Working as an assistant to Vito DeSario, founder/ editor at Version2. Editing (V2), New York, a few years ago, Tina Mintus frequently stayed late at the office to observe him in action. "I used to sit and watch Vito cut spots for hours and hours," recalls Mintus. "After a while he’d say, ‘Go home,’ and I’d say, ‘No way’. … I got the core of my learning [editing] experience by watching Vito."
These days, Mintus is an editor worth watching in her own right. She’s cut a number of high-profile spots for V2 during this past year—most notably American Express’ "Open for Business" via Ogilvy & Mather (O&M), New York. Directed by Robert Leacock of bicoastal/ international @radical.media, "Open for Business" features a montage of downtown Manhattanites who have reopened their establishments in the wake of Sept. 11. The ad had a punishing 36-hour turnaround from principal photography to air.
Other recent additions to Mintus’ growing reel include Mercedes-Benz "Stuck on You," directed by Michael Werk of bicoastal Moss/Petermann/ Holtzman via Merkley Newman Harty (MNH), New York; and Legoland’s "Rocket Scientist" and "Aerodynamic," both helmed by Luke Scott of bicoastal RSA USA, out of Lowe New York. She also just completed cutting another round of commercials for Lowe New York—this time for Saab. Those two spots are titled "The Red One" and "Carried Away."
Behind Mintus lies a biography that in many respects reads like a classic itinerant artist’s tale. She dropped out of her Toronto high school to work as an assistant to producer Karen Lee Hall and director Laurie Lynd on the feature film House, produced at Toronto’s Norman Jewison Film Center. From there, Mintus finished her high school degree and then headed to Paris for a year, where she studied French at the École de Langue Français. After Paris she landed in New York, spending many hours playing speed chess in Washington Square Park, before obtaining an apprentice position at V2. "I met someone on the subway who [had a connection with V2]," remembers Mintus, "and I called and called and called there until they finally hired me."
After about a year as a V2 apprentice—similar to an intern—she moved up to become editor Fred Jordan’s assistant. "Speed chess made me a great assistant because you have to think about stuff so quickly," relates Mintus. "After playing [frenzied] timed games with some of the Washington Square masters, I could definitely hold my own multi-tasking during the editing process."
When Jordan left V2 in 1998 to start his own editorial company, Blü, Paris—he’s since re-signed with V.2 (SHOOT 1/18, pg. 8)—Mintus began assisting DeSario, whom she calls "my mentor." Eventually, DeSario gave her a shot as lead editor on the Clean & Clear spot "Photo Booth," out of DDB New York. "I didn’t have any major spots on my reel before that, and it ended up turning out really well," recalls Mintus. Not long after finishing the Clean & Clear project, she shed the assistant’s title to become a full-fledged editor at V2.
Asked what’s been her most challenging project to date, Mintus specifies the aforementioned Legoland spots. Both are frenetic and fast-paced mixtures of live action, animation and effects. "I worked on some of the After Effects and animation for Legoland, in addition to doing the editing," Mintus remarks, "and it was a very collaborative project. Bob Shriber—a senior producer at Lowe—is one of Vito’s [longtime] clients. … so I was honored when Bob asked me to take on a project of this magnitude."
Mintus’ editing projects at V2 have not only been spots. Her work can currently be seen in New York on Kodak’s "Capture What’s Inside You" Jumbotron billboard in Times Square, as well as at the Henry Urbach Gallery, New York. She edited part of director Marco Brambilla’s video installation there. (Brambilla is repped for commercials by DNA, Santa Monica.) Additionally, she just finished cutting a 15-minute short film directed by Steve Solanaro, a freelance copywriter based in New York.
Mintus also edits music videos. She recently cut a video for alternative country crooner Ryan Adams’ single "Answering Bell." The video, also directed by Scott, was shot in an 18-frames-per-second format and features a Wizard of Oz leitmotif. Mintus cut and directed the video "Nada Mas" for the artist Slim, as well.
"Directing is definitely where my editing is going to take me," Mintus claims, "but there’s no rush. Because the better an editor I become—it’ll just make me a better director." With the support of DeSario, Mintus has been dabbling in directing pursuits lately, and recently shot a spec anti-smoking PSA with her digital camera. She also says she’d like to direct a short film in the near future and is actively shopping around for projects.
