BACKGROUND
Who are you and where are you from?
Theia: I am Theia, a video editor and project coordinator from Iasi, Romania.
Do you remember how you started as an artist?
Theia: I always had an inclination towards art.
At first it was just a game, different DIY projects when I was small, but then as I grew up, painting, making origami, singing, playing with wood, it became a way of relieving stress. I got serious about video editing 6-7 years ago when I enrolled into the University of Art, studying photography and video art. There I was able to learn the basics, after which I started following different artists in my city and learning a bit from each of them.
Before working at Mile80, I was a gallerist in one of the oldest private art galleries in my city and there I had the chance of interacting with all types of arts and artists.
What is your favorite part about working on projects?
Theia: What I love is the continuous growth. The art environment is hard, but as long as you are willing to keep improving, accepting feedback as it is and enjoying new challenges, you are good to go.
What motivates you and the work you do?
Theia: The final product. Sometimes the process is hard and tiring, but when I end up with a video that I enjoy watching, I am really proud of my work and it gives me the power to keep learning more.
WORKING WITH MILE 80
What challenges have you faced so far?
Theia: Well, I started working at Mile80 when I was just a beginner at editing, so I learned everything through failure. I faced all types of challenges, but I am someone who likes communicating, so I was always able to talk about my issues with my superiors and find solutions. Sometimes I just had to take a step back from a project and watch someone with more experience take over. That was a hard learning experience, but even though it might have been upsetting at first, I was able to learn from watching others do the work.
Challenges and failure are part of the learning process.
Theia: Lately my job has shifted and now i am also a Project coordinator, so this means new responsibilities. My latest challenge is effective communication. We are a pretty big team and each individual has a different understanding of English, so sometimes I have a bit of a challenge explaining my thoughts in the best possible way. But I feel like my teammates are also open and they let me know when my thoughts weren’t relayed in the clearest way.
How did you accommodate in your new position?
Theia: In January 2023 I started a new role as a Project Coordinator. This is something that I have been wishing for since I started working at Mile80, I wanted guide and help people around me get better, as well as to help organize and coordinate our projects and workflows. While I still keep working to evolve as a video editor, I am also really passionate about studying leadership through books and videos. For me, this is just a step towards the best version of myself that I can get out into the world.
I learn more and more every day, about my work, my colleagues and how to best help everyone become their best selves. I'm happy I have people I look up to around me, from which I can learn and absorb information that keeps helping me to improve.
What do you like best about working at Mile 80?
Theia: I like the different types of projects and the fact that you are given the opportunity to diversify the stuff you learn. I saw people joining the team, having only 2D animation skills and ending up learning 3D. I also saw video editors learning Unity. Here, you really just need to be willing to learn and evolve.
PROJECT HIGHLIGHT
What's your favorite project you worked on at Mile80 and why?
Theia: Amazon Sports Sizzle - The experience of working on this project was just as intense as the edit.
We wanted the edit to tell it's story with a lot of energy, giving the audience a rush of adrenaline. The song we used was the best choice for this project, giving me and my colleagues freedom to just go crazy and make the edit powerful.
The client liked it, but they still came back with an abundance of notes which drastically changed the flow of the edit at points. Dealing with that was a whole challenge onto itself - at first I felt inclined to follow the client's notes to the letter, but after experimenting with a few different versions of the edit (and consulting with my more senior colleagues), I soon realised that I could and should trust my own intuition. Sometimes, the directions a client gives aren't really what they actually want for the final video, and it's our job to figure that out. That was a very valuable lesson for me as an editor.
FUN FACTS
What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Do you have any hobbies?
Theia: I am still into crafts. I went through different stages, painting, origami, photography, clay, and now I juggle with them whenever I want to have some “me time”. When I have some free time and a project in mind, I get to it. Lately I worked with clay and created small houses for candles, or small installations with leaves made of clay. But the thing I am most into lately is refurbishing furniture. I am still learning about it and for now I am only trying to paint over furniture I already own and learning different techniques that way.
Is there any special place you would call it ‘your dream vacation’?
Theia: My dream vacation… not really. I am a curious person, so I would go anywhere, though I didn’t have the chance to explore this curious traveler side of me yet. I would love to go to Japan at some point, visiting the villages around big cities. I love Hayao Miyazaki’s movies, so I think that just checking out different places where he got inspired for his art would be great.
(Just imagine the Japanese temples in autumn, awww!)
Is food part of your culture? Tell us your favorite.
Theia: I LOVE FOOD! I think my favorite is Mexican and Asian food. I mostly cook my own at home and I keep experimenting with flavours. Ginger, chilly, coriander, cumin, say it and I’ll try it! My favorite food right now is sushi. My favorite drink is tea made from cloves, cinnamon, ginger, star anise.
What I cooked today: apple pie.
Last, but not least: what advice would you give yourself when you first started working as a video editor?
Theia: Have more patience, listen more and give yourself space to fail, do not be afraid. Patience is a skill - it shows our ability of behaving while waiting.
