Manhattan Edit Workshop (MEWShop), is the only school of it’s kind to offer one comprehensive, six-week course that includes all of the editing applications taught by certified instructors. The Six Week Intensive Course takes students through each program as they work on various real-world projects to illustrate the distinct strengths and nuances of each Non Linear Editing System. MEWShop also runs their annual one-day summit called “Sight, Sound & Story” on June 11, 2016 at the NYIT Auditorium on Broadway. This event includes the art and processes of editing documentary film and episodic television, and behind the green screen with VFX artists. Below is our interview with Jason Banke, President of Manhattan Edit Workshop:

Q: Manhattan Edit Workshop was founded in 2002, tell us something more about the company and your history?

A: MEWShop owner and filmmaker, Josh Apter first founded the school as way to compliment his filmmaking at the time with a consistent source of income. Quickly the school grew from offering a four week editing workshop, to becoming a fully certified school in Apple and Avid. Within five years, the school was a fully functioning training center for standalone classes, our Six Week Intensive editing workshop, and training for all major East Coast post houses and production companies. MEWShop later expanded into becoming an Adobe, Autodesk, and Assimilate Certified Training Center; as well as offering production classes and Blackmagic Resolve workshops in partnership with the International Colorist Academy (ICA).

Q: Could you explain the advantages of MEWShop’s signature Six-Week Intensive?

A: MEWShop is the only school in the world to offer in one comprehensive, six-week course all of these editing applications, taught by certified instructors. No other program guarantees more time in the classroom or more working on one’s own machine. The Six Week Intensive Course takes students through each program as they work on various real-world projects to illustrate the distinct strengths and nuances of each Non Linear Editing System. Our Six Week Intensive is also the only course of its kind that allows students to choose the footage they want to edit on the platform they prefer. Upon completion of the course students will be given the opportunity to apply for the paid editorial internship – via resumes and work samples – through which they will continue their editing training, working on Leftfield shows.

Beyond the creative and technical aspects of editing, a portion of the Six Week Intensive Course also is focused on how to secure a job once the class ends. Students will draft cover letters and resumes, which will be refined over the span of the class, and also discuss with instructors interview strategies and job applications, as well as how to appropriately set rates and find the right work for each graduate’s unique interests.

Q: Tell us something more about about “Sight, Sound & Story” speaker series?

A: From 2009 to 2012, Manhattan Edit Workshop co-produced American Cinema Editors’s (ACE) EditFest NY. When ACE decided to expand their EditFest series to London instead of New York, we decided to continue producing an event in June. We also decided that we wanted to expand the line-up of panels to include all facets and genres of post production such as Sound Design, Visual Effects, Trans-media, Sports Television, Reality Television, Documentary, Narrative Television, and Narrative Film. This has allowed us to open our audiences to all types of storytellers that fall under the “Sight, Sound & Story” banner. To expand on the “Sight” portion of “Sight, Sound & Story,” we launched a standalone evening focused solely on Cinematography last September.

Q: How long have you been running this event?

A: This is our fourth year of running “Sight, Sound & Story.”

Q: Is there anything that sets “Sight, Sound & Story” apart from similar events?

A: We are continually changing our line-ups and bringing in the best in the business to speak. It also gives our attendees first hand access to new technology from sponsor culminating in a networking party, where guests get to meet and greet directly. Our event series isn’t just entertaining in nature, students and professionals actually take a ton of information and inspiration from the show experience that they can utilize in their daily jobs and projects.