As I juggle home editing projects with my work at a news channel, I am struck by how different editing in different places can be...
When I'm at work, my deadlines are the broadcast time of the show, the expected time of the export, the departure time of the person who needs to see it. When I'm working at home, my deadlines are "bus needs to be met," "someone else needs the computer," "Mom, I'm hungry."
When I'm at work, I have other editors and producers to give input--wanted or unwanted. When I'm working at home, my critics are mostly kids, at least until I'm really ready to send something to a client.
When I'm at work, lunchtime tends to be when the action has paused--either waiting for footage or waiting for scripts or waiting for approval. When I'm working at home, lunchtime is anytime I feel like walking to the fridge.
When I'm at work, troubleshooting often involves asking other editors, the media manager, or IT. When I'm working at home, I am an online tutorial devotee.
When I'm at work, sometimes I'm better because of my collaboration with a producer. When I'm working at home, sometimes I'm better because I have enough quiet to hear my own thoughts.
When I'm at work, sometimes I'm frustrated because of what I don't have enough minutes to do. When I'm working at home, sometimes I'm frustrated by what I can't find enough hours to do.
When I'm at work, it's hard not to get caught up in everyone else's non-work-related conversations. When I'm working at home, it's hard not to succumb to the non-work-related conversations in my own head.
I used to think that I'd be lucky to be working at home all the time. I have often thought that I'm lucky to be wherever "at work" means each day. These days, I'm beginning to realize that the combination of working at work and working at home may be the luckiest thing of all.
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