Nina Helene Hirten knows the job of a video editor isn’t about drawing attention to yourself—it’s about elevating the collective work. With a deep respect for story and structure, she brings clarity, flow, and a touch of personality to every frame. Coming from a background in music, illustration, and animation, Nina’s creative inspirations are widespread, but always driven by a mix of instinct and editing theory. From launching her own production and design studio at just 11-years-old to editing animated TV shows, movies and music videos in Hollywood, Hirten has built a career in post production by staying curious and being ready when opportunity knocks. In this exclusive interview, Hirten shares what it’s like to build ideas from scratch, the importance of tapping into your local community, and how to keep momentum brewing even when the big gigs slow down. Here, Hirten speaks about her early inspirations, her love of editing theory, and how she discovered personal style in a role that’s often designed to be invisible.

Whether it’s storyboarding scenes or finessing videos and animations into a finished product, Hirten’s work is rooted in artful intention and craft. But, more than anything, Hirten’s path is a reminder that great editors do more than cut video—they translate, guide, and elevate content, helping shape its final form. Her journey offers insight into what it really takes to stand out (and blend in) in the Edit Bay—it's not just about talent or instinct, but trust in your vision and a willingness to take risks. Keep reading to hear from Hirten about her progression through the film industry!

What’s shakin’ in your world right now?

I am always working on something. Always. Right now, I'm actually in between the “big gigs”, which is usually a TV show or a movie. But even with the lull, I still have tons to do… I just finished directing a music video for The Man from Alphabet; it’s the theme song for a new horror movie called Popeye The Slayer Man. When I'm not editing, I'm out shooting stuff, for myself, friends, for clients, all sorts of people. I’m also working on a couple of developments for an animated TV series… I just have to get those ideas organized and ready to pitch.

What drew you into video editing in the first place?

I wanted to be an animator and music was always a huge part of my life—my parents were both working musicians, so there was always music playing in the house and concerts to attend. Initially, though, I wanted to work for Disney and draw the pictures. But just before high school, Toy Story came out and it quickly became clear that this style of animation might not be the most viable career path—that the technology was going to change dramatically..

I remember watching the director commentary on Alien and hearing Ridley Scott talk about how he got the movie made. He shopped the script around to every single studio that would listen to him but got “no” after “no”. He had the vision, others just weren’t buying into it simply reading the script. Turns out, he was just pitching the story in the wrong way. He ended up creating intricate, colored storyboards that immediately got the movie green-lit. I thought storyboards might be the next best thing. Then, in high school, I joined a program that mixed humanities, social studies, and history—and the point was to learn how to make videos to support learnings from class. We were encouraged to a movie or documentary about the topics we were learning about, so I ended up doing a lot of video work and most of the editing. I’d also find every opportunity to animate where possible. Through this process, I just fell in love with video editing. I stuck with it, went to film school, and knew that I wanted to be involved in movies. The editing chair was really always, and especially in retrospect, where I was supposed to be. Those experiences are what guided me through—it’s been a long, windy road with a lot of odd tangents, but I made it to Hollywood!

What was one of your “big break” moments getting into editing?

I always knew that I wanted to do my own thing. I started Oh Just Peachy Studios, my production company, when I was just 11-years-old. I was freelancing, sourcing gigs via Craigslist ads, doing graphic design and illustrations. Realizing that people would pay me to draw pictures was huge, so I’d design flyers or whatever folks needed. From that experience, I learned so much about working with people. Clients will say they need one thing, but they actually need something else. [Laughs] There's a lot of translations that happen and my freelancing life informed me of that.

As far as being an editor in Hollywood, that’s a little less clear. When I was working at The Third Floor, a pre-vis studio in Los Angeles, my first studio job was a Production Coordinator… but my goal was always to edit. I made connections with the editing department there and I was finally given a break by someone on the team. Getting switched over to Editorial was really pivotal, that helped me get the credits and clout I needed to progress in the industry. I owe John Caldwell a lot, and I’m sure to remind him about it every time we see each other.

