CALIFORNIA, USA — Following a banner year with the additions of Senior Executive Producer Alaina Zanotti and editor Raj Ramnauth, award-winning creative editorial/VFX company Nomad is continuing to grow its all-star team with the addition of VMA-nominated editor Zoë Mountain.
Zoë is well-known for her taste-making music videos, including Gryffin and Tinashe’s “Scandalous” and The Kid Laroi’s “Love Again.” She has also worked on notable commercial and editorial projects, ranging from Glamour Magazine’s Woman of the Year shoot featuring poet Amanda Gorman, to campaigns for the likes of Calirosa Tequila. Zoë has also received recognition for her work on Demi Lovato’s “Swine” music video which is nominated for an MTV VMA airing on September 12. Garnering 1 million YouTube views so far, the song is centered around abortion rights and the music video features queer and trans people. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community herself, Zoë was thrilled to share her talents on a project with such an important message.
Senior EP Alaina Zanotti knew Zoë’s personality and talents would be a perfect fit for Nomad adding, “From the moment I met her, there was something undeniably infectious about Zoë and knew I wanted her to be part of the team. There’s something so electric and compelling in her work, and I look forward to being a part of her flourishing career.”
Self-taught in editing and shooting with an interest in documentary film, Zoë honed her craft over the years by steadily taking on any project, allowing her to develop her own signature style. In a somewhat unconventional approach, Zoë had built a successful freelancing career prior to signing with Nomad, and had relied on establishing close industry relationships. This included mentor Chaz Smedley of Eddy Street Post who she met in 2021, which kick started her work on higher profile clients and productions.
“Freelancing forced me to be mindful of the balance between my hustle and my purpose. Starting with no experience and no connections, I leaned on my community to get my first opportunities. The first half of those eight years were spent working with other dancers, artists, queer folks, friends and family,” Zoë shared.
Over the years, Zoë continues to edit because she’s obsessed with the craft, one that was inspired by her years of dance training. This alternate artistic expression is a feeling she describes as a new way to dance that doesn’t risk further injuring her body. Her editing style and approach have evolved to become more intentional where she works on opportunities that she aligns with, no longer settles for a cut or a shot that doesn’t feel great, and holds more space for her creative vision.
From working on music videos, editorial and commercials, Zoë believes now more than ever there is a lot of overlap. “With each of these categories of video, you get a different brand of problem solving to deal with,” Zoë explained, “so I really enjoy having a little bit of everything on my plate. The most noticeable difference is often in the bigger scheme of the production, and how the whole machine is functioning. I like having access to all these different worlds and the people that keep them running.”
As a kismet career pivot, the opportunity to sign with Nomad was a long time coming. “On my drive home after my first meeting with Nomad, I went to put a podcast on. The first suggested podcast was an episode of Once Upon a Timeline called Freelance vs. In House Editing. It felt very appropriate, so I pressed play. A few minutes in, at the exact moment they mentioned working for a post-production company, I passed an RV with bold beautiful script reading ‘Nomad.’ Good omens aside, I’ve wanted to shift toward commercial work for the last year. Once I met the team at Nomad and got a feeling for how they treat their team, it was an easy decision to make.”
Nomad Editor and Partner Conor O’Neill is thrilled to welcome Zoë adding, “We are super happy to have Zoë as a new addition to the Nomad family. Zoë is a great editor, with a natural feel for storytelling and an excellent visual sensibility. She truly loves the craft of editing, and is excited to further hone her skills and expand her repertoire here with us at Nomad.”
