Frame of Reference with Editor Kes Akalaonu

TwainRichardson - The Story Teller

Kes Akalaonu is an editor/motion graphics artist from Chicago. He is also a Television Production instructor for the Illinois Center for the Broadcasting in Chicago and Lombard campuses. Kes also creates effects based and shortcut driven tutorials for popular NLEs (Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro and Avid) called NLE Ninja Effects.

“Editing is my passion and I’m always willing to share any knowledge I have to help someone become a better editor.” I got a chance to make some karate cuts with the Ninja of all NLE.

What got you interested in editing?

What got me interested in editing was that after college I found it difficult to get steady jobs as a shooter and found myself applying for jobs, which would require me to be a hybrid of an associate producer and editor. Seeing the requirements for associate producer jobs I knew I had to learn to use programs such as Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, After Effects etc. I took it upon myself to seek training to learn these programs and try to land a job that would be steady. After I got more acquainted with these programs I found that I enjoyed editing more than being in the field and that it was an important enough part of the process where people would depend on me to complete the film-making equation.

How did you get started in editing?

I got started out in editing by cutting a few episodes of a web show called Flair TV pro bono for some Columbia College students through one of my best friends. After that gig fell through, I worked for a promotional entertainment group creating highlight montages for events that happened all around Chicago involving celebrities from all walks of life. From there, I began cutting a variety of things from short films, music videos, fan commercials and web series. read more...