As they say, your network is your net worth…

Exactly. It's also being in the right place at the right time, but it's being ready for it. If you’re not ready for the opportunity, or you’re too afraid to ask for what you want, that’ll stifle things. I kid you not, everyone at The Third Floor knew I was gunning for an editor spot… it’s this balance of being pushy without being annoying. To get what you want, to capitalize on the opportunity, means being fearless and ready for it when it arrives.

What aspect of the editing process do you find most exciting?

To me, video editing is very musical. I always joke that if I ever go get a PhD, my thesis would be studying neuroscience and the similarities between video editing and and music composition. I feel like they are scratching the same parts of the brain. I have no way to prove this without CT scans, MRIs, or whatever—but I feel like they’re connected. They’re both very rhythmical; there’s a structure that comes with telling a story, as well as a song. There’s a beginning, middle, and end; happy & sad moments, emotional ups & downs. It’s all the same, but with video editing you can do it visually. When you’re editing, you’re doing all of those things, putting everything together to tell a story. It’s like a big puzzle or a giant Tetris board—you’re just trying to always find the right piece for the right spot.

In your opinion, what’s one of the most under-appreciated aspects of video editing?

Honestly, if I'm doing my job, nobody knows I'm here. That's the double-edged sword of being an editor. For myself—a Leo with a humongous ego [Laughs]—it is the most egoless position in film. If I'm the editor, it's not my movie, I didn't write it, I'm not paying for it… somebody's hiring me to edit and that's it. My job is to bring their vision to the screen in the way that they want it to be, so I have to put myself in their shoes, and the shoes of the intended audience. If the movie is meant to be for 13-year-olds, I need to put myself into that mindset—that usually means more fart jokes.

But, really, editing often means subtlety. I’m really nerdy and I love editing theory and there's a lot to explore there. That might be the most “unseen” aspect of it. There was a famous editor that said something like: “Most of my time in the edit bay is just thinking—I'm not actually doing anything on the computer. I'm sitting there and I'm thinking, I'm feeling.” It’s the same for me, when I'm actually editing—you know, moving the mouse around and pushing the buttons—when I'm doing that, it's a little bit less thinking and more application of the theories.

One theory I find particularly interesting was actually made popular by Soviet-era montage films in the early 1900s. It was all about knowing where the viewers eye would be drawn to on the screen—part of the reason why the cuts seem hidden is because your eyes are always where they needs to be. That's all theory based. Once you get into the psychology of editing from a story perspective and a visual perspective, that's really the magic of editing.

That’s interesting you bring up the notion of magic…

Movies are magic, even without all the effects. If you go back and watch Alfred Hitchcock’s films; he was just great… especially with the Kuleshov Effect, which is basically juxtaposing one picture next to another, and seeing how that can completely change the story. Not only do you have a separate story, you potentially have a completely different feeling or response from the audience. This is another theory that people have actually studied scientifically, and represents the foundations of editing. It also just gives so much insight into why people react the way they do to videos: We’re all being manipulated emotionally through the magic, the psychology, and the theory behind them. If you know what you’re looking at, you can actually realize when you’re being manipulated.

What importance do you place on learning editing theory versus just trusting your gut?

As an adult, I appreciate what I'm about to say way more than if you'd asked me this when I was 20; back then, I would have been like, just download the tools and start doing it. Now that I’m a mom and I’m trying to teach my kids how to do things, you have to know the rules to break them the most effectively. Sure, anyone can come up with something that's entertaining, but can you come up with something that will really leave an impression beyond initial shock value? It’s difficult to make something that goes deep and lingers… for me, David Lynch’s movies achieve that effect. I’ve always been fascinated by theory & propaganda films because it’s all based in psychology. Anyone who’s willing to put in the time and effort to understand the psychology behind editing, their final products are that much better because they’re making deliberate decisions. Consequently, the editing process often moves faster because you’re able to spend less time playing around than making informed decisions. You could spend all day futzing and experimenting… but it really boils down to how you can apply the theories, the psychology, the structure.

How do you define originality in this world of movie remakes and remixes?

