Simon Davies (pronounced Day-vis not Day-veez) was born in Germany and spent his early years in England, but considers the U.S. as “home”. His family moved to Michigan when he was in elementary school, and it was there that he first developed a love for film. “In the late ’80s and early ’90s,” says Simon, “Spielberg-era movies like Jurassic Park and Empire of the Sun were pretty magical. It was transformative. It was the perfect age for me to be completely awestruck.” He remembers watching Independence Day “7 or 8 times” the opening week, and watching Monty Python’s Life of Brian and/or The Meaning of Life “every day for a year; I’ve literally seen them hundreds and hundreds of times.”
Simon took a media course in 10thgrade, and discovered that the teacher had a library of film footage—everything from World War II documentaries to cinema classics. “I began to play with all that tape,” recalls Simon. “That was how I cut my teeth editing.” The next year, he moved to a newly constructed high school with a state-of-the-art media production studio and brand-new non-linear editing equipment. Problem was, nobody knew how to use all the high-tech gear. “So the New Media teacher and I figured it out together,” says Simon. And when a video he cut was played on the school’s closed-circuit TV system as part of the morning announcements, “I liked the way it made me feel….something I made was being enjoyed by other people. That’s when I knew I wanted to do post-production.”
He attended Western Michigan University, graduating in 2004 with a degree in Communications focusing on Film, Video and Media Studies. While in college, he began a freelance career as a video editor, which led to work after graduation at many Detroit area post-houses working with ad agencies on nationally broadcasted commercials for clients like Ford, U.S. Navy and Detroit’s professional sports teams. He also worked on independent films, music videos, and even a children’s show called “Noodle & Doodle” that ran on PBS Sprout.
Since moving to Memphis, one thing Simon has missed is his wife, Michelle, a teacher who remained in Michigan to complete the school year. But she’ll be joining him this summer and preparing for her new job on the faculty at St. Mary’s Episcopal School. He says they’ll both enjoy the nicer weather in Memphis, with more time outside to walk their two dogs, a Corgi (Zeppelin) and a beagle (Zoe), and more time for Simon to enjoy his road cycling hobby….that is, when he’s not watching videos or editing them. “I look at what some other people do for a living, and think I’m very lucky, because I get to be very creative,” Simon explains. “Some people are stuck in office cubicles all day, 9 to 5. But I’m willing to work extra hours on something because I’m passionate about it.”
