Rebecca Lloyd - Women in Production
Rebecca Lloyd - BAFTA Breakthrough Brit scheme
We recently spoke to the fantastic Editor that is Rebecca Lloyd for our Women in Production interview series. Read on to find out more about how she found her love for editing, the highlights and challenges of her career and what she is currently working on.
Tell us a little about yourself and the work you do
Hello, my name is Rebecca Lloyd and I am an Editor. I have edited six feature films and co-edited a documentary film since breaking through from Assistant Editor to Editor in 2016. My most recent feature Herself directed by Phyllida Lloyd (The Iron Lady, Mamma Mia!) premiered this January 2020 at Sundance Film Festival.
What route did you take to begin working in your role?
I discovered my passion for editing and story telling through a degree course called Time Based Media at the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol. After graduating I worked at ’Films and 59’ a post-production facility house. This is where my journey began from being a Runner to Avid Support to editing promos for the National History Unit (NHU) to assembly editing and co-editing my first five-part TV series called Elephant Diaries series 2.
The leap into feature films and the move from Bristol to London began with a film called The Meerkats (BBC Films & The Weinstein Company) edited by Justin Krish (Bend it Like Beckham, Blinded By The Light). They were looking for someone who could support a large media storage system in the middle of the Kalahari desert, log animal behaviours, assist and assembly edit and I fit the bill. It was an amazing experience and I learnt how to be a 1st Assistant Editor in film.
I have been very fortunate to have worked on so many great films and assisted lovely and talented Editors, to name but a few, Lucia Zucchetti, Joe Bini, Nicolas Chaudeurge, Joe Walker, and Justin Krish. They have all shaped and inspired me in different ways to be the Editor I am today.
Why did you want to get into the film/television industry?
I am dyslexic and struggled with reading and writing when growing up. I used to just look at the pictures and make up my own stories. I think this is why I was drawn to art as a means of expressing myself. I went to Wimbledon School of Art and specialised in Fine Art and Sculpture, however, I found it isolating and lonely. It was suggested I try a media course and I got accepted into Bristol UWE with my art portfolio. This is where I quickly discovered my love for editing and telling stories with pictures. It’s funny as even though I’m editing on my own quite a lot, I don’t feel lonely as I know I’m part of a bigger team of creative people.
What is your proudest moment of your career so far?
I actually have two moments where I have felt really proud and had to pinch myself. One was watching American Honey on the big screen at the Cannes Film Festival. Seeing the scenes I edited with Andrea on the big screen was the first time I really believed in myself as an Editor. The other was sitting at the premiere of Herself at the Sundance Film Festival and hearing the audience laugh, cry and gasp. It was a magical experience and to top it off Phyllida mentioned me in her speech.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career?
The biggest challenge I faced in my career was the leap from Assistant Editor to Editor. During my 9 years assisting, I continued editing short films, promos, music videos, documentaries and assembled scenes on the films I was working on but it was hard to shed my Assistant label and be seen as an Editor. The moment that changed everything was in 2016 when I was credited Additional Editor on American Honey directed by Andrea Arnold (Red Road, Fish Tank). I had heard about BAFTA’s Breakthrough Brit scheme and applied and was selected as one of the 18 newcomers in 2016 across film, television and games. This was a huge pivotal moment in my career.
Rebecca Lloyd - behind the scenes
What new skills would you like to learn in the next few years?
I would like to learn Adobe Premiere again.
What three things do you always have on your bedside table?
Lamp, a large glass of water, a book, at the moment it is Artists and their Cats by Alison Nastasi
If you could have worked on any film in history, which would it be?
Memento directed by Christopher Nolan, it blew me away. I have always had a fascination with non-linear story-telling and have often wondered if this was because of my brain functioning differently being dyslexic.
Could you tell us some women who work in your role/sector that you admire the work of?
There are two female Editors that I admire. Lucia Zucchetti (Colette, The Queen). Apart from being so lovely, Lucia was the only female Editor that I assisted and the only Editor who invited me to join the room and listen and learn during the important production chats. This experience was so helpful to me now.
Thelma Schoonmaker is another Editor I admire. Through BAFTA I’ve had the opportunity to meet and attend Q&As that Thelma has done. I have taken on board and used a lot of her wisdom and advice.
What are you working on at the moment?
I am working on a documentary with David Bailey about his new sumo book that contains over 3000 of his photos spanning from the 1950s to 2010. It's working title is Every Picture tells a Story and Bailey chats and reminisces with the people he has photographed.
