Editor Gregory J. Nussbaum admits that he watched too much TV as a kid, but the experience led the budding creative into television and film at Northwestern University in Illinois. Nussbaum is currently repped by Pictures in a Row, Hollywood.

Boards: What's the biggest challenge facing you as an editor?

Nussbaum: Being attached to a production company, it's a challenge to find yourself in the pre-production stages of a spot, then part of the shoot before actually editing. It's a thrill to wear many different hats during the process of making a commercial. I'm worrying about the edit before we even shoot, trying to contribute to what I'll eventually have in my Avid and planning far in advance what I'll eventually have to composite together in Henry.

Boards: Can you describe yourself as an editor?

Nussbaum: I'm flexible and quick. I love it when I have to edit on equipment that I've never used before and when everyone forgets about the end title where I have to whip something up in Photoshop or After Effects. I'm always hoping to find another approach to the material that is unexpectedly good.

Boards: What was your turning point?

Nussbaum: Peter Lang at Pictures in a Row saw me as someone who needed the chance to be an editor. I had the opportunity to get my hands on top-quality, beautifully photographed material right out of the gate. I've been really lucky, but I've also worked hard to deserve it since then.

Boards: Most memorable job?

Nussbaum: I was in Point Reyes, north of San Francisco filming a commercial for Acura. It was raining, an almost Biblical storm. We were all suffering, dragging boxes of equipment across a marshy field far from the road and I stopped and announced, "I hate this. We're wasting our time. I'm not even going to use this damn shot!" Of course, the shot was beautiful and I used it and I took all the credit.

Boards: What's the most valuable past experience that you bring to your editing?

Nussbaum: I've always loved to draw, especially comic strips. There is some strange, background connection between the part of my brain that loves fitting stories into frames on a page and the other part that earns money doing it on an Avid. My brain seems conditioned to think this way from drawing a lot.