Meet Abbey Letizia | Film Editor

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

Hi Abbey, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
The most important lesson I have learned so far in my career as a film editor is that no goal is too big to achieve. If you really want something and you work hard for it, there’s nothing that’s too big or out of the question. Keep pushing yourself and strive for great things, but always do what feels right for you. For me, my passion lies within narrative editing so I try to do as much of that as I can to fill up my creative cup.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I definitely still have a long way to go in my career as a film editor and have goals and aspirations I want to achieve, but I’m really proud of how car I’ve come. I moved to the other side of the world at 22 years old, I didn’t know anyone and had to relearn how to be a functioning adult in America. There’s been so many ups and downs but it’s been very worth it.

After I graduated from AFI, I was working at Paradise Creative in LA on multiple social media marketing campaigns for big films and TV shows. One of the campaigns I was chosen to work on as the editor was for Apple TV’s original feature film Fingernails, starring Jessie Buckley and Jeremy Allen White. I cut an “Inside Look” social edit for the film, giving audience members just a little more than a trailer to excite them to stream the film. This is one of those edits I look back on and am really proud of and I think it’s something that shows just how far I’ve come. You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDYhOz8AIk4

Similarly, I’ve worked on many different social edits for Jake Gyllenhaal and Conor McGregor’s reimagined film Road House, as well as Lisa Vanderpump’s new series Vanderpump Villa. Working at Paradise taught me so much about editing, the industry, and all the different paths that I can take my career.

Although I loved working in marketing, narrative long form content will always be where my passions lie. There’s nothing better than sitting in the edit suite with your director (who is also one of your close friends), and playing around with footage, trying every possible combination with no judgment or anxiety from it not working. The edit room is a safe place where we can play and laugh and collaborate.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’ve been living in New York City for almost a year now, and I very strongly believe it is the best city in the world, (is that controversial?). There is always something weird and magical going on in this place. If my best friend was coming, we would obviously have to hit all the touristy places: Ride to the top of the Empire State Building, cycle/walk around Central Park, walk the Brooklyn Bridge at sunrise, Times Square etc. I would also take her around Brooklyn where I live and hit some of my local dive bars and some of the amazing restaurants in Williamsburg or Fort Greene. Of course we’d go shopping in Soho and to L Train Vintage – my favorite place to thrift!

One of my favorite things to do in New York is to get the subway into the city, dropped off anywhere downtown, and just walk up and see what you find. You’re guaranteed to see some amazing outfits, fun entertainment, come across some wonderful food. The city is limitless and so magical in my opinion.

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?
I owe a lot of my success to the American Film Institute, and the teachers and students who mentored me and came on the ride along side me. I graduated from AFI in 2023 with a masters in film editing and came out with multiple short films, one web series and a whole lot of guidance and support under my belt. My mentor in my second year, Marty Nicholson (known for Game of Thrones, Roots, Deadwood: The Movie) taught me so much, not only about editing but about the world and what I should strive for. He has supported all my endeavors and elevated my editing brain to a whole new level. In the same vein, RP Sekon, another staff member at AFI has been my biggest cheerleader since I moved to LA in 2021. He is always there when I need a coffee chat, gives me life advice, hypes me up and makes me feel like I’m making all the right decisions. Without him I’d be completely lost. There’s so many other people obviously who have helped me along the way like of course my parents, my friends back home in Australia, my classmates at AFI, the list goes on and on!

Instagram: @abbeyletizia

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbey-letizia-b74914190/

Image Credits
Head Shot: Ilayda Cetinkaya
Stills from We Met At Camp: Jenny Leavitt