Sarah Devorkin (Alum, March 2007) 

Editor, Strange Powers: Stephen Merritt and the Magnetic Fields (SXSW 2010)

The 6-week Art of Editing was the best class I've ever taken, and far and away the most valuable for me professionally.  I had dabbled in documentary film since graduating college two years earlier, mostly working as an archival researcher, and was becoming increasingly interested in editing.  However, it seemed that every course I considered taking was either purely technical, or purely academic and theoretical.  I wanted something that dealt with both elements, and the Edit Center course fit that criteria perfectly.  By working on real films that real directors had invested their own time and effort in, I was able to gain invaluable hands-on experience while also learning technical skills from the veteran editors who were my teachers.  Before the class, I had zero to very little experience with Final Cut Pro.  After 6 weeks, I felt completely comfortable with the program. 
The class was a perfect launching pad for me to start working professionally as an editor. The community of editors and filmmakers who circle in and out of the Edit Center provided incredible support to me as I started looking for work, and within a month or so I was interning, then assisting, and finally working as the lead editor on great projects. I've since edited two long-format documentaries and have cut shorts for HBO.  I've maintained friendships with countless people who I've met through the Edit Center, and am very happy to be a member of such a supportive community. 
 
Sarah's editing credits include: Strange Powers: Stephen Merritt and the Magnetic Fields (SXSW, HotDocs, Full Frame 2010) and Burning the Future: Coal in America, asst. editor.