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Today's guest is Marc Wiltshire who is a television editor and a valued member of the Optimizer community. Marc had been working on high profile shows like Star, Our Kind of People, Bel-Air and Wu-Tang: An American Saga. In our conversation, Marc shares his journey of living in Singapore for 4 years to study in film school, to moving to LA, knowing no one, to then getting consistent work on high profile projects.. From the outside perspective, we can say that Marc is just one 'lucky' person. But he played a big role in making his own luck.

Marc is one of the many editors who decided to take the traditional path of becoming an Assistant Editor first before becoming an editor. But what's different is Marc's mindset, which allowed him to shorten his 5-year plan to 2 years. In our conversation, find out why Marc didn’t view taking an AE job as stepping down, but he actually considered a move up.

You’ll also hear how Marc landed his dream job of cutting Wu-Tang with the help of the Optimizer program. We go in depth into the mindset shift he needed to nail one of the toughest interviews of his career.

This student case study with Marc will show you all the necessary tools you need to create your own luck and keep landing your next dream job.

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Here's What You'll Learn:

The role luck played in making Marc's job connections
What gave Marc the confidence to say 'yes' to a high profile opportunity
Why Marc thinks the Assistant Editor route is what's best for him
The importance of narrowing down who you want to work with
How Marc shortened his 5-year plan of sitting in the editor's chair to just 2 years
The big difference between doing the hard work and allowing yourself to be exploited
The importance of surrounding yourself with the right people
The course in the Optimize Yourself program that made Marc land his dream job
The mindset shift Marc needed to help nail his toughest job interview

Useful Resources Mentioned:

Ep234: [CASE STUDY] How to Make the Most of Slow Work Periods and Make a Career Pivot | with Malinda Zehner Guerra

Ep70: To Assist or Not to Assist…That Is the Question (pt 1) | with Chris Cavanagh

Continue to Listen & Learn

Ep204: [CASE STUDY] How to Make Your Dream Project a Reality | with Matt Allen and Matthew Gentile

Ep192: [CASE STUDY] How a Single Outreach Email Led to a Dream Job at Marvel | with Matthew Farrugia

Ep172: [CASE STUDY] Landing Your Dream Job Isn’t About “Luck,” It’s About Strategy | with Fabian Corrado & Nick Towle

Ep243: [CASE STUDY] Beyond NCIS: Abandoning Job Security (Without Burning a Bridge), Optimizing Unemployment, & Embracing Fear of the Unknown | with Luke Brown

Ep12: The Right Way to Network In Hollywood | with Chris Visser

Ep137: How to Negotiate Your Real Value (and Advocate For Yourself) As an Assistant Editor | with Scott Jacobs

Ep229: Why Providing Value & Supporting Your Community is Essential | with Shiran Carolyn Amir, ACE

Ep71: To Assist or Not to Assist…That Is the Question (pt 2) | with Wellington Harrison

Ep104: How to Keep Working As An Editor (After You’ve Made the Transition From AE) | with Susan Vaill, ACE

Ep76: Transitioning to Scripted Television (Without Becoming an AE) | with Phil Habeger & Toni Ann Carabello

Ep39: Breaking “Bad” From Assistant to Editor | with Kelley Dixon, ACE (pt 1)

Ep40: Breaking “Bad” From Assistant to Editor | with Kelley Dixon, ACE (pt 2)

Guest Bio:

marc-wiltshire-bio Marc Wiltshire

Marc Wiltshire is a Film & Television Editor known for Wu-Tang: An American Saga, BEL-AIR, and Lee Daniels' STAR.

Born in Montreal, Canada, now residing in Los Angeles, Marc initially found his passion for storytelling through writing, leading him to write and direct several short films. While editing his first short film on a 16mm Steenbeck, Marc discovered his passion for Film Editing. He is committed to making bold choices, protecting the story, and bringing the best version of the filmmaker's vision to life.

An alumnus of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Film Department, Marc worked closely with Oliver Stone and Todd Solondz in the making of his short film My Avatar, which premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival in 2011. His film Bullshit (2016) became a hit on the festival circuit, winning awards in Canada, the United States, and Australia.

Prior to moving to LA, Marc lived in Singapore for four years editing dozens of short films, commercials, music videos, and documentaries.

An avid cinephile and record collector, you can find Marc at the movies every week.

Show Credits:

This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, 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).

Ep244: [CASE STUDY] How Marc Wiltshire Optimized His Cold Outreach Strategies (and Expanded His Network) to Land His Dream Job

Optimize Yourself