For each day in the month of February, the African American Steering Committee will be highlighting Local 700’s African American members, both past and present, and their accomplishments. We look forward to showing the contributions and influences African Americans have had on the industry.
Name: Ralph Jean-Pierre
What’s your job? I am a Picture Editor.
List the credits you’re most proud of. I am proud of my work on “Servant” (Apple TV+), “Lost In Space” (Netflix), and “The Boys” (Amazon Prime)
What are you working on right now? I am currently editing Season 2 of “Tokyo Vice” (HBO MAX)
Who and what are your influences and/or mentors? During my lifetime I’ve noticed that my influences and mentors change but my most consistent influence is my parents. They came to this country as immigrants from Haiti when I was a child. I watched them make sacrifices, working hard to get their higher education degrees while providing for two children. This inspires me to continue on their path and provide for my child and beyond.
What books are you reading, shows are you watching and/or movies you’re excited about? The book I am currently finishing is “The Watchers” by A.M. Shine. I am very excited about “The Last of Us” (HBO MAX), as the games were some of my favorites to play. The movie I am most excited about which is still in the early stages of pre-production is “The Broken Earth Trilogy” by N.K. Jemisin. I am excited to see how she adapts her books to film, as her writing is spectacular.
What would be your superhero name? I asked my friends to help me with this and the common quality they came up with was my inner strength. So if I had a superhero name it would be Mr. Resilient.
What are your black history month memories and any cultural or historical impacts on your life? Initially growing up in Haitian-American culture when we first came to America, I don’t think I was too aware of the experiences of black Americans. That changed when we moved to Florida. In middle school, my Auntie Betty shared her life experiences with me about growing up in the south and being one of the first to desegregate her school. Listening to her stories and watching the film “Rosewood” began to open my eyes to how cruel this country can be to its minority population.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given? Two pieces of advice that stay in the back of my mind come from two of my professors at AFI Conservatory, Farrell Levy and Donn Cambern. “Always save your money because you never know when you’ll work next.” In editing “Don’t bore me, don’t confuse me.”
If you could time travel, when would you go and why? If I could time travel, I would travel to the future. Possibly 3099. I would love to see how humans have progressed and if we have been able to push our artificial, self-imposed differences aside and focus on the humanity of all of us.
What’s a little known fact about you? What are your hidden (or not so hidden) talents? I didn’t go to my first movie theater until I was 16, so Blockbuster nights and TV were my introduction to the industry. My not so hidden talent is being a musician since I was 7, and a gospel choir director for 8-plus years.
What’s your favorite (Black) television/movie moment? That’s tough. There are so many that come to mind. But I’ll start with my first one- Michael Jackson’s film “Moonwalker. I was in kindergarten when I saw it and I was completely in awe.
Was there a television show/movie that inspired you to pursue your career? It wasn’t until a few years after I saw it that I realized the film that inspired me to pursue my career in film is “The Matrix.” As a high school computer geek in the 90s, the film blew me away. I enjoyed the mixture of technology, philosophy, spirituality and martial arts. It wasn’t until I took a TV production class during junior year of high school that I could see that the idea of making movies and TV shows like that was within my reach.
What’s your personal/professional mantra? During times of stress I go back to an old church saying, “Don’t pray and worry. God is in control.” Even though I am not religious any more, the saying embodies a true spiritual aspect of my life. We can only control what we can; I just do the best I can do daily and know everything else will fall into place.
What’s the last show/movie that left you speechless? The last movie that gave me goose bumps was “Dune.” Even though I had friends who worked on the film and am familiar with the story, experiencing the work that Joe Walker and his did left me speechless.
What would be your dream project to work on? I normally would not want to work on a project that I truly admire but I would love to work on a “Star Wars” film written by Tony Gilroy. His work on “Rogue One” and “Andor” embody what the series should be about. If I were to choose another project it would have to be a sci-fi drama like “Battlestar Galactica,” featuring POC.
