Ep111: Parenting In a Post-Pandemic Hollywood | with Natalie Boschan, Bari Winter, Yvette Amirian ACE, and Monica Daniel

With work in the entertainment industry slowly beginning to trickle in and productions ramping up over the coming weeks and months, you’d think we could all just “go back to normal,” right?

WRONG.

The new version of post-pandemic work is going to be anything but normal (and frankly Normal. Wasn’t. Working), and for one very specific group, this is uncharted (and terrifying) territory: Parents.

In the latest ‘Optimizer’ community Q&A, our community welcomes four hardworking moms in various stages of their careers in the entertainment industry. Editor Yvette Amirian (ACE), Editor Natalie Boschan, Editor/AE Monica Daniel, and Assistant Editor Bari Winter have all been simultaneously juggling busy careers while also doing their best to raise children during a global pandemic.

We talk about how we can balance the vast needs of Hollywood production while still doing our best to be present parents. We discuss tips and strategies for handling this delicate balancing act. My guests also share their fears and hopes about navigating pre-pandemic expectations in a post-pandemic working world.

In this very candid conversation, we cover many topics including:

• How can we balance the vast needs of Hollywood production and post-production when we’re still homeschooling our kids, daycare isn’t open, or we can’t afford a nanny anymore?
• Will working from home mean that we NEVER get any time away from the office to be a parent because of endless emails and texts where people need things 24/7?
• Will people be less likely to hire me again if I’m a parent working from home?

Whether you are a parent or not, this conversation will address the issues of managing and sustaining your personal life while taking your career to the next level.

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Here’s What You’ll Learn:

• “Real-life” insight into balancing parenting and work obligations when it feels impossible
• How to tackle the question of getting a nanny during a pandemic and the importance of separating work and child care duties when working from home
• The best ways to make sure your kids are actively engaged in learning while you work from home (so that they don’t get left behind academically)
• How to keep yourself healthy and avoid burnout from trying to be “supermom” (or dad)
• Why normal wasn’t working for parents and how we will literally kill ourselves if we try to resume the status quo
• The real reasons moms tend to put themselves last and feel obligated to take care of everyone else first
• What the “theatre of work” is and how we need to teach producers to let us manage our own time
• How to set boundaries when working from home by communicating clearly and confidently
• Productivity tips on creating effective workflows so everyone is on the same page with boundaries and communication
• The different standards between being a mom in the workplace versus being a dad (and how moms have to navigate that)
• FACT: It’s harder for moms to get hired. When women reveal they have children, are they being explicitly discriminated against?
• Managing the dynamics of juggling family activities, finances, career advancement, and job obligations
• Why “time is the great equalizer” (everyone has the same amount of it) and how to use that to your advantage when setting expectations
• Detailed strategies for dealing with guilt about missing bedtimes or activities
• How to communicate with your kids the importance of taking time for yourself
• The valuable mindset shift of “work/life presence” vs. “work/life balance”

Useful Resources Mentioned:

EP 99: How to Provide Value and Get Paid What You’re Worth with Monica Daniel

Dear Hollywood: We Don’t Want to “Go Back to Normal.” Normal Wasn’t Working.

The “Working From Home Survival Guide” (Free Course)

Parenting Resources for Creative Professionals

Our Generous Sponsors:

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Guest Bios:

Natalie is an editor working in scripted television. She started her career editing short form content including trailers, DVD content and marketing videos for major motion picture releases. She made the move to scripted television as an assistant editor on season 7 of Burn Notice. After working on several series as an AE including Once Upon A Time, Empire, Shooter and Punisher she made the leap to Editor on season 2 of Shooter. Since then her editing credits have included Stargirl, LA’s Finest and Star.

In between all that editing, Natalie has found time to become a mom to a lovely 2 year old boy. She’s done her best to balance family and work, but there are always challenges and she hopes to be apart of the solution to help parents working in post overcome some of those challenges.

Bari Winter is an accomplished television assistant editor. She started in news, sports and reality tv eventually moving into scripted television. Her credits include The Middle (ABC), Bluff City Law (ABC), and most recently season 2 of Doom Patrol (HBO Max). Bari is currently taking Zack Arnold’s Focus Yourself course with the goal of moving into the editors chair in the near future.

Bari has a BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

Yvette M. Amirian, ACE is an award-nominated film and television editor. After graduating from USC’s School of Cinema-Television, she built a successful career, and has been transitioning seamlessly between cutting scripted and documentary content for the better part of two decades.

In 2011, she and her team received an Eddie Award nomination from the American Cinema Editors for their work on Animal Planet’s Whale Wars. In 2017, she edited and produced John Singleton’s L.A. Burning: The Riots 25 Years Later for A&E, which was nominated for a Primetime Emmy (Outstanding Documentary Special).

Yvette is a proud member of the Motion Picture Editor’s Guild, the Academy of TV Arts & Sciences, and the American Cinema Editors (ACE). She also teaches editing at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, and loves educating future generations of aspiring filmmakers.

Yvette lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two sons.

Monica Daniel has edited various genres of television that have been broadcast worldwide over the last decade. She is known for her “sh*tting sparkles” slogan from her award show red carpet work. She recently transitioned from editing reality television into a high level scripted network show, and our conversation today breaks down her journey and how you can walk away with actionable steps to make the same transition, regardless of your situation.

Show Credits:

This episode was edited by Chris Orsi, and the show notes were prepared by Debby Germino and published by Glen McNiel.

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).

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