The Zack Arnold Podcast From NHL Hockey Player to Editing Sharknado 2
Vashi Nedomansky, editor of Sharknado 2 and many other films and documentaries, as well as a consultant on several projects such as Deadpool, Gone Girl, and House of Cards, is quite possibly the coolest editor on the planet. I can honestly say I've never met an editor who was a former NHL hockey player. And while the combination of professional athlete and film editor may not make a lot of sense at first, in this episode we dive deep into how the mindsets of being successful in either profession are incredibly similar.
We geek out on sports psychology, physiology, how Vashi stays fit living in the edit bay, how to earn the trust of your directors and producers, cool ways to set up hot keys, developing mental fortitude....we basically run the gamut.
Want to kick some ass in the edit bay? Vashi will show you how.
(Editor's Note: In the show intro Zack mentions that Vashi played hockey for the Detroit Red Wings. This is incorrect. Vashi played in the New York Islanders and Los Angeles Kings organizations. This will be corrected soon, our apologies for the error).
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Topics of Conversation:
- Vashi’s recent films and background in film editing
- Why he likes to switch up his projects between features, commercials, music videos, etc
- How managing energy, time and focus can help you become a better editor
- How Vashi used movies to learn English and assimilate to American culture
- Vashi’s experience playing Division 1 hockey in college while making his own films
- Editors of a certain generation have the same common story: editing VHS to VHS
- Why watching all your footage is important
- Think before you edit
- What’s harder: being in the trenches as a hockey player or an editor?
- It’s not about talent, it’s about having the mental fortitude in a professional atmosphere
- Earning trust on the ice and in the edit bay is the key
- Drills to help you become a more efficient and faster cutter
- How physical activity and outdoor time makes Vashi a better editor
- Doing mental exercises when you have time off will help you stay sharp in the editing room
- Sharing the Premiere Pro workflow on Deadpool, Gone Girl and House of Cards
- How Vashi manages his time so he can fit in one hour of exercise per day while working multiple jobs
- If you want to make positive changes put it in your schedule -- make it happen!
- Once you have confidence in yourself, people will have confidence in you
- Some tools Vashi uses in his edit bay to stay in shape at the office
- Why doing short bursts of exercise (10 push ups, 5 times a day) will give you a great workout for the day
- If you can fit a yoga mat in your bay, you can have a great workout every day right next to your computer
- Instead of a coffee break, try a 30 second push-up break!
Useful Links:
FiP Podcast Ep60: Legendary Film Editor Walter Murch on Surviving 50+ Years In Post
TED Talk: Amy Cuddy - Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are
'Captain of Crush' grip strengthener set
Guest Bio:
The first professional hockey player to become a Hollywood film editor with 9 feature films to date. Owner of VashiVisuals.com he shares his filmmaking experiences from the trenches and his love of cinema. Editor of Sharknado 2 and worked on Gone Girl, Deadpool and lover of exercise and potato vodka.
Find Vashi on social media
Twitter: @vashikoo
Instagram: vashikoo
Facebook: vashivisuals
Show Credits:
This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, the show notes were prepared by Natalie Boschan, and this show is executive produced by Kanen Flowers. We are a member of the THAT STUDIO podcast network.
The music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Dorian Cheah from his brilliant album ARA.