For me, originality comes from breaking the rules. If you're working on a giant franchise—like a Marvel movie—there are established rules and characters, all these elements are melted into people's minds already. The tough part is taking that legacy and going deeper. Sure, you can take a character like Captain America, make him look different, say a few different things, put him in a slightly different world, but essentially he’s still following all the same fundamental rules; the only rules you’re breaking there are superficial. Originality comes from doing it in a unique way. Use the rules of a genre while going deeper than what already exists. There are definitely different interpretations, so I believe editors need to do less of a remix and more of a dig deeper into the character or the world itself.

How do you feel you have been able to leave your mark on the editing space?

I'd like to think they come to me for my expertise in editing theory. I also like to think I'm fun in the editing room, I try to keep things light and try not to put too much of my ego into it.  I'm also not afraid to ask questions… because I'm not just there to push buttons, I'm not that kind of editor. People that like to work with me know that I'm super organized and I'm very fast. My work for Grimsburg is a great example… the team would be talking about ideas and before they could even ask to make the change, I’d be done adjusting the edit. That's my signature move.

It’s interesting to know that your best efforts are often hidden within the final product…

That's the end goal. I certainly had to learn it, though. There were times where I inserted myself a little too much (mostly at the beginning of my editing career), but working with good people who were honest told me to “take Nina out of it and be an editor”. On my second documentary, the director really slapped me in the face with those words—her saying that to me changed my approach to every single project from then on. After that, for the better, I learned to totally erase my need to insert Nina, unless it's explicitly asked for, in which case, I will happily oblige! [Laughs]

You’re also involved with Women in Media, could you speak to that community?

Women in Media has a lot of networking events & workshops (which I don’t get to often enough!), and Tema is a really great leader. The website is also a great way for people to connect, like if you’re looking to join a crew or hire people. I was involved with one Women in Media project, which was a music video shoot that also served as a workshop about working in a LED volume. This is undoubtedly the future of shooting indoors, so Women in Media put together a project to teach people how to use those spaces effectively. The music showcased also came from a member of Women In Media, so it was really a win for everyone involved. It’s just great to chat with everyone about the art.

What’s your biggest takeaway from working with Women In Media?

You have to make your own path. If you're really trying to get into something, then you got to find the other people in that same position to make something happen. You have to make local community connections that hold the same values, goals, and creative pursuits as you. This is a whole new film world. We have the opportunity to shape a new Hollywood—which might not even be in Hollywood, it might be multiple places, we don't know yet. The next 10 years are going to be an adventure… so, more than ever, an organization like Women in Media is important.

If you could change one thing about the film industry right now, what would it be?

The biggest thing is getting the networks to stop trying to make the old way work. It’s all about risk-taking. Big studios are less willing to take a risk on new properties. 20 years ago, studios would sink money into big franchise pictures, but they would also save a chunk of their budget for new people and fresh talent. Alien is a good example of this practice—it wasn’t a high-budget movie, it was a high-risk project because (at the time) it featured a relatively unknown director. Ridley Scott directed a couple of small things before Alien, but he was just persistent, showed his work ethic and his vision, so they took a chance. And what do you know? It’s now a humongous franchise. The biggest thing is that studios need to stop being so risk-averse and start putting money into fresh ideas and people.

Lastly, when someone has a big idea, what’s the best way to get it out into the world?

Last year, it was one thing; this year, it’s something else. We're going to have to figure out new models, new ways to make our projects and put them out in the world. But, as far as advice goes, for somebody who has lots of ideas in their head and wants to make something, the first step is always just do something. Write it down. Have those pitches ready. You have to be ready when that opportunity presents itself because it could be as simple as you just having a coffee, drawing a picture, and somebody walks up to you and says, “Oh, wow, I really like your drawing. Do you have a website?” Who knows, maybe they're a venture capitalist who wants to support your work or vision.

The point is that if you're not doing anything, the universe is not going to give you anything back. You don't have to hire a team; you don't have to spend tons of money; just write those ideas down get out there and meet people. Sure, there's a wealth of forums and information online, but nothing that beats being in a room with a bunch of people that love doing whatever it is you're doing just as much as you. If I'm pitching animated TV, I want to go to every single animation networking event; I want to know everybody. I don't necessarily have any money to hire them, and I don’t have fully formed ideas ready to pitch—but I want to know who they are, I want to talk to them, I want to gather all the cards, and I want to prepare myself for the day that I do have the funding. You just gotta get out there.

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