I wanted to share something that’s come across my radar as a potential work opportunity, especially for anyone feeling the slowdown in traditional film and TV right now. There’s a new market exploding around vertical shorts / micro-dramas. You’ve probably seen pieces of this already on TikTok, ReelShort, DramaBox, ShortMax, etc., but what’s happening behind the scenes is interesting. These platforms are producing scripted, episodic content designed for mobile: - Episodes are typically 1–3 minutes - Seasons can run 30–75 episodes - Content is bundled and sold directly to users inside apps - And yes — these shows are being edited by real humans This isn’t a gimmick. It’s becoming a full-on production ecosystem with producers, production companies, schedules, deliverables, and post workflows. Different from long-form TV, obviously — but still very real work. Here’s a link to the search I did which gives you a broader overview of the space so you can get the lay of the land:👉 CLICK THIS LINK If things are slow for you right now, I’d strongly encourage you to: - Click through all the source links - Start noticing producer names and production companies - Look up where they’re based - And yes — do the footwork and get your resume in front of them Just like any other corner of our industry, opportunities don’t magically appear. You have to follow the breadcrumbs, make connections, and show up prepared. Is this the same as cutting a studio feature or prestige TV series? No. Could it be a way to stay working, build relationships, and gain experience in a rapidly growing sector? Absolutely. At the very least, it’s worth understanding where parts of the industry are heading — especially when audience behavior (mobile-first viewing) is driving real dollars and real production. Hope this helps some of you see another door that might be worth knocking on.

For those who don't know, EDLs out of Avid default to being ALL CAPS. This goes back to spec compliance with CMX3600 and GVG EDLs. Nowadays, this is less important as most conform systems are computer based and not as strict. It also used to be that most camera manufacturers always created tape names that were all caps, so it was a none issue. E012C0021_250902_X01534 is an example of a tape naming convention that is fine. For those who don't know what this tape name is, I'll break it down. E012C0021 means, Cam Roll E012, Clip 21. 250902 is the shoot date: 09/02/2025 X01534 is unique identifier which is usually an abbreviation of the camera serial number. That said, there is a new camera naming convention that I've been seeing used lately and it in includes one lower case character. An example of this is A_0165C007_250911_095758_h1EGB You can see that the last h is lowercase. If you use the EDL Importer to create plates as ALEs, this will create problems because ALEs are case sensitive. Because Avid defaults to converting all EDLs to uppercase, it will display this name as: A_0165C007_250911_095758_H1EGB However, it is possible to change this. There are template files for each EDL that you can modify. You'll find these templates at this location on your computer: /Applications/Avid Media Composer/SupportingFiles/EDL_Manager_Templates/ I always modify both the File32 and File129 template. To do this, first close Avid if it is open and right click on those files one at a time and I open them with BB Edit. At Line 20, you should see toupper_conversion TRUE * Convert all comments and titles. Change TRUE to FALSE and save the file. Now when you export EDLs, your markers, reel names and all other text will be the normal case as it was entered. If you find the EDL Importer is giving you errors with using ALEs for subclips, this should be the first step in trouble shooting. Here is a link to Avid's help forum if you need additional help https://community.avid.com/forums/t/185759.aspx

Just a quick note wishing you all a warm, joyful holiday season filled with light, stories, and moments that stay with you. Enjoy, and get ready for 2026. I think it's going to be a great year! Best, Larry & Richard mastertheworkflow.com

Quick heads up: The certification quizzes for Feature Film Assistant Editor Immersion are live again. If you’re enrolled in the full course and want your Certificate of Completion, you’ll find the link to all the quizzes in the Module 1 → “Before You Begin” section under "Resources" at the bottom of the page. There are 131 questions total, and you need an 80% overall score to pass. You can take them however you like. One at a time, all at once, in any order. You can also retake quizzes as many times as needed. NOTE: Passing is required for Editors Guild reimbursement, if that applies to you. Thanks for your patience while we got this together. Onward to the big edit bays! 🎬✂️

I'd love to open up that good ole' conversation about AI stuff. Preface: I hate AI because of data centers and I feel like we're gonna see a lot of crap because lazy people will have more of a voice. Also...great creative people will have a useful tool too, so it's a double edge sword. I'd like to be on the creative/artistic/hard working side of that edge, so with that interest in mind, what are your current most useful tools to use in our field? Personally I've been having a lot of success using Perplexity.ai for a Youtube channel. I can quickly make silly animations where it doesn't matter if it's perfect or not. (I attached a random one trying to describe someone trying to cook a "turduckensquaqua...") It's also good at making cartoon images of people. I'd love to get a better sense of successful use cases for AI you all have been using. I've personally found things like Sora and Midjourney not great...but maybe others have found good uses. Any great storyboarding platforms out there? (I know Lumarka is on it's way but curious about others too.)