Staff Spotlight: Steve Alexander

Steve Alexander, a Senior Finishing Artist with over 20 years of post-production experience, joined Azimuth after nine years of freelancing. Renowned for his creative problem-solving and "never say no" attitude, Steve discusses his career journey, the evolution of post-production workflows, and how Azimuth’s emphasis on work-life balance has improved his creative process.

Q: What inspired you to join Azimuth?
SA: The opportunity to try and help mould a post house that isn't constrained by old methods of working in TV. The idea that we shouldn't be working into the night, becoming less creative with every minute of overtime that we work. Azimuth’s focus on creating a flexible workflow and schedule really appealed to me. That all sounds rather flouncy saying it aloud, but I genuinely believe that achieving balance leads to better creative work and a happier team.

Q: Looking back, how did you first get started in the world of editing and post-production?
SA: My interest began as a teenager, helping my dad with filming and editing wedding videos. Back then, we were working with VHS tapes and using an Amiga for titling, all very simple, but it made me want to learn how to do it properly.

After university, I did what most people in the industry do, I became a runner. I spent my days making tea and coffee at one of the country's biggest visual effects companies. But I knew I wanted to get into editing, so when an opportunity came up, I moved on to a role as a Tech Op in Shepherd’s Bush. Thankfully, the company was expanding, and within a few years, I began to earn my first online editing credits. Some of my early work involved colour grading, even though the term "Finishing Artist" wasn’t really used yet. It was the beginning of what I do now, combining online editing and grading to help shape the style of a series.

Q: What was your experience in the industry before joining Azimuth?
SA: After 13 years in Shepherds Bush, I went freelance with The Finish Line. For 9 years, this gave me a great insight into the different ways post houses work. Every day could be a different location, different programme, different software and/or different grading panels. I had to be flexible, which has given me insight into the best practices to adopt and, just as importantly, the ones to avoid.

Q: Now that you’re here, what do you enjoy most about working at Azimuth?
SA: That life comes first and people at Azimuth understand that. I used to work through lunch breaks without a second thought, but I’ve come to realise how important it is to take a proper break. It resets your mind, and you work much more efficiently afterwards. Plus, getting away on time is so important, my kids know exactly when I'll be home to read them a story.

Q: If you had the chance to change one thing in the industry, what would it be?
SA: A key challenge is overcoming the inequalities related to gender, race, and class in the industry, something that requires continuous attention and effort from everyone involved.

On a practical level, something that I can hopefully help to achieve: some programmes do not always give you enough time to achieve everything they want, and compromises are sometimes necessary. Swapping from two long days for online and grade to 3x 8-hour days for online/grade as an accepted standard would go a long way to achieving both better work and work to life balance.

Q: You’ve been working in London for some time, what’s your favourite spot in or around the city?
SA: I have to admit, it’s not actually in London! As much as I love the city, after spending hours in a dark room, I need to get away from the hustle and bustle. I’ve always lived in the shires because I enjoy being able to step outside and find myself moments away from the countryside. There’s something about seeing the horizon that helps reset your mind.

Q: Can you share something surprising or unique about yourself that others might not know?
SA: I once won Miss World. (this is, unsurprisingly, not true...!)

Q: Lastly, what’s the best piece of advice or guiding principle that has helped you throughout your career?
SA: It’s not so much advice I was given, but more of a mantra I’ve adopted: never use the word “no” in the online suite. No one wants to hear that something can’t be done, especially when people assume you can fix anything in post! But secondly, it’s surprising how many times, by challenging myself to achieve what I thought wasn't possible, I produced a fix or a work around I simply wouldn't have thought of any other way. Some of my best work has been by avoiding that word and thinking creatively, after all, that’s why we get into this line of work, to be creative.