Political Ads: The Extreme Sport of Editing

Politics are hard to escape here in the DC Metro region, but there are ways to make that pervasive subject work for us media makers. Today, we're focusing on the industry of creating political media through agencies and firms that help supply a hefty amount of seasonal post production work to the region's filmmakers.

I'm sitting down with Nicole haddock of freelance editor, motion graphics, designer, and colorist. With over a decade of experience, she works with a range of clients on a variety of media. From documentary to PSA, short form promos to sizzle reels, and also quite a lot in the political sphere, which is why she's here today to talk to us about politicals.

So thanks so much for joining us, Nicole, welcome to the podcast. 

Oh, my pleasure. 

So first let's get a bit of your background. How did you first get into this kind of work over overall? Um, and how long have you been focused on politic.

I did my undergrad at Emerson college in Boston, and I graduated in 2000. So I've been working in and out of the industry since then. I took a little detour into marketing, which I hated. So I decided to come back to grad school. So I went to American to do their MFA and documentary film program.

Um, and you know, after the first year of being in the program, I started working full time and what's interesting.  DC is not on the radar of places where there's a lot of media and post production going on. Everybody thinks of New York and LA and you know, within like the last 10 years, uh, people are thinking of Atlanta too.

 but DC has a surprising amount of work for anybody doing video and. Post production work. So it was a very pleasant surprise to find that I could still keep working, um, in DC and not have to move again. Um, you know, what's nice about going to a graduate school and then working in that town is you have a great network coming out.

 I went freelance in 2010 and I had, uh, I think for 2012, I started hearing about political advertising. Like I didn't hadn't realized it was a thing down here.

Um, and in 2014, a friend of mine who I had met. The 48 hour film project. Yep. I had met him through the 48 hour film project and, uh, we had worked together a bit and he was going on paternity leave during the political cycle, which is like OGs. That's like, that's pretty major. And he's like, do you want, um, to.

And for me, and I was like, yeah, I do. Um, and at that time I hadn't, you know, I knew motion graphics, but I wasn't really super great at them, but they had like another guy there who, who was, and so I sort of got an introduction to the world of political advertising, um, and then have been doing it ever since.

 people  have seen that politics just keeps extending its cycles and getting longer and longer and longer. Um, and it sounds like you've noticed that through this world, in your work as well, was there a time that it was strictly  seasonal and now it feels almost like it's year round or, or how has that sort of changed over.

 at a certain point in time, there was legislation and they took off the cap on spending for political advertising. And that really opened up the floodgate,  you know, all these, uh, political action groups can make ads and all of this group in, and it's all like sort of shadowed money and it's filtered and it's, oh, it's not endorsed by the candidate, but the candidate's campaign knows it's being made.

when I did the 2016 election, that was a very bizarre election year because the Democrats knew they weren't gonna win the house and the Senate and they weren't spending a lot of money.

On ad space and there were Republicans knew they were gonna win it. So they also were not spending a lot of money on ad buys. And I remember asking a bunch of my friends who work in political. So I was like, are you twiddling your thumbs? Cuz I have not done anything for days. And they're like, yeah. And this was both sides.

I mean, both sides of the fence were, were completely mystified. Um, with the 2018 election things, certainly. You know, right after the election things die down. And then in the new year, especially with all of these elections being contested in being such close calls, um, you, you might have like a runoff or like a recount, and then there are various issues in, in various states and suddenly the people that you have been doing ads for, they have to do more ads cuz they still have to, they have to go back into this runoff or something or.

There's an issue. Like I remember Georgia was doing a lot of ads for Stacey, a Abrams, cuz they wanted to really get out the vote and you know, so they, they would keep this machine going

longer. Um, and. 

but still the fluctuation based on just the, the temperature of that year and how things are going. So I guess it sounds like you have to be pretty adaptable to be in this kind of work.

A hundred percent you do. the greatest thing about political ads is that it's on air tomorrow, right? So we're not wait, it's not like network television where you cut an episode and then you have all this back and forth and notes and then no, there's none of that. It is on air. Like we don't have time for this.

