Artist Interview with Sean Linal, the Editor
In the dynamic world of film editing, Sean Linal is making a significant impact. However, specific details about his career beginnings and the tools he uses for different types of projects remain elusive.
What we do know is that Sean Linal is an active member of the film editing community, serving on committees within IATSE Local 700, including the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and the Credit & Arbitration committee relevant to film editing credits.
Throughout his career, Sean has honed his skills on various editing platforms. He started with traditional methods, working on 16mm Moviola and Steenbecks, and transitioned to reel-to-reel editing on 3/4" tape. With the advent of digital technology, he mastered Final Cut Pro and eventually Avid Media Composer, which he primarily uses for major projects. For indie projects, he prefers Adobe Premiere Pro.
Sean Linal's breakthrough came when he was bumped up from assistant editor to editor on the scripted TV series, Queen Sugar. This project, created by Ava DuVernay, is a source of great pride for Sean.
When it comes to plugins, Sean relies heavily on Continuum (BCC) for layered text messages on cell phones and security monitors, particularly the Blur Dissolve and Compositing tools. He also uses Sapphire, primarily for blurs and transitions.
Research is key for Sean during pre-production. He engages with showrunners and writers to understand character arcs and storylines.
Sean's advice to his younger self is to find a community college with a great film program, move to Los Angeles immediately after school, volunteer more, network harder, and make meaningful friendships within the film and TV community.
Born in a small town in Queens, New York City called Far Rockaway, Sean finds artistic inspiration from classic Hollywood films from the early to mid-1900s, Maverick films from the 1970s, TV series from the 1960s through today, foreign films, and more.
In his downtime, Sean unwinds by listening to music on vinyl records or binge-watching films and TV with his wife, Denelle. His first paid job in the industry was working for MTV as a P.A. on set on various projects.
If given the opportunity, Sean would love to collaborate with a host of esteemed directors, including Ava DuVernay, Spike Lee, David Lynch, Kathryn Bigelow, Gina-Prince Blythewood, Michael Mann, The Hughes Brothers, and more.
Sean's favorite snack during long editing sessions is mixed nuts. Among his favorite films and TV series are Queen Sugar, Do The Right Thing, The City of Lost Children, I Am Not Your Negro, When They See Us, Freedom Road, Real Women Have Curves, Moonlighting, Twin Peaks, Queen Charlotte, I Like It Like That, 13th, David Makes Man, The Richard Pryor Show, Beef, and many more.
- Despite his notable success in the world of film editing, Sean Linal's early career in finance or any connections to business or technology are not publicly known.
- Outside of his editing career, Sean finds inspiration for his artistic ventures from various sources, including movies and TV shows, highlighting his interest in entertainment.
- During his leisure time, Sean enjoys unwinding by listening to music on vinyl records, a form of entertainment that spans various genres and eras, demonstrating his appreciation for both traditional and modern forms of music.
