Leading production and post house Optimus today announced that it has promoted both Emily Hayes and Ben Winter to Editor. The two have proven themselves with their unique creative voices and stellar work. Hayes has cut spots for brands including Bank of America, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Campbell’s, Securian and Whirlpool. Winter has worked with Allstate, CDW, Dove Beauty, Mastercard, Porsche and Spectrum Health.
Emily Hayes, Editor
“Emily has worked so hard to get her own chair,” said Optimus Editor/Partner Angelo Valencia. “She has connected with clients and collaborated on incredible work. She is a caring mentor and a team player, but also self-driven and more than capable of shining brightly on her own, as she has demonstrated in the edit chair on countless projects over the past year. Emily has also been an invaluable editing partner to me.”
Emily joined Optimus in 2018 from Beast where she was an Assistant Editor. Prior to Beast, Emily was an Assistant Editor at The Colonie from 2015 to 2016. She earned a film degree from Tribeca Flashpoint in 2013, and before that her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois.
“Starting as a runner in the industry I knew it was going to be long hours and hard work, but I also knew that my heart was in it,” said Hayes. “In my two years at Optimus I’ve been grateful for the support and encouragement of the whole team, particularly my mentor Angelo, and I am so excited for this new challenge in my career.”
Ben Winter, Editor
“Ben is determined, endlessly reliable and kind,” commented Optimus Editor/Partner Randy Palmer. “In addition to delivering top-notch creative work, his technical game is very strong. Also, there is little I enjoy more than making Ben laugh, because you really have to earn it.”
Ben has been ably guiding the Optimus assistant team since he was promoted to Senior Assistant Editor in October 2018. He has seized many opportunities to edit client-facing projects, working in tandem with a number of editors, as well as leading projects of his own. He began at Optimus as a freelance assistant in September 2013 following a stint at Red Car and fresh off a Camp Kuleshov win. He is a 2010 graduate of Columbia College, with a Bachelor of Arts in Film & Video.
“I’ve felt right at home since my very first day at Optimus and the past six years have been a blur as I’ve learned the craft and found my voice,” said Winter. “I've had the pleasure of working with some of the best people, and I'm thrilled to continue alongside them in this new role.”
“We couldn’t be prouder of Ben and Emily,” added Optimus EP/Managing Director Brian Hrastar. “They bring energy, enthusiasm and expertise to everything they edit and we can’t wait for others to see the magic in them that we do.”
Check out their reels:
Emily Hayes
Ben Winter
About ONE/Optimus
Optimus is a leading production and post-production house located in Chicago. A true one stop shop, Optimus and its production arm One at Optimus offer a full suite of creative services, including production, editing, color correction, visual effects and design, audio mixing and finishing. For more information, please visit optimus.com, design.optimus.com and oneatoptimus.com. Connect with us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Optimus161 and www.facebook.com/OneAtOptimus.
