the creative decisions from the day and explore other options. Sometimes, I get lucky and find something I didn’t see before.

If you didn’t have this job, what would you be doing instead?
That’s easy. I’d be a chef. I love to cook and experiment with ingredients. And I love to explore and create an amazing dining experience.

I see similarities between editors and chefs. Both aim to create something impactful that elicits an emotional response from the “elements” they are given. For chefs, the ingredients, spices and techniques are creatively brought together to bring a dish to life.

For editors, the “elements” that I am given, in combination with the use of my style, techniques, sound design, graphics and music etc. all give life to a spot.

How early did you know this would be your path?
I had originally moved to Los Angeles with dreams of becoming an actor. Yes, it’s groundbreaking, I know. During that time, I met editor Dana Glauberman (The Mandalorian, Juno, Up in the Air, Thank You for Smoking, Creed II, Ghostbusters: Afterlife). I had lunch with her at the studios one day in Burbank and went on a tour of the backlot. I got to see all the edit bays, film stages, soundstages and machine rooms. To me, this was magic. A total game-changer in an instant.

While I was waiting on that one big role, I got my foot in the door as a PA at editing house Rock Paper Scissors. One night after work, we all went for drinks at a local bar and every commercial on TV were the ones (editors) Angus Wall and Adam Pertofsky had worked on within the last month, and I was blown away. Something clicked.

This entire creative world behind the scenes was captivating to me. I made the decision at that moment to lean in and go for it. I asked the assistant editor the following morning if he would teach me — and I haven’t looked back. So, Dana, Angus and Adam… thank you!

Can you name some of your recent projects?
I edited the latest global campaign for Alienware called Everything Counts, which was directed by Tony Kaye. More recently, I worked on the campaign for Dell’s latest and greatest business PC laptop that launches in March 2020, which was directed by Mac Premo.

Dell business PC

Side note: I highly recommend Googling Mac Premo. His work is amazing.

What project are you most proud of?
There are two projects that stand out for me. The first one is the very first spot I ever cut — a Budweiser ad for director Sam Ketay and the Art Institute of Pasadena. During the edit, I thought, “Wow, I think I can do this.” It went on to win a Clio.

The second is the latest global campaign for Alienware, which I mentioned above. Director Tony Kaye is a genius. Tony and I sat in my edit bay for a week exploring and experimenting. His process is unlike any other director I have worked with. This project was extremely challenging on many levels. I honestly started looking at footage in a very different way. I evolved. I learned. And I strive to continue to grow every day.

Name three pieces of technology you can’t live without.
Wow, good question. I guess I’ll be that guy and say my phone. It really is a necessity.

Spotify, for sure. I am always listening to music in my car and trying to match artists with projects that are not even in existence yet.

My Bose noise cancelling headphones.

What social media channels do you follow?
I use Facebook and LinkedIn — mainly to stay up to date on what others are doing and to post my own updates every now and then.

I’m on Instagram quite a bit. Outside of the obvious industry-related accounts I follow, here are a few of my random favorites:

@nuts_about_birds
If you love birds as much as I do, this is a good one to follow.

@sergiosanchezart
This guy is incredible. I have been following his work for a long time. If you are looking for a new tattoo, look no further.

@andrewhagarofficial
I was lucky enough to meet Andrew through my friend @chrisprofera and immediately dove into his music. Amazing. Not to mention his dad is Sammy Hagar. Enough said.

@kaleynelson
She’s a talented photographer based in LA. Her concert stills are impressive.

@zuzubee
I love graffiti art and Zuzu is one of the best. Based is Austin, she has created several murals for me. You can see her work all over the city, as well as installations during SXSW and Austin City Limits, on Bud Light cans, and across the US.

Do you listen to music at work? What types?
I do listen to music when I work but only when I’m going through footage and pulling selects. Classical piano is my go-to. It opens my mind and helps me focus and dive into my footage.

Don’t get me wrong, I love music. But if I am jamming to my favorite, Sammy Hagar, I can’t drive…I mean dive… into my footage. So classical piano for me.

How do you de-stress from it all?
This is an understatement, but there are a few things that help me out. Sometimes during the day, I will take a walk around the block. Get a little vitamin D and fresh air. I look around at things other than my screen. This is something (editors) Tom Muldoon and John Murray at Nomad used to do every day. I always wondered why. Now I know. I come back refreshed and with my mind clear and ready for the next challenge.

I also “like” to hit the gym immediately after I leave my edit bay. Headphones on (Sammy Hagar, obviously), stretch it out and jump on the treadmill for 30 minutes.

All that is good and necessary for obvious reasons, but getting back to cooking… I love being in the kitchen. It’s therapy for me. Whether I am chopping and creating in the kitchen or out on the grill, I love it. And my wife appreciates my cooking. Well, I think she does at least.

Photo Credits: Dell PC and Jason Uson images – Chris Profera