By Kat King
Guest Name: Mary Lentz
Occupation: Post-Production Supervisor @ Amazon Studios
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 5/25/20 – I recently had the pleasure of sitting down for a nice Zoom chat with the most gracious and lovely Mary Lentz, who has been serving as a Post-Production Supervisor on the hit Amazon series “Carnival Row” with Orlando Bloom (The Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean etc) and Cara Delevigne (Valerian and the City of 1000 Planets) since it began a little over 3 years ago.
Kat: Anything you’d like to share about who you are, where you come from and anything other biographical background info.
Mary: I live in LA, from Chicago. Went to college in KC, moved to LA in 2014. Currently Post Supervisor for Carnival Row on Amazon. Free time includes friendship, self-care….these days lots of reading.
Kat: If there is one thing you need more than anything else in the world right now, what is it?
Mary: Serious note is clarity. At this point in COVID I think our world needs clarity on what actually IS going on…it’s a bloodbath out there in the sense of information going around. On a lighter note and what I personally desire in the world– travel! Favorite activity is travel and I’m craving that.
Kat: Your background in post-production is incredible! Can you share with an untrained audience what your work entails and what exactly it is a Post-Production Coordinator does everyday?
Mary: I maintain clarity of information within our streamlined process. I support our team by ensuring solid channels of communication between the Editors, Producers, facilities such as the Color vendor, sound mixing vendor, VFX team and music team. I manage our budget, create the credits, sit in creative sessions to observe as well as ensure everyone is doing their job and adhering to our show’s vision. I communicate expectations to each person responsible for their own deadline, as well as monitor the entire process.
Kat: What are the most important values that drive you? You’ve mentioned how much you value integrity, so can you share a little bit more about what it means to be a person of strong integrity and good character?
Mary: [It] Means that you’re humble, truthful, a team-player, responsible, don’t gossip and are reliable. Examples are admitting when wrong, apologizing, being punctual, choosing not to talk poorly about someone, staying consistent, showing up – whether that be for a friend in a time of need or going beyond what’s asked of you to serve others. I think when this characterizes someone, they’re magnetic and will have a strong reputation where people will flock for friendship and companies will try hard to poach and hire.
Kat: What does becoming the best version of yourself look like to you?
Mary: Knowing what you’re capable of and choosing healthy responses or actions that will lead you into a more fruitful direction. Continuously seeking healthy boundaries and being disciplined to develop skills within your talents will automatically result in a stronger person. I try to make sure I give my all within the commitments I’ve made as well as care for my soul. There will always be room to become better. Goal is to stay self-aware and willing to make boundaries that protect myself, be disciplined in strengthening skills, and choosing to respond to others in kindness as well as assertiveness.
Kat: The pandemic sure has caused a great deal of stress. If we were to bring you 3 things to cheer you up right now, what would they be and why?
Mary: Massage, bear hug, ticket to an island.