Um, it's like, don't give me art, just give me done. Right. So. And then you're often juggling in any given day. It's like, you're not just working on one spot. You could touch, you know, five spots. I think I had, you know, days where I was touching like 10 spots because now of course, in addition to advertising on television, they want the web version that they're gonna put up on their YouTube channel, but you, they want, um, Facebook ads.

They want, uh, you know, Pandora ads or, you know, so like there's these six, second ads, 12, second ad in there's a lot of different versions that you'll start with a 32nd ad and then you'll do

multiple, multiple

 it sounds like, uh, the type of person, that would thrive in this type of, uh, world, you need to be, it sounds like great with,  multitasking, fast paced, quick turnarounds,  and all of that.

And it sounds like really, really long and demanding when it's in the height of the time or is that.

Yeah. I mean, there's always, every season has like a push, like you'll be working 50, 60 hour weeks, and then you reach a point where it gets to be much more than that. Um, there's a.

where your weekends

are taken. 

so be prepared for that. If you're gonna do this,

so like it's, you've gotta be able to roll with a lot of changes during the day. Um, and.

the other part of the equation is your skill set. Um, I talked earlier about a lot of work being in LA and New York in those towns. And this is less, this is not much as the case. It was many years ago, like even 10 years ago, but you're an editor you. Work in average, you only work in premier. You're not touching graphics.

You're not touching sound. You're not doing any color work. It's very sort of regimented then that sort of comes back, you know, from when everything was very heavily union based in that was your job. Your job is to do one thing. And in DC, in particular, we have so much multimedia work. Anytime you work.

For a nonprofit,  a government organization, a corporate organization. They have one person who needs to do this project and that chances of them hiring stuff out is not good. So it's like, you have to be able to do the editing. You have to be able to do motion graphics. And then if you have like another skill and your tool belt, if can you do audio mixing or can you do color correction or are you a good stock researcher?

Like everybody's.

Yeah. So you have to 

A lot of, a lot of political  you do? And that's something that is what Washington DC area editors are very good at. I know less and less and less editors who are just editors, more people these days, our editors who can do motion graphics, whether it's I'm working in a template that I downloaded from Envado or I've designed this whole thing.

You have to be

able to do some part of it. 

so, I mean, speaking of the DC Metro area, obviously this. A political hub. Um, but politics are everywhere. I mean, it's national, it's local, it's, you know, all over the place, but we are the, the capital here. Um, do you think that makes it just a natural hub for all of these, or is, is DC where all of these politicals, uh, ads are being created for even like other states

Oh, yeah. I mean, I've 

worked on stuff for across the country. Um, we, editors will work on ads for anywhere in the country and the political consulting agencies traditionally were in Washington, DC, but that's not necessarily the case anymore. You know, especially as the pandemic really, really changed a lot of this, but I mean, even before then there are agencies up in New York and there are agencies in Chicago.

I know some people in San Francisco, so it's having people in DC is good.

Just 

for access.

But it's still also something that people can do no matter where they are because of how remote things are becoming. And 

Yes. It depends on your

role, but yes,

Right. It's it's good. I mean, this is still where you wanna be, if you wanna focus on that, but it sounds like, um, it is a pretty intense, uh, situation that you get into really long nights, really?

Uh, long days, day after, day after, day after day for these cycles. So what brings you back to it each time? Like why do you keep doing it season after season? 

the money 

Yeah, I heard they pay well. So I was curious if you could expand on that a little bit. Is that what people, uh, like a big draw for that? Cause I get the impression and correct me if I'm wrong here, the political ads are kind of like to editors and some of these post-production work almost like wedding photography is to photographers where it's like you get a lot of good paying, steady jobs that way.

And then you do your creative work in the off season, kind of is that wrong? Or.

Um, yeah, I guess you could say that.

I like doing politicals for the nature of it, which is.

There's not endless back and forth. I used to do some work in broadcast television and the endless rounds of notes drove me insane.

Um, and you know, network broadcast television, they really feel budget squeezes. Right? So something that would take eight weeks to get a rough. To now they want in six or five or four weeks and which is insane. 

