Jake Roberts ACE, Will Files, Polly McKinnon and Lee Gilmore

Although the ALIEN: ROMULUS postproduction team of Jake Roberts ACE, Will Files, Polly McKinnon and Lee Gilmore came into this project with a wealth of knowledge and experience amongst them, they still learned a thing or two from director Fede Álvarez, including Fede's not-so-secret formula for jump scares, as well as the notion that clear dialogue isn't always as important as gripping action.  Plus, they reveal the hidden intent of Álvarez to split ALIEN and ALIENS into the two sides of the REMUS/ROMULUS space station.

ALIEN: ROMULUS is the ninth installment in the Alien franchise, set between