When Dean Miyahira, an editor at Chrome, Santa Monica, first started looking for jobs in post, he had a rather unique way of going about it. “I answered help wanted ads by sending out little airline tequila bottles with a shot glass that said ‘here’s a shot, I’d like one too,'” explains Miyahira, who had previously worked as a teacher in Los Angeles. “It got me a lot of interviews. I got a job at a post house and eventually worked up to the vault, and operations. I was there for a couple of years and realized I wasn’t going to move up unless someone quit or died. I had to make a change for the better.”
He heard about Chrome, which was founded by editor Hal Honigsberg, whom Miyahira knew through mutual friends. He joined the shop four-and-half years ago as a runner, working his way up to the vault, then assistant editor, and now editor.
Earlier this year, he cut two spots for Hewlett-Packard’s photo printers out of Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco. Francois Vogel of Paranoid Projects: Tool, Santa Monica of North America directed the ads, “Colors” and “Café Society.” In each visually intense spot, photos of people are taken, then almost immediately passed around thanks to the speed of Hewlett-Packard’s photo printers. Miyahira relates that the he got a chance to cut the spots while assisting Honigsberg on some other Hewlett-Packard work. When Honigsberg had to jump on some other jobs, Miyahira was able to finish the project. “It was a great opportunity for me to not only have the confidence and trust of all those involved in the project from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, but to continue to build some great spots,” relates Miyahira.
He notes that working at Chrome has helped him develop as an editor. “I’ve been really, really fortunate to learn from a great group of editors at Chrome,” says Miyahira. “They all have different styles, which is awesome. I’ve tried to absorb technique, style and methods from each of them.”
FUNNY BUSINESS
While Miyahira succeeds at the visual, his reel also showcases humor-based fare. While the editor describes his style as “probably more visual,” he says he “really enjoys cutting comedy–creating a pacing that gets to the punch line in an unpredictable way is really interesting to me.” Miyahira’s comedy work includes two client-direct ads for Web.com, a service that helps small businesses set up a Web site. In one spot, “iPsycho,” a woman who specializes in the revenge/stalker business for vindictive ex-girlfriends, uses Web.com to increase her client base–images from the spot include a hapless guy’s house being covered in toilet paper, and the small business owner about to make a harassing phone call with a device that will disguise her voice. In “eBeg,” a panhandler decked out like a Fortune 500 exec is able to increase his profits by turning to Web.com. The directing duo Peter Martin–a.ka. the directing duo of Peter Livolsi and Martin Dix–who maintain Peter Martin Worldwide for directorial endeavors, helmed both spots. “Both are extremely talented and collaborative in the cutting room,” states Miyahira of the directors. “Collaboration is key to making good concepts/projects even better. Often they will make comments that allow me to open my eyes and see an entirely new way to approach the cut.”
Miyahira has worked with Peter Martin on some spec spots in addition to the Web.com work. The editor cut Six Flags amusement parks’ “Scream” for the pair, as well as Sony PlayStation 2’s “Almost Perfect.” “Scream” features shots of people quietly going about their lives when they suddenly let out ear-piercing screams, something that happens quite often on the rides at Six Flags. Taking on spec creative has helped Miyahira hone his editing skills in a variety of genres. “Spec projects have been a great opportunity for me to get on an Avid and be creative with little to no pressure from clients,” says Miyahira. “I can experiment with music tracks and dialogue and not worry about upsetting anyone–there is so much freedom working on spec projects.”
In addition to collaborating with Peter Martin, Miyahira has also worked on spec projects for Kirt Gentry and Bruce Bousman, a freelance copywriter and art director team. “If it weren’t for spec spots,” says Miyahira, “my reel would not exist. For that, I’m very grateful, and looking forward to the next step.”
