How Did the Chess Move Pay Off?

For some reason there seems to be this fallacy in Hollywood that someone has to “give you your big break” in order to make it in the industry, and in the meantime you’re just waiting for your big break to appear. The idea that you have to be in the right place at the right time, or worst of all, that you just need to have a lot of “luck” to make your dreams a reality (and you all know how I feel about the “L word”) must be a myth, right?

Today’s guest is here to debunk that myth that success is about waiting for opportunity but instead all about making sure no one can outwork you, making sure you are ready for opportunities when they become available, and most importantly never giving someone the opportunity to tell you ‘No.’

James Wilcox is an African-American award-winning editor who’s edited such shows as Dark Angel, My Wife and Kids, Everybody Loves Chris, CSI Miami, Hawaii 5-0, Roots, Genius, and he’s recently completed Ron Howard’s new film Hillbilly Elegy, to literally name just a few. (Seriously, look up his IMDb page). What’s so fascinating about James’ path is that he’s made numerous transitions in his career including cutting news, comedy, drama, historical fiction, and feature films. In addition to such a wide variety of experience, James also sees himself as a pioneer for black editors and talks about the importance of providing mentorship to other people of color.

In today’s conversation we cover topics like:

• How James prepares himself to be ready for opportunities when they are offered
• Why he sees himself as a pioneer for black editors and the importance of providing mentorship to other people of color
• The delicate balance of working hard and playing hard
• And the many stories of how he forged his varied and successful career path including how he became Ron Howard’s editor

If you enjoyed my episode with Monty DeGraff, you’re going to love this one. James is talented, funny, and chock full of stories that give you an inside look at how to not only build a successful and inspiring career but also how to mentor others while leaving time and energy for your health and well-being. In short, James has mastered the balance of both working hard and playing hard.

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Here’s What You’ll Learn:

• Early on James discovered that shortcuts didn’t work for him and that to be successful, “no one would out work him”
• A “double-edged sword”: How his relentless work ethic has been both a gift and a curse
• The story of how James went from wanting to be a doctor, then a baseball player, and finally, to becoming an editor.
• James got his first opportunity in the News business.
• The three skills needed to be a solid news editor: Speed. Creativity. Accuracy. These skills helped him down the road.
• Why James studied acting for 3 and half years when he moved to Los Angeles and how that was part of his journey to scripted television editing and directing.
• His mantra: “Don’t give anyone a reason to tell you no.”
• KEY TAKEAWAY: Always be ready and prepared for the next opportunity so when it presents itself you can seize it.
• His dad’s advice: If you’re thorough you can’t be denied.
• KEY TAKEAWAY: We all have to ask ourselves how do we get better at fostering diversity and opportunity for people of color in the industry?
• James believes there is a rapid awakening right now on a global level and the George Floyd murder has inspired activism and change.
• His passion for mentoring and supporting people of color is a big part of how he hires his assistant editors.
• One of the key skills his last assistant editor had that he values and appreciates.
• The unbelievable story of James getting to work with Ron Howard on the Emmy nominated series Genius and then getting to work on his new movie, Hillbilly Elegy.
• KEY TAKEAWAY: Don’t always expect your payoff to come from the thing you are investing in.
• What the Marshmallow experiment teaches us about patience relative to success.
• James’ advice to POC looking to advance their careers and make it in Hollywood.

Useful Resources Mentioned:

Ep107: Recognizing, Mentoring, and Promoting Diversity In Hollywood | with Monty DeGraff, ACE

Ep114: Breaking Into (and Making It) In the Industry as People of Color | with Mirra Watkins, Ariel Brown, and Isaiah Cary

Stanford Marshmallow Experiment

Ep39: Breaking “Bad” From Assistant to Editor | with Kelley Dixon, ACE (pt 1)

Ep40: Breaking “Bad” From Assistant to Editor | with Kelley Dixon, ACE (pt 2)

Our Generous Sponsors:

Special thanks to our sponsor Evercast for making today’s interview possible. To learn more about how to collaborate remotely without missing a frame, and to get your real-time demo of Evercast in action, visit OptimizeYourself.me/evercast

Guest Bio:

James D. Wilcox, ACE began his editing career in Atlanta, Georgia in 1982. An opportunity with CBS NEWS in Los Angeles moved James to California where he covered events that ranged from Pope John Paul’s U.S. Tour and the 1984 Olympics to the Reagan-Gorbachev Summit. During his tenure at CBS, James produced and edited the Emmy Award-Winning documentary series, “Lip Sync” which exposed the 1991 Milli-Vanilli Grammy scandal.

By 1999, James had transitioned into scripted television with a wide variety of shows including: Showtime’s “Soul Food”, FOX’s “Dark Angel”, Comedy Central’s “Reno 911!”, UPN’s “Everybody Hates Chris”, CBS’s “CSI: Miami,” “Hawaii Five-0” and ABC’s “My Wife and Kids” where he began his directing career.

In 2016, Wilcox teamed up with Director Mario Van Peebles on “Roots” which was nominated for an Emmy in Outstanding Limited Series. Following the nomination, Wilcox collaborated with director Ron Howard on Nat Geo’s “Genius” which gained two more Emmy nominations for Outstanding Limited-Series in 2017 and 2018. That January, James took home the ACE Eddie Award for “Best Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture for Television” for his work on “Genius: Einstein.”

More recent work by James includes the Netflix series “Raising Dion” starring Michael B. Jordan, as well as the pilot of “Filthy Rich” directed by Tate Taylor (“The Help”, “Ma”) which premieres this year on FOX Television. Currently, James is working again with Ron Howard and Imagine Entertainment, cutting Netflix’s “Hillbilly Elegy” (due for release in 2020).

James is an active member of the Motion Picture Editors Guild (MPEG), the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Picture Editors Peer Group, American Cinema Editors, and The Directors Guild of

America.

On his craft, James has said, “I strive to be the best and tell the story I’d pay to see. When I edit, I won’t settle for just good enough.”

Show Credits:

This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared by Debby Germino and published by Glen McNiel.

The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).