MOONLIGHT EDITING NOMINATION MAKES OSCAR HISTORY
Film’s co-editor talks about being the first black woman recognized in the category and how she got her start
When Joi McMillon was a junior in high school, she really wanted to be a journalist for the Orlando Sentinel. But during a tour of Universal Studios, she stumbled upon a guy using the program Avid to edit an episode of Animal Plan
et. She was instantly mesmerized — and sold. She also wanted to be an editor.
Once she returned home, McMillon began researching film schools, eventually settling on Florida State. It was there that she met director Barry Jenkins and film editor Nat Sanders. And the rest is history, literally, now that McMillon, working with Jenkins and Sanders on Moonlight, has become the first black woman ever nominated for the editing Oscar.
The nod is especially notable considering the Miami-set coming-of-age tale about a black boy struggling with his sexuality is McMillon’s first job as a lead editor — after more than 10 years being second on editing teams. But if the Academy Award nomination is any indication, that’s more a comment on the barriers to growth for black women in the below-the-line role of editing and less her talent.
The Los Angeles Times spoke with McMillon about making history, her start in reality TV and the importance of mentorship.
What was your first editing job in the industry?
My first part on an editorial team was as night assistant editor on The
Surreal Life, Season 3 with Flavor Flav and Brigitte Nielsen. It’s so funny because I remember working on that season, having only been in L.A. four or five months, thinking this is what’s going to kill reality television. I couldn’t have been more wrong. My first time actually cutting something was a teaser for Beauty and the Geek.
How was the transition from reality TV to film?
It’s a tough one to make. My goal was to only be in reality television to get my 100 days so that I could apply to the Motion Picture Editors Guild and get in the union and start working in features. But I ended up staying 21⁄ years. One of the editors I met 2 put me up for The Sarah Silverman
Program, which was scripted. Then I was bold after one screening and talked to an editor, Paul Trejo, after watching Green Street Hooligans, and told him I loved how he cut the movie. He said we should meet for coffee and go over my resume. Two months later he had handed my resume to Terilyn Shropshire, and she hired me on Talk to Me as an apprentice editor. That was my first feature. Was it difficult being a black woman, in terms of getting a foot in the door? I remember applying to jobs on Craigslist and Mandy.com thinking, “This is my job. This is the one.” And then no one calls you. I know how disheartening that is, so I’ve been a big advocate for people coming up behind me, sending me their resumes and putting them in contact with people for jobs. A lot of times it’s about who you know. These groups are so specific, almost like cliques, so literally once you meet the right person, it’s a whole new world for you.
The hard jump for me was moving from first assistant editor to editor. Everyone kept saying, “You don’t have the right credits or no feature film credits.” “You’ve done a lot of Tyler Perry movies.” I just wasn’t getting the job. What’s a lesson you learned on Moonlight that you’ll take to next projects?
I think one of the lessons I learned was allowing the footage to speak to you. Sometimes as an editor you’re trying to pace things up to keep the audience engaged, but we learned to just allow moments to breathe and allow the audience to become acquainted with the surroundings. When we were cutting the diner scene, I was slightly nervous that we were lingering too long, but a lot of people tell me that they love being in that diner. You have to trust your instinct and your gut. Barry would always say, “Don’t break it. It feels good.” You’ve got to listen to that feeling. What’s a trick of your trade that the audience may not realize is necessary?
Slipping lines into people’s mouths. We can take audio from a different take. What advice do you have for people of diverse backgrounds who want to edit?
I would say don’t hesitate to reach out. Editors are not getting a ton of fan mail. But we love to help out other people. I can’t speak for all editors, but all of the ones I reached out to, they responded and offered to have me come into their cutting rooms. Back in the day, it used to be a whole lot easier. Now it’s a little bit harder to get in touch, but once you do, it’ll be worth your while.