Here’s November’s edition of our #AAFSpotlight feature. Carlo is an editor and photographer for the Emmy® Award-Winning Firerock Productions.
What do you love about what your job?
I love the creativity I have in my job. The toughest days are the ones that I feel uncreative, and I think that’s a pretty good problem to have. I love working with other creative people and feeling like I can be my goofball self.
What makes a good editor?
Bad Footage. I actually really don’t know. I think I’m still trying to figure that out myself. I find that the more limited I am with footage, the harder I have to try and the more I learn.
What drew you to the visual arts?
My dad works in the video/photo industry. Growing up, our family spent a lot of time waiting for dad to get that perfect shot. When I was 8, we waited in a thunderstorm at the Grand Canyon for several hours so he could get a photo of lightning. The photo is beautiful, but at that time I didn’t have the patience or appreciation for the art. I think I got into photogrpahy because I wanted something to do in those moments when I was waiting for him to get the perfect shot. Once I got hooked he tried to get me to study engineering. I gave it a year, but ultimately came back to photos/video.
What’s the toughest shoot you’ve been on?
Perhaps it’s my lack of experience, but shoots always feel fun, even the challenging ones.
What project have you worked on that you are most proud of?
I’m most proud of a childrens’ show we did called “The World of Roey’s Paintbox”. The odds of success were really against us, but a ton of people came together and worked real hard to pull it off. I think it gave me faith that there are more like-minded, creative, passionate people in the area.
Would you rather be shooting or editing? Why?
I think it’s possible to get “the perfect shot”, but I’m not sure that “the perfect edit” is attainable. It feels like there’s always something I’d change, or a different option in the edit. I think this challenege is why I both enjoy and am pained by editing.
Currently, how big is the logo? Do you see it getting bigger? The client wants to know.
No larger than the 90x90px file the client has provided.
About Carlo:
I went to high school at the Performing Arts charter school in Bethlehem, studying music. I think that’s where I got started in the creative field. I find there are a lot of parallels between telling stories with music and with visuals. I got spoiled by the ability to leave class and hang out in the halls and play music, and found it very hard to enjoy being in non-creative atmospheres in college. I eventually ended up in the Radio/TV program at Northampton Community College, where I studied video production. On weekends, I run a small recording studio with a friend where we record and produce music for other people. I’m obsessed with coffee (who isn’t?) and spend the remainder of my time roasting coffee.