Um, the nature of the work for politicals is that it's going on air in a couple days. It's done. You move on to the next thing. Like it's constantly keeping your brain going that way. There's no sort of

time to get

it's a

frustrated or 

the urgency. You just get it, get it in, get it out, get it done. Move on to the next.

Yeah, it's also for say what you will about political EDS, but some of them, it can be very creative, um, in coming up with the ideas and doing the design work.

So. For me personally, I kept doing them because I saw my skills in motion graphics growing. Like I was developing better design skills. I was dev like better typography skills

and, and all that 

well, I mean, it sounds like an intense boot camp that you're, that you're just churning out so much that you can't help, but get better at your 

uh, yeah, you can't help, but get better. But the other part of it is, is like when you work with a group of other editors and you see their work, that, and oftentimes I'm stepping into other editors projects and stuff like that. And I see what they're doing and I'm like, Ooh, what's that cool little thing that's happening over here?

How did you do that? What's this font that looks really great. Um, and so while.  we're all kind of siloed in our rooms, wherever they may be. We do see each other's work. you know, there's time to sort of absorb designed by sort of osmosis.

Like you're there, you're in this environment and everybody's kicking out really cool creative work. Um, Yeah. I mean, at a certain point, it's all the same. You said this, and you said that and don't vote for that guy. You know, it's like, Washburn's repeat after a certain, after a

certain point, 

Um, and so, but you said there is a, an element to creativity. So do you feel like your creativity is being still like satiated that then with these.

 Creatively speaking, working on these ads is still a nice challenge. Sometimes you don't realize what you're coming away with until you you're done with the season. When you realize I'm now at a spot, uh, position where I can cut a spot in a day and I was able to do this and this, and I picked up this technique.

Um, and there's, you know, the great thing about design is that it's always changing, right? So things come in Vogue like. You're watching trailers, you're watching stuff on TikTok and YouTube and the graphics and like everything is in a constant state of flux. So even though you might like a certain look that might have been cool 10 years ago, it's not cool now.

So there's an element of always kind of learning and always kind of, uh, adapting to what's going on. Um, and that part I like that's always really good. The other thing I like is.  you know, doing this work day in and day out, really hones your skills. And when you move on to the next project, after you've taken a three week break in port of I Arthur or wherever , uh, when you move on to the next thing, you have

a really good skillset.

Like you are bringing more to the table, um, and not.  what's kind of tricky is that like the clients that you have, don't always realize that you can do these sorts of things. So, you know, you have to be a little proactive about saying like, Hey, this is

what I did.

Right. So, but you come out 

the, the past six months.

that you can do it, but also, you know, sounds in if, if more people knew what these intense training camps of the political ads were, then maybe you could just say, you know, I just, you know, I did a whole season doing that and people can respect it more and say, oh, wow.

You know, it's like saying you went to a sealed training camp or something. You're like, no, no, no, I know what I'm doing.

who, yeah, the only people who understand it are people who are in the world

or who have worked in the

mm-hmm and I had gotten that impression a little bit, which is why I wanted to, to have this episode in conversation. So more people could understand and respect it for one, um, but learn about it. And there's a bunch of people that might be really interested in getting into it. So how, how would one get into the field if maybe they don't have a personal contact or connect?

Um, that's a good question. And, you know, I've talked to, to people who wanna jump in and always. The, the first thing you have to have is this skillset. Like you have to be able to do motion graphics. You have to be able to edit. Now, there are some people who do just motion graphics, and yes, you can do that.

But as an editor, you have to have motion graphics, again, your skill set, you have to have work samples up somewhere. Um, and you have to be available. The great thing like for editors or anybody. Who is thinking about going freelance, going freelance in a political year is the best timing in the world because all of these editors in the DC area, they go underground to go work in politicals, and then they need to refer their work out.

People need to do job postings and find new editors to help with this stuff. So. It always happens. Agencies who hire editor. A lot of the times they underestimate the amount of work that will come in. So all of a sudden you'll get a boatload of spots and you're like, well, I don't have enough people to cut them.

