Julie-Anne De Ruvo ASE (VIC)

I'm Julie-Anne De Ruvo, have worked as an Editor of documentary, drama and comedy across Sydney and Melbourne over the last 20 years or so.What inspired you to apply for accreditation?
A few people had mentioned to me that it had been a while since a woman had received accreditation, and I thought I'd at least apply to help the chances. I feel like women generally have a reluctance to apply for things like this, after all it's the reason it took me so long! But I think it's important to encourage everyone to see themselves on a level playing field, and hopefully the more women that appear on that list of accreditees, the more women will feel confident in pushing forward for better pay, conditions and recognition.How do you feel when you reflect on your career?
It's a little overwhelming when you're forced to look back, and realise how hard a slog it has been, and how many hours you've put in, but I'm really happy that I've gotten to the place I always wanted to be, which is to be able to work across both documentary and drama, as I find it very difficult to choose between the two. There are quite a few projects I'm really proud of over the years, and it's been great to reflect on that as I often don't!What do you think are good ways to support fellow Editors and Assistants?
I think conversation is the most important thing - I'm always talking to other Editors and Assistants about creative approach, wages, politics, and just generally venting. I think it's important to keep as much contact as possible with each other as we are the only ones that truly understand what we all do, and it can be quite an isolating pursuit sometimes. It's good to get out of your own head.

What do you feel are some good editing practices you have shared over time?
I think the most important to me is breaking things down to small parts, keeping tabs on your initial reaction to your rushes, and preserving performance moments so you don't let the cut get in the way of that. I have a specific way of sorting my selects so that I remember what made an impact on me in the first viewing, and have shared that with a few Assistants over the years that have found it really helpful when trying to get a first assembly together - the part I also find the most daunting.

Why should Editors apply for accreditation?
It's great to have confidence that your work is up to a standard that is upheld by the ASE, we have a lot of world class Editors here, and I think the more people that have that accreditation, the better it is for the reputation of Australian practitioners as a whole. Hopefully that is reflected in a rise in employment on overseas productions at some point in the future!