Max Downey

Education

Equipment

My Equipment/Kit: Avid Media Composer, Apple Macbook Pro with Adobe Creative Cloud - Premiere

I can use: Avid Media Composer, Apple Macbook Pro With Adobe Creative Cloud - Premiere

About me

My passion for editing started with making music. I used to spend hours everyday making 'beats' with Cubase and a midi keyboard. I then started shooting with my dads handycam and fell in love with the editing process, which had a similar tracks/sequence setup to the music software. I started to shoot anything just to get it into the edit.

When I was 18 I also managed to get my first running job at BSkyB where I learned to use the PD150 camera, they even let me borrow it to film legal graffiti videos with my friends. I was starting to build a small portfolio which gained me a place on the prestigious Film Production BA course at the Arts University College Bournemouth. This course allowed me to meet other young film makers and get hands on Avid experience. Our graduation films were shot on 16mm, which was great, although we still edited them digitally in the Avid. I graduated with a 2:1. I then started in the industry again as a Runner at Envy Post Production. I spent my free time learning MCR duties and cutting music videos which were shown on MTV Base.

I left Envy and started as an Assistant Editor at Hogarth World Wide (Commercials), working on large advertising campaigns. 18 months later I was promoted to Editor.

I continued to edit music videos and short films in my spare time and eventually was given the opportunity to edit my first feature film, again in my spare time around my dayjob. During the day I was editing toothpaste commercials and in the mornings before work, after work and on the weekends I worked closely with the director to edit the micro budget feature. It did well and was screened in South Koreas BUSAN film festival and London's East End Film Festival.

At the end of 2013 I took the plunge as a freelance Film Editor, landing my first gig on a TV show called F2 Kicks Off, for Renowned Films which was broadcast on ESTV London Live. Later that year I had the great opportunity to edit my second feature film Petroleum Spirit. This had a considerably larger budget and crew than my first film and it was a pleasure to work on. It is due for release soon.

These days I spend most of my time editing national and international advertising campaigns & music videos.

I love the craft of editing, story telling and the emotional effect film can have on an audience. I also enjoy the dual creative and technical processes it involves.

Although I love all the challenges each different type of project can bring, my overriding passion is for Feature Films. My desire to edit grows each day and I constantly strive to create first class films for the people I collaborate with!!
Referees:
On Request

Skills

Job Titles	Video Editor
Years in industry	6+ years