Meet Rebecca Miller of Optik Nerve in Cambridge

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Miller.

Rebecca, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I wear many hats in my world: producer, director, creative director, writer, designer, interviewer, and editor, and have been a film maker in one way or another my whole career. I studied film making at the Rhode Island School of Design, worked in local television for seven years, and then worked for three production companies, eventually becoming a busy executive producer. I lived and worked in LA, was on staff for an ad agency, and produced a PBS series for the British television personality, Sir David Frost. When I had my two children I opened my own shop, now known as Optik Nerve. This was 20 years ago when non-linear editing was new, the business was very stratified and everyone was very narrowly focused. I took on whole projects and great clients rewarded me with their business. I am a true craftsperson and want to make every program original and surprising.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I work in a very competitive field and there are many people who want to work with my clients. I’m self-employed and there is no safety net. It took me years to feel comfortable with the uncertainly. The flip side is freedom–to pursue clients and challenges from anywhere. I am very, very grateful to my clients.

Please tell us about Optik Nerve.
I want to generate oohs and aahs from the audience and I believe in seeing every program as a creative challenge. As an editor, I cut like a sushi-chef and I love to make a show energetic and emotional. My current clients include Harvard, MIT, and Northeastern, and my portfolio includes programs made for IBM, MathWorks, George P. Johnson, and other great organizations. I’ve worked around the country and around the world, and produced shows with Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Luciano Pavarotti and many, many fascinating people. Brilliant camera people, engineers and composers are part of my wonderful team that I call the “traveling circus.” In the past few years I have produced a civil rights documentary, meeting openers for IBM, ribbon cutting programs for Harvard Business School, a series of shows for the Harvard Innovation Lab, and a program to be embedded into the curriculum at MIT.  I’m currently producing a program for Harvard University that should be full of surprises. That’s my goal—surprises.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
It took me years to gain the confidence to take on projects without hesitation, sell creative solutions, plunge into the unknown, take creative risks. The technical challenges were godawful. Now the post production gear is simple, but for years I was steering a beast. Along the way I’ve learned how to write, tackle challenging content, become a better interviewer, and direct unruly crowds of distracted students.

Contact Info:

• Address: Optik Nerve, Cambridge, MA
• Website: optiknerve.net
• Email: rebecca@optiknerve.net

Image Credit:
RMILLER
Mike Fein

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