In our latest Snapshot Q&A, Trim Editing junior editor Liv Ay reveals how her music video editing career began at film school, the influence of Harmony Korine and the lure of a homecoming trip to Turkey.

Olivia 'Liv' Ay has been making big strides ever since joining Trim Editing in London in 2022. The Turkish-born editor has been working with some of the coolest directors in London, including Felix Brady, Hugh Mulhern, Ethan and Tom, Lydia Garnett, Bolade Banjo, Lengurz, Don Sesto and Jackson Lee Forsyth, bringing her talents to their music promos and ads. 

We sent her our new Snapshot Q&A, to get Liv to tell us a bit more about herself. Focussing upon her most significant work and also her favourite things reveals she is inspired by creativity at the cutting edge and gaining more knowledge of the art and craft of editing. She's also looking forward to going home to see her family in Turkey for a well-deserved holiday. 

Name: Liv Ay

Birthday: 9th of November

Where did you grow up? Fethiye, Turkey

Place of further education and course (if any)? Film at the University of Westminster

Where do you live now? Hackney, London

What were the important first projects for you, in terms of a learning experience and getting noticed?

Learning experience-wise I think it would be the first two videos I cut with Ethan and Tom. Badgirl$'s Juice and The Murder Capital's Green and Blue. I was still at film school when I cut these and up until then I had always been so focussed on working in film that I never considered music videos. Suddenly every rule you learn at film school goes out the window and it’s all just experimentation.

After joining Trim I cut Greentea Peng's Look To Him with Felix Brady. This was a big moment for me as I hadn’t worked on a project this scale before. I gained a lot of confidence in my instincts with this one.

Best film(s) you’ve seen this year? The Zone of Interest by Jonathan Glazer, The Sweet East by Sean Price Williams.

Favourite song/album/music artist this year? Abandon All Hope by Ethan P Flynn.

Suddenly every rule you learn at film school goes out the window and it’s all just experimentation

Favourite music video/videos you’ve seen this year? Fontaines DC's Here’s The Thing, directed by Luna Carmoon. And it’s a little over a year ago but Wu-Lu's Ten, directed by Ethan and Tom, is amazing.

Name a film or video or other creative work that had a huge influence on your career choice?

Julien Donkey Boy by Harmony Korine. I found a lot of power in the imperfection of this film. The characters were so raw, complex and free. For music videos it’s Mount Kimbie's Before I Move Off by Tyrone Lebon, and Paolo Nutini's Iron Sky by Daniel Wolfe.

In terms of music video-related jobs of the past year or so - what was the most rewarding creatively, and why?

I learnt a lot from working with [director] Hugh Mulhern and [fellow Trim editor] Joseph Taylor on Kean Kavanagh's The Magic. Everything about this project was super-collaborative. We had a lot of creative freedom so it was just about finding what feels right, not necessarily trying to make it fit into any mould.

What are your favourite other (non-mv) projects of the past year or so?

Andre 3000 for Citizen Magazine. Working on this with Bolade [Banjo] was great. I really enjoyed playing around with the sound to build the world. The picture then kind of just floats on top.

Nike x CRTZ ‘RTW Sports’ with Lengurz was also super fun. It was nice to cut something a bit more silly.

What are you looking forward to most for the summer and/or the rest of the year? Visiting my family in Turkey!

• Liv Ay is an editor at Trim Editing in London; contact Jemma Daniel and Noreen Khan at Trim for booking.