By Kai Curry
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Anika Kumar
Anika Kumar has a knack for what makes a story come together. Since at least middle school, this Issaquah native has taken an interest in the field of television and movie editing. During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, when she found herself spending more time practicing editing on Adobe than paying attention to online classes, Kumar knew that she was onto something—and that something was going to be her dream career. The Northwest Asian Weekly spoke to Kumar as she was wrapping up a summer internship in California with the Television Academy Foundation.
“Applying for this was a huge deal,” Kumar told us. “I’d wanted to do it since I was in my freshman year at film school and I first heard about it.” Kumar remembers the day she received the finalist notification, which to her was already an amazing gift. She contacted everyone she could think of for tips and advice as to how to create her finalist video. Apparently, Kumar’s application, combined with her enthusiasm and experience, worked!
The Television Academy Foundation offered internships this year to over 50 students and provided hands-on work experience, as well as the chance to learn from mentors. Every week during the internship, Kumar made the trip to the Academy offices for professional development sessions. At the same time, she was paired as an editing intern with what, for her, turned out to be a dream company: Herizon Productions, an award-winning documentary filmmaker. Prior to this summer, Kumar hadn’t been 100% sure which direction she wanted to follow in terms of genre. The documentary-focused internship has shown her how fascinating and impactful documentaries can be. At the same time, she is keeping an open mind.
“I’ve learned so much about what makes a documentary work and how I can be better as an editor,” Kumar shared. “I feel really excited and honored that I was able to have the opportunity to get my hands on the footage itself and…to practice my skills.” Kumar has been working on a Herizon documentary called “Seized,” which tells the story of a newspaper office in Marion, Kansas that was unlawfully raided by the federal government back in 2023. The stress of the raid may have been culpable for the death of the newspaper editor’s elderly mother, who was also the newspaper’s co-owner. “Seized” talks about the relationship between journalism and the First Amendment, and the impact of this traumatic incident on that small Kansas town.
“It’s really important to me to be committed to impactful cinema.”
It was in high school in Issaquah that Kumar realized she really wanted to contribute to the film world in a meaningful way. Originally, she thought she might go into the editing of “coming-of-age” films, those films that tell the stories of the transition from childhood to adulthood. After high school, Kumar enrolled at Chapman University in Orange, California, where she majors in film and television, with a minor in analytics.
She has always been fascinated by the magic of television and film production and the miracle of so many people coming together to create the final product. Kumar maintains this thrill for the creative side of things, down to the nitty gritty of editing, while also being realistic about future job opportunities. She knows that the job market is difficult right now and is willing, after graduation, to tackle any film or tv editing opportunity. Most likely, she will stay in California.
Kumar is not naïve about the threat of the current administration to artistic freedom.
“I choose to remain hopeful,” she said. “There are always people around me that stay committed to truthful storytelling, empathetic storytelling, no matter what they’re up against.”
While her parents emigrated from India, Kumar is a born-and-bred Washingtonian. She is interested in stories of social justice, and acknowledges the importance of representation of underrepresented groups during this tense, uncertain time in this country.
According to Kumar, “accurate representation can help influence the way that people view each other,” and part of that responsibility to be accurate lands on the media, including film and television. Well-spoken and thoughtful, Kumar stated that “media representation can be an important part of creating empathy for each other and understanding.” She cited the movie “Brokeback Mountain” for breaking down barriers about the LGBTQ+ community and demonstrating that we all have similar struggles in life. Ever since she took a class in video production in middle school, Kumar has appreciated the immersive quality of visual media and the potential they have to show our real lives.
Her discerning eye is always watching the editing details of shows and movies in a way that the rest of us might miss. The editor’s job is to put together takes that might not have been filmed in order, for instance, to help create the story both visually and intellectually, and also to contribute to the ambience, the vibe, the look of a production. Kumar suggested the movie “Challengers” as a recent example of excellent editing, and wished it had received more awards.
“It feels like a very large, important movie,” she said. “The voice is very intentional but not super distracting.”
For now, Kumar is enjoying finishing up her summer internship and looking forward to the next year in college at Chapman. During that year, she will explore further the ins and outs of her chosen life’s labor, as well as potential career opportunities. Probably, she will seek further internships in the Spring. Yes, she’s a little bit worried about the future, about graduating during a recession, about the unfriendly attitude of the current administration towards freedom of expression. Yet the fire inside of her burns bright for her craft and for those that hone it.
“Just the knowledge that people are still willing to resist is enough for me.”
Kai can be reached at newstips@nwasianweekly.com.