Ané Vecchione

Connect

http://www.wongdoody.com

Education

Boston University - Bachelor of Fine Arts, Art Education

Parsons School of Design, New York - Associate’s Degree, Graphic Design

Parsons School of Design, New York - Master of Fine Arts, Design and Technology

All those commercials you see on TV have to be edited by someone. And the person who goes through the hours upon hours of footage for WONGDOODY’s clients is Ané Vecchione. In this position for about four and a half years, Ané has edited commercials for clients ranging from Full Tilt Poker to ESPN and the Harlem Globetrotters. Ané is the type of person who is creative in all aspects of her life. She enjoys oil painting, documentary film projects and creating imaginative charity fundraisers that raise money for breast cancer.

Find out what -- and who -- inspires you, and then envision yourself doing it.

How did you discover your current job?

I was the in-house editor and post production manager at Ground Zero advertising for four years before coming over to WONGDOODY when the companies merged. I’ve been the editor at WONGDOODY since March 2010.

What has been your path so far to get you where you are today?

My career path spans across fine arts, design, new media and film and television. My love of fine arts, painting and sculpture evolved into an appreciation for new media and filmmaking.

Was there any one situation that helped you along your way?

I offered my services for many charity projects when I first moved to LA. I would design, edit and shoot just to help out, gain experience and meet new people. I found that by volunteering and doing something I loved at the same time, I was building small bridges and making connections that would really come in handy down the road.

What is your typical day like? Does it ever change?

My typical day consists mostly of editing spots for clients, video encoding and DVD authoring. I work closely with the in-house print and design studio gathering elements I may need for a video. I also am in touch with the broadcast department -- speaking with producers and the creatives about the cuts and getting client feedback. It’s a constant collaboration and a real team effort. I honestly never know what is going to happen or what I am going to be doing hour to hour and day to day. I could be shooting something for a pitch video, editing footage, putting a reel together for a new business meeting or transcoding a file. I go with the flow and remain flexible at all times.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

The most rewarding part of my job is working with copywriters. They come up with great end tags, slogans, lines whatever you want to call it. I love copywriters. I have met many different kinds in the last five years, and I always enjoy hearing them talk about things, cycle through ideas and play with words. Sometimes when I leave the edit bay “cave” and actually walk around the agency, I’ll pass by a room where the creatives (art directors and copywriters) are working, and there will be a huge mess everywhere. Drawings and words will be tacked up on the wall, toys will be on the floor and shoes will be on the couch. Paper airplanes may be flying, and I may catch a glimpse of a basketball being tossed mid-air. Sometimes there will be a spontaneous burst of laughter coming out of the group. It’s exciting to think that that is actually where all these great ideas are born. It makes me smile.

I also like that there are so many different positions in one place at an ad agency. It’s really cool to be able to work with so many interesting people that bring so much to the table. Seeing all the parts work, how a spot comes together, and how our agency talks to the client, is really inspiring.

From a more technical standpoint, I enjoy sifting through beautiful raw footage and searching for my selects (favorite shots) and then watching my cut come to fruition. When the footage comes in it’s very exciting. There are all these little takes (shots) that you are seeing for the first time and imagining in a cut. I like to go to the online session and see the resolution and color change and sound get mixed. It’s an amazing feeling when you get out of the driver’s seat and see what you’ve worked so hard on become as beautiful as it can be from another perspective.

What is the most challenging part?

There are so many challenging parts. Creating edit decision lists (EDLS) when there are so many different tape formats, making sure I understand exactly what the team wants, going with the flow and knowing when to stop fiddling with a cut and let it be.

What do you feel is the biggest challenge for women today, particularly females in your industry?

My grandmother worked for Walt Disney in the 1940s and 50s. She was a cell animator for the first animated motion picture, “Snow White.” She worked very long hours as a single mother and would come home and take care of her kids after a long day. When I think of her life back then I feel proud to be related to her and to be a woman doing what I am doing now.

People in the industry will ask me what I do, and when I tell them they will say, “Oh, we have one of you, but he’s a guy.” When I have gone to digital video expos it has really just been me and a bunch of guys. I’m slowly seeing more women filter into these events and positions, which is refreshing.

Who are your role models?

I have many role models. Sofia Coppola for “Virgin Suicides,” Kathryn Bigelow for “Hurt Locker,” Hans Zimmer’s composition, David Lynch for “Mullholland Drive,” Russell Brownley for “Cancer to Capricorn,” Guillermo del Toro for “Pan’s Labyrinth,” Robert Elswit for “Michael Clayton” and Greg McClean, a fine artist turned director of  the Australian horror film “Wolf Creek.”

Errol Morris’s “Fast, Cheap & Out of Control” inspired me greatly in grad school. I remember taking a large notebook into the theater and sketching out shots and ideas that he had juxtaposed in the film. I was sketching in the dark by the light of the film, dreaming of all the things I wanted to make. I storyboarded his film and made note of different types of shots he was stringing together. The camera angles, characters and cuts were inspiring to me. Ten years later, I am editing his gorgeous footage for our Full Tilt Poker client here at WONGDOODY. I feel very fortunate to have had that opportunity.

What advice do you have for girls who want to be in your industry?

Find out what -- and who -- inspires you, and then envision yourself doing it. You’ll get there. Try not to do everything at once. Just pick one thing at a time and focus on it.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Job titles and having a great career is important, but so is having a life. You can get stuck in a dark room for most of your life in the post-production field. Remember to take time to enjoy the people you love, the sunshine and the world around you. When you do this you bring so much more back to the table.