And so you need people to come in there. And so if you're available and you're paying attention to the forums, your phone is on, like your friends know you're looking for work.

mm-hmm

It's a great way to get your foot in the door. So networking definitely helps, but of course, we're in a tricky spot right

now.

It's like, you know, Hmm.

easy to network. Uh, when everybody's remote

It definitely is not. And, and that's a bummer because there's a lot of people who would like to get into this line of work. And it's hard when someone might email you and you're like, well,

I. I don't even know you. You're like , I can't really recommend you. I can be like, look, I met this kid at this event and he's interested and there it goes like, um, but yeah, you just have to, you have to be prepared with work samples, with your skill set and you have to be looking

right. and

so where, where do people find these, uh, forums and like who's listing the jobs and, and where, how, how would one look for it?

I run a, a staffing group for the Washington DC area, uh, called I need an editor DC. I also run one for film and TV crew, but for postproduction needs, what's been like that group is pretty big people know about that group. Um, and we'll post their stuff in there. There's another Facebook group called Nat geo happy, but that is more general production, post production nature focused rather than political focused.

Not that our, not that my group is political focused, but it doesn't have anything to do with like national geographic

content. Right. 

So,

it's more open to that and kind of has found that

Yeah. And so, I mean, people definitely know about the group and they post, um, I definitely like I know, and I'm not alone in this. I will get calls. My editor friends will get calls from people or texts from people being like, we need someone, do you know anybody available?

And if. You're looking for work. If you wanna get in here and you haven't told your network that this is what you would like to do, is it your friends in the industry? Is it a producer that you've worked with? You never know. Who's gonna get the call. Who's gonna get the, the, the desperate text. Do you, I just need a body in a seat to do this.

Um, and I mean, and that's true of, I think of someone trying to break in. To any different, like if they're, if they've been staff and they suddenly go freelance,

just letting people know, if you don't tell people what you want, you will not get

it. 

Ask ask, um, and, and, and let it be known. And so that just further, you know, supports pretty much everything in this entire world of media, making that it's all about networking and connections and meeting people and making those connections and talking to people. And, yeah. So, uh, sounds like networking is, is the way to go here as well.

nothing new there. And, and looking into wonderful groups, like the one that you run as well, which we'll also put in the show notes as well. Um, but you know, for post production staffing in the DC area, I need an editor DC, Maryland, Virginia, with, uh, that's on Facebook. Um,

And if you wanna join the group, you have to

answer the three questions. 

right. So you have to prove that you are someone who is, uh, a right fit for that group. It's not just anyone, it's it.

 when I started the group, You know, several years before the pandemic. And I started it because DC editors are different than the editors in LA and New York. And the other staffing groups online were heavily focused in LA and New York. And. . I remember several times a company would post, they wanted an editor, motion graphics person, and the comments would just come in and that's a two person job and how dare you.

And no one has that. And it's like well, we do. And

like DC, people are tough. We can do 

well, it's, it's just that it's a different world where we are, you know, Very little union work for editors. You know, if you work in television news, uh, for ESPN and stuff like that, then yeah. There's union work, but it's not like a very strong tradition with editors here who were, who were just, this is your lane and this is what you're doing.

Um, so I started the staffing group because I thought DC editors are, have something, a little different. They've got a little something different to offer. Um, You know, we really kind of built it up and I kept it geographically. Really people who are in the tri-state area, 

yeah. 

you know, I do, there are people who wanna join from LA or wherever.

And even, you know, now of course everybody's working remote and I still wanna keep it in the DC area because  Even if like you don't know very many people in DC, that group is a network in and of itself. I'd rather have my friends and my colleagues and people. I just happen to know working and keeping busy rather than people in and, you know, east Timbuck to siphoning work from the area. There's enough work in New York. There's enough work in LA. You guys can all join those groups. Leave this group

alone.

Do you find that most people that work in this world just kind of treat it as the work and work on both sides or do people kind of, they, they work for the, the type that they want. They, they support the politics that they, they do.

