NAME: Heeyeon Chang

AGE: 30

CITY OF RESIDENCE: Los Angeles

EMPLOYER: Jerry Bruckheimer Films and World Race Productions, which produce “The Amazing Race” for CBS

JOB TITLE: Television Editor

TIME AT YOUR PRESENT JOB: 2 and a half years

Describe what you do.

When I start a new episode [of “The Amazing Race”], I talk to my show producer about story arcs, and then view the footage on my own. There’s an average of 200 to 300 hours of footage per episode, so it takes a while to find the good material. There is a lot of digging because the nature of the show does not make it easy for the camera and sound crew to catch everything on tape. They are following people who are running all over the place and hopping into cramped taxis or crowded trains. By some miracle, they always seem to catch exactly what I need. I’m also glad to be among a crew of transcribers, assistant editors and producers who log and keep track of every word and action in case I miss a critical moment or can’t find a shot.

The show consists of four acts, which I split with another editor, and it takes a little over a week to cut and score one act. After getting the act pretty close to time, I move on to the next act. On the fourth or fifth week, my show team gets notes from our executive producers to fix shots, change music or add story lines — it can be anything. We then send a cut out to the network and receive more notes to make changes or add more moments. The list of fixes and changes can be two to 15 pages. After making all the appropriate changes, the episode is cut to time, locked and sent to another post-facility that preps the show for air. I repeat the process the following week.

Do you consider your job a passion?

My job is something I dreamt about doing from a young age. When I made a commitment to study art rather than film in college, I still fantasized about being an editor whenever I walked past the film department. I feel very lucky having a job I’ve always dreamt about.

What do you find most fulfilling about your work?

I love every aspect of the work, but the commitment from our audience makes it very fulfilling. Our ratings increase with every season, and it’s a joy to create something that is appreciated from a growing number of fans.

Describe your path here.

Pure luck. I think it’s true that it is very difficult to break into the entertainment industry unless you know somebody. I knew a friend of a friend of a post-producer who said he would consider hiring me as an assistant editor if I took an intro course on the AVID editing system. I took the three-day course and gave him a call. I put in a lot of hours and hard work to get to where I am now, but I never would’ve had the chance if I didn’t know somebody who could get me my first job.