User:Zoë Takaki/sandbox

Troy Takaki
Troy Toshio Takaki is an Asian American editor who has worked on a multitude of major motion pictures and television, wrote a book on the topic of editing, and is an advocate for racial, gender, and sexuality diversification in the film industry. Born in Berkeley, California as the son of author, Ronald Takaki, Troy has always known the importance of storytelling. Working as an editor since 1992, Takaki has done a multitude of movies including Jawbreakers, Hitch, Sweet Home Alabama, The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, and more, and television shows like You, Desperate Housewives, Walker, Texas Ranger and much more. He is also extremely involved in ACE, the American Cinema Editors guild, where he, not only, personally mentors young, developing editors, but where he also founded the ACE Diversity Internship, holding a goal to hire more women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals into the editing field. Takaki and his work in ACE can be described, on the ACE webpage, as being a “fountain of positive energy who is well-known in the industry but especially among the younger generation of professionals in the post-production realm. For years, he championed the ACE Internship Program, he has spearheaded the ACE Diversity Program mentoring underrepresented minorities in post, and he has been a very-much respected mentor and teacher of upcoming post-production assistants, assistant editors and junior editors.”

Aside from editing, Takaki has also been extremely politically active throughout his life, having impact from his father Ronald Takaki who started the Ethnic Studies program at the University of California, Berkeley and wrote dozens of works revolving race and world relations. This influence led Takaki to being heavily involved in a political action committee called So Cal Left, a group that holds a goal of ‘swinging’ Republican areas of southern California: Santa Clarita, Anaheim, Orange County, etc. to become democrat by electing democrat representatives.

FILM
Having a diverse resume amongst genre and media, Takaki has worked on all kinds of projects. His first project as the head editor, Scar City, being an action thriller, to later working on the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies, a family comedy, proves his range. His most popular film, Hitch starring Will Smith, he shares is a “great example” of a “romantic comedy...with a lot of heart...mixed in with this sort of broad comedy. ”

Not only having diversity amongst genre, Takaki has diversity amongst his media, working both in movies and television. On a career based website called Sidetime.com, Takaki shares that “Television editing puts you in the middle of a fast-moving, dynamic team of creatives.”

Takaki's films as the head editor are:

 * Scar City
 * Jawbreaker
 * The Caseys
 * Blast
 * Crazy as Hell
 * Sweet Home Alabama

Cheats


 * Love Object
 * This Girl's Life
 * One Point O
 * Sweet Underground
 * Drum
 * Hitch
 * Stick It
 * Because I Said So
 * Americanizing Shelly
 * Fool's Gold
 * New in Town
 * Operating Instructions
 * The Bounty Hunter
 * Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
 * Thunderballs
 * Hallelujah
 * Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
 * Baggage Claim
 * Pauly Shore Stands Alone
 * Cheerleader Death Squad
 * Almost Christmas
 * Requiem for a Running Back
 * Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul
 * El Camino Christmas
 * The Hooping Life
 * Kate Nash: Underestimate the Girl

Takaki's work on television is:

 * Tales from the Cryp t
 * Walker, Texas Ranger
 * Fortune Hunter
 * Deadly Games
 * SeaQuest 2032
 * Dark Skies
 * Nash Bridges
 * Ally McBeal
 * Desperate Housewives
 * Agent Carter
 * Rizzoli and Isles
 * Devious Maids
 * Underground
 * You
 * Grand Hotel
 * Mr.Mercedes

Book
After twenty-six successful years as an editor, Takaki decided to put all his knowledge into anecdotes and lessons through writing his book, Don’t Miss Out on Any Avocado Milkshakes: The Art and Joy of being a Film Editor. This short book is less about the technical aspects of film editing and more about a passion for storytelling and the art of the film business, people describing the book as, “very wise suggestions and practical recommendations on how to start, bolster and enjoy a long and successful career in post-production and especially editing .” Analyzing the title to understand the novel, the American Cinema Editors guild in a book review of Takaki’s work that shares Troy’s “on-the-surface simple advice in Don’t Miss Out on Any Avocado Milkshakes includes starting out as a great post-production assistant through the long and winding road from apprentice to assistant editor to finally becoming a successful film editor for film and TV… ” giving advice from all editing positions, thus allowing any editor at any stage to use the book to their advantage.

In a book review written by the American Cinema Editors guild, ACE shares that, “If you expect a book about the intricacies of the art, craft and technical aspects of editing, you will be disappointed – but if you want to know how to become a great film editor you will be delighted. As you would expect from a film editor who knows about storytelling, Troy knows how to engage the reader with the dos and don’ts of getting your foot in the door of the film and TV world and to empower you to stay and thrive there .” Takaki uses his knowledge to teach not the technically ignorant film student, but the passionate artist who dreams of working in the film industry, but doesn’t quite yet have a means of getting there, by sharing the importance of being personable, making connections, being on time, working well with others, and other essential actions to build a good career.

CITE:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0847258/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oelOF9Ci8Y0

https://americancinemaeditors.org/paper-cuts-1st-qtr-2018/

https://sidetime.com/film/experts/troy-takaki