Spend a Day in PJ’s with Television Editor Celeste Diamos

Celeste Diamos has been killing the editing game since graduating from York University’s Film Production program in 2007. She’s edited music videos for artists we love like Esperenza Spalding and Janelle Monae, and spent nights combing through outtakes from Property Brothers, Colin and Justin’s Home Heist and more! How does she do it all? Pizza and power naps. Yup, Celeste gets IT.

SDTC: What does your typical Thursday look like, from waking up to going to bed?

CD: Since I freelance there’s no real “typical Thursday” for me. If I’m on a reality TV gig, it’s very much a 9-5 deal editing at an office, then drinks or dinner after work. If I’m on a music video, I’ll spend the whole day working from home…usually in pajamas, eating pizza, with Law & Order marathoning in the background. If it happens to be a day off, then anything goes!

SDTC: What was your first gig out of school? How did you go about finding steady work in the industry?

CD: My first gig out of school was interning for Cineflix, one of the biggest reality TV production companies in Canada. After a few months I was hired as an assistant editor on their HGTV show Colin & Justin’s Home Heist, and from there continued to make contacts within the company to keep steady employment and eventually move up as full-fledged editor. I also edited music videos on the side and actually lucked out finding work on craigslist of all places.

SDTC: What are the three skills you require most to edit like a boss?

CD: It’s all about storytelling, At it’s core,editing is really about taking different pieces and being able to put a story together. A sense of rhythm/pacing is equally important, as is technical knowledge. The post production landscape is always changing and I need to actively make sure that my software and technical game is on point.

SDTC: Editing for a living must get a little lonely at times. Do you have any rituals to get yourself through the all-nighters?

CD: Power naps!!! Not only is editing lonely, but your eyes start to hurt after looking at so many monitors. So, I’m a huge advocate of the power nap – just a quick 15 to 20 minute refresher and then I’m good to go for a couple of hours, until my next scheduled power nap.

SDTC: What do you love most about your career? What do you find the most challenging?

CD: The idea of having put something cohesive together, which people watch and can connect with is super gratifying. Whether it’s a reality show or music video, it’s great to know that someone out there is watching and enjoying something I was a part of.

There are lots of challenges in the editing realm, but my biggest peeve is production people who flippantly say, “Don’t worry we can fix it in post!” It’s true, if production misses something or messes up, we can and WILL fix it in post…but it takes so many extra hours of hard work when, in reality, the problem could easily have been avoided on the day of.

SDTC: What’s your most memorable gig/work-related experience to date?

CD: My most memorable gig was working on another HGTV show, Design Wars, because the producer was one of the best bosses I’d worked for. He created an awesome team environment and was all about building great camaraderie – afternoon billiards break from the office? Why not! Friday morning mimosas? Sure! As mentioned earlier editing can get lonely, so it was nice to have a gig that wasn’t all spent alone in a dark edit suite.

SDTC: Do you have any warnings for people who want to get into the industry?

CD: Most people start out as assistant editors, doing long (sometimes overnight) hours for little pay relative to what the work expectations are. My warning is that you should be careful not to get taken advantage of! I have come across many companies, which I will not name, that blatantly ignore labour laws and do not compensate employees properly. Fight for what you think is right, read up on Canada’s labour laws and don’t be afraid to say. “No, I don’t want to work another 16 hour day thank you very much!”

SDTC: If you could try a different career for a year, what would it be?

CD: As a kid I wanted to be an archeologist, Indiana Jones-style, so I’d like to try that!