So you can sort of break it down in terms of agencies, political consulting agencies, they nine times outta 10 only do one side of the. , um, it's very unusual to find somebody who does both. Um, if you are an editor and you're working for a big post house, like Henneger or interface, they'll be working both sides.

And so if you're a staff, you know, if you're an editor there, you might be working on Democrat or Republican, um, you know, sometimes. Requests not to work on one side versus the other. Um, and then when you start working with these sort of more boutique houses, they tend to be all one or the other. So in editors, themselves, most of the editors that I know who work in politicals will only do one 

mm-hmm 

There is a percentage who is just like, Hey, money's money. I'll take your money and yeah, absolutely. Cause at a certain point in time, all the ads are the same. If it's a Republican or it's a Democrat, we're both saying the same thing. We're both sling in the same mud and you're like, what's the

point?

and I don't think I'm alone in this. Doing this kind of work is sort of, I see it as fighting the good fight. Um, I'm doing what I can in my way for the democratic party. And I just don't, I, I, at this point in time in my career, I don't have to work for the other side.

You know, and if you're starting out that might have to happen. Like if you want to get a season under your belt, you might have to go work for, as I

call it the evil empire. 

You might have to just, you know, hop the aisle or whatever, or do something that you need to, to 

yeah, because doing this kind of work, people can get nervous about hiring editors who have never done it because it is so insane. It is so intense. The, you know, the idea for most people of doing a fully animated edited sound design spot in a day or a day and a half is unthinkable. And if you haven't at least done one season with somebody to prove that you have the chops, that you can handle it.

they may not wanna hire you at a certain point though. People are desperate and they will hire anybody. And that's a, you know, that's a good way to get your foot in the door, but it's,  there. There's a thing on editing groups called Bravo experience where people will post. I need an editor for a show about cooks.

Who operate on cruise ships and you must have edited shows about cooks that have worked on cruise ships, by the way, it's a Bravo show. So you must have Bravo experience. It's the only network out there that is adamant that you have Bravo experience. And, uh, a lot of the editors think it's because of the notes review process, which is insane.

Um, and so political spots are like that to a degree people who are looking for, for staff, want to see that you have some experience doing this work, cuz nothing else is like 

mm-hmm 

You could make an argument that television news is like it, but television news, you're not doing animated spots.

You're not doing all this stuff. You're you're doing what you can within the avid system or this or whatever system you're working on.   a lot of these packages are predesigned and like you're, you're

filling in the blanks.

Well,  definitely a lot to think about. It sounds like this is a unique thing. Very, very, um, much of an intense training camp. You can find the work  if you want it. And, uh, thank you so much for talking with us about all of this. It's. Been enlightening for me as well. And I'm sure to our listeners as well.

And, um, if people wanna know more, learn more about you or your work, um, uh, or even just your, your group and, and things like that, where can they go to do that?

I don't have a website  I don't do Twitter. I don't do any of that. the Facebook staffing group is called. I need an editor, DC MD and D and VA DC, Maryland, Virginia. 

any, any parting words of advice for anyone curious about this world?

the one piece of advice I would give people is this world can get frenetic and you can get frazzled. And if that's not an atmosphere that.  you can handle you would, you don't think you would enjoy it. And I mean, does anybody enjoy it? No, but you have to be able to swim in that pool. And for some people they dip their toe in, they do some work and it's not for them and that's fine.

Yeah, not everyone likes swimming in class five rapids, but some people love 

no. Right. That, and that's exactly sort of what it is. Um, right. You're. Doing the, the crazy ass ex politicals is almost like the extreme sport of the editing world it's made for some people it's not for others.

And

But it sounds rewarding. And you said at the beginning that you do not, uh, get into politics, but you also admitted that what you do is also driven a little bit with helping you do your part in your own way. So, um, 

Yeah, 

Yeah, so everyone can attack things, uh, and how they handle the world in different ways. And this is how you do your part and we thank you for it, cuz we see, well, I'm sure we've seen a lot of your work here and there over the years, especially in this area.

um, so yeah. Thank you so much for joining us and um, it's been a real pleasure.