Meet Marie Lessel | Freelance Editor and Assistant Editor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marie Lessel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marie, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk taking has always been a little scary for me. When people ask me whether I like taking risks, I usually say no. Because in general, I don’t. You’ll likely never see me skydiving. But then I remember how much risk taking it took for me to get to where I am right now. Coming from Denmark, and choosing to move my whole life to LA to pursue my dream of being a filmmaker was a big risk. Having faith that I’d find a way to pay for 3 years of Grad Film school at USC was also a big risk. And that I’d be able to work as an editor after graduation. But here I am.

I think it’s a lot easier taking risks that lead you closer to your bigger life goals.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As an editor, I essentially get to re-write a story, experiment with different ways of expressing its themes and narrowing in on the most effective and compelling way to get everything across on the screen. It’s such a tough process, because, like with most art, there’s no right or wrong solution. Just an endless amount of different creative approaches which at some point lead to something that feels right.

I thrive working specifically within the genres of horror and comedy. I’ve always been heavily interested in both, as well as the cross-section between the two. Editing to elicit laughs, or, on the opposite, but similar end, to elicit scares, is something I really love. It’s always thrilling for me to see what reactions I can create in people. While I enjoy working on genres all across the board, these are the two that I always gravitate towards, and hope to work on even more in the future.

I’ve been fortunate to have edited some really exciting genre-projects in the past year, including the horror film The Spirit Became Flesh, screening at a bunch of really cool genre film festivals this year, including Telluride Horror Show, and the genre thriller American Girl, which was an official selection at Hollyshorts and LA Shorts International Film Festival this year. I’m so excited to be where I am right now, getting to work on films that really resonate with my brand.

It took a lot of work, and tireless nights spent editing for free through film school. I studied Film and Media studies in Denmark for my undergrad, learning the academic ins and outs of film, before working for a little under two years as an Assistant Editor in television. Wanting to broaden my network outside of Denmark, I ventured to USC School of Cinematic Arts in LA for my Master of Fine Arts. For the past four years, I’ve spent most of my time editing and assistant editing on various projects, ranging from pitch videos, to documentary, to absurd comedy and horror, honing my craft and making a name for myself as an editor in a new country. Since graduating I have been working on multiple short films and feature productions, both independently and at production companies, using both my editing and assistant editing skills.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There’s so many cool places to visit in LA, but one of my favorites is The Largo on La Cienega. It’s a venue with tons of awesome improv and comedy shows and a small venue atmosphere which is so cozy. Highland Park bowl is really cool, not only for the bowling but for the historic building as well. Arts District Brewing Company is also a really great place to come to hang out and drink craft beers, and they even have free Skeeball on Mondays. I’ve always loved skeeball.

As far as food, my first stop would be Sockerbit – a Swedish Candy store near The Grove. They’ve got the best Scandinavian candy that really reminds me of home. Yamashiro is a Japanese restaurant with delicious (although pricey) food with a really beautiful atmosphere and incredible view over the city. And for some comfort food, I’d stop by In’N’Out.

Lastly, although I’m not really an outdoorsy person, I’d definitely recommend going for a hike. There are so many amazing spots all around LA, the most obvious (and touristy one) being a hike up to the Griffith Conservatory.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people who are vital to my story, but I really want to shout out two of my fellow editors and post production people, Cristina Headrick and Cecily Lo. Both of them are incredibly talented editors, and Cecily also does amazing visual effects. They’ve been such a strong support system for me, because they understand the stress and struggles that editing can entail. We’re always there for each other, whether it be to troubleshoot when an export isn’t working, or to hold each other accountable on meeting our many deadlines, or to refer each other to job opportunities.

Having a solid network really is vital in this industry, and I’m very fortunate to count these two as my friends!

Website: https://marieslessel.wixsite.com/marie-lessel

Instagram: @spockrulez

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-lessel-67287816b/