Len Ciccotello is an editor literally at the top of his specific craft: Video content marketing. This includes documentary shorts, long-form behind-the-scenes making-of documentaries, and all of the many cool bonus features you’ll find on Blu-Ray discs or even now on iTunes. He’s worked on such films as Bohemian Rhapsody, Avatar, Ready Player One, The Post, Deadpool, Argo, and several films in the X-Men Franchise, just to name a small few.
Len came to me last year telling me he was ready to make a big transition in his career to editing scripted television and features…except he had no idea where to start. He’s driven, motivated, organized, and focused, but without a roadmap none of that mattered. He had no path and no idea where to focus his energy.
Should he network? Quit his job first, or wait until he had a gig? Does he need to edit more scripted and build a reel? Become an assistant first? Jump right into editing? There were so many paths to choose, so over 12 weeks Len and I worked together one-on-one to design his unique path to success. And in fact he did so well that we had to cancel our last two sessions because he landed a job on his first scripted show by week 10!
My purpose for sharing this case study is to help explain the process that Len and I worked through and the steps he took to make this transition happen and take a huge step forwards in his career, that way you can use some of the same ideas and techniques to move yourself forwards this year, whether or not you’re interested in one-on-one coaching. If after listening to this interview you want to learn more and apply for ‘Optimize Yourself Elite,’ enrollment is currently open but time slots are extremely limited since this program is extremely time-intensive for me.
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Here’s What You’ll Learn:
- What to do when you’re stranded on the wrong career ladder
- Len’s 18-year career in video content marketing
- Being willing to step out of your comfort zone when you’re not being challenged anymore
- How to be patient with the chess game of healthy progress
- Generating the motivation to get things done by establishing ‘why’ you want to complete them
- The common pitfalls the occur when writing out your goals
- Focusing on the things you can control rather than hoping for what you can’t
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Guest Bio:
Len’s career in post production started in New York City working for editor Hank Corwin’s commercial shop Lost Planet where he began as an intern. After 6 years at Lost Planet he moved to Los Angeles in 2000 to pursue working in film and television. For the past 15 years he has been a marketing and documentary editor, working most recently for Mob Scene Creative + Production. There he had the opportunity to work on documentaries for the Blu-ray releases of Avatar, Deadpool, Hidden Figures, Ready Player One and Bohemian Rhapsody. Recently, a constant desire to learn, challenge and improve his work lead him to take a step back to role of assistant editor in order to transition into scripted television.
Len lives in Los Angeles with his wife and 2 dogs and works hard every day to bring love, joy and a sense of calm to those around him.
Show Credits:
This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared and published by Elyse Rintelman. The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).
Note: I believe in 100% transparency, so please note that I receive a small commission if you purchase products from some of t
Zack Arnold
Zack Arnold (ACE) is an award-winning Hollywood film editor & producer (Cobra Kai, Empire, Burn Notice, Unsolved, Glee), a documentary director, father of 2, an American Ninja Warrior, and the creator of Optimize Yourself. He believes we all deserve to love what we do for a living...but not at the expense of our health, our relationships, or our sanity. He provides the education, motivation, and inspiration to help ambitious creative professionals DO better and BE better. “Doing” better means learning how to more effectively manage your time and creative energy so you can produce higher quality work in less time. “Being” better means doing all of the above while still prioritizing the most important people and passions in your life…all without burning out in the process. Click to download Zack’s “Ultimate Guide to Optimizing Your Creativity (And Avoiding Burnout).”