20/20 Visual Media Spotlights Christina Betz
With Women’s History Month underway, we’re excited to take some time to reflect on and celebrate women’s contributions within the video production industry. We chatted with Christina Betz, 20/20 Visual Media’s very own Post Production Supervisor, to get to know what inspires her work, share what advice she has for young women in the field, and highlight some of her favorite women leaders in media production.
What’s your favorite part of the post-production process?
I really love being able to craft a story from the ground up. It’s both daunting and exciting to have a truly blank canvas when starting on a freshly shot project. I’m very fortunate to work with extremely talented people who capture hours of great footage (thanks, Patrick) and collect deep interviews (thanks, Rob). It makes my job so much easier to have too much to work with and allows me to put together stories without compromising.
How would you describe your coaching/mentoring style? As a supervisor in post-production, how do you offer support to new team members at 20/20 Visual Media?
I think of myself as a very hands-on mentor or teacher. When I get to work with our interns, I really love being able to sit down with them during the first few weeks and seeing what abilities they have, what they want to learn and how I can help them. After that introduction, I really want them to do what they want and experiment with their skills. My favorite part though is being able to help them problem-solve or answer questions I hadn’t even thought of. Usually, they help me be a more well-rounded, creative and efficient editor by the end. As a supervisor, I really trust my co-workers and fellow producer/editors, Dan and Matt, and know that we all have something to teach each other. I enjoy when I can help them solve a problem equally as much as I enjoy reviewing projects with them bouncing ideas off each other. It’s nice to have to a comfortable relationship with them, where we can each push each other to be a little more creative or make something a little more polished.
What do you like about your job? What challenges/inspires you?
I love being able to work on so many varied projects. I’ve outgrown jobs and felt I’ve reached my potential in the past, but with such a diverse portfolio of clients and video projects I rarely feel that. I’m constantly moving between productions ranging from instructional courses to business owner profiles, to content made for kids with bright colors and squiggly shapes. Not having to settle into one type of editing, thematically or visually, helps me hone my skills and allows me to constantly experiment with techniques. I know when something inspires me when a particular visual sticks with me, or I find myself questioning how something was put together in the middle of a movie of show. Those moments certainly challenge me to be a better creative and break out of my editing norm.
As a woman in the video production and editing field, do you have any tips for young women looking to start their careers in the media industry?
I don’t have much advice outside of just working hard and trying to make what YOU want to make. I think it can be easy to follow trends and make the same type of content but working hard to make something meaningful and unique is really important. I have been happy to see that a lot more intern candidates and editor positions at other companies are female than they were when I started.
Are there any women leaders in the field that inspire your work?
Being that The Office is one of my favorite shows, it’s only natural that Jen Celotta is too. She has had her hand in editing, directing, writing, and producing a lot of other shows I’ve loved since (Space Force/ Abbott Elementary). I just think she has amazing energy and opened up a lot of doors for females after her. Chloé Zhao is another female who I really respect because she makes such identifiable work that seems like it just embodies who she is and what she wants to make.
Interested in learning more about Christina’s career highlights? Please visit Our Team page:
