How does an editor keep fit and fuelled? - Day 7 of Editing Bite

Editing Progress

  • Scenes cut: 17
  • Running Time: 22:09
  • Number of coffees I drink per day: 2 large black javas. Straight up.

We're at the halfway point of production and the timeline is starting to really fill up.

Since I started doing editing on set with The Drownsman, I realized very quickly that I needed to come up with ways to keep myself active. It's no secret that a job that involves endless hours of sitting is horrible for you in the long-term. A lot of people are saying sitting is the new smoking.

Even growing up I was never really active. Didn't play sports and my idea of an awesome time was playing videos games with friends rather than playing outside. But at this point in my life, with the work that I do, I have found a strong appreciation for a more active lifestyle.

And we're not talking about running marathons or power lifting at the gym for 2 hours a day. I simply promise myself to make time to respect my body and keep it in decent condition for while I am working on a film.

On Antisocial 2 in October I had the benefit of access to a giant yard to retreat to. There I could put in an hour jumping rope, running a few laps, pushups, pull ups and other body exercises. Simple.

For Bite I give myself at minimum 30 minutes in the morning for 3 days of the week to do a light bodybuilders routine. I'm now starting to alternate those morning routines with some yoga, too. On my off days, I fit in an hour-long hot yoga class to really stretch the body out and recenter my mind.

This extra time comes out of my breakfast (something I value a LOT) so I've gotten used to preparing quick meals to grab in the morning or make an energy-boosting shake with some frozen fruit, avocado, chia seeds and coconut milk.

If I keep to this routine, my body has energy to work throughout the day and I don't need nearly as much coffee to keep me going. If I don't, my body becomes sluggish my noon and it starts to affect my drive. It becomes a struggle to make it to the end of the day and still be editing with the fervour that I need.

All this means that this healthier, more positive editor will churn out more scenes in a day, and those scenes will be booming with creative, motivated cuts and not just be half-assed, cut-by-number scenes.

Do you have a desk job and find yourself sitting for many hours of the day? What do you do to keep active and feed your body?

Or maybe you're the opposite and have a physically-demanding job? What do you do in your off-time to keep yourself fit for a hard day's work?

Onward to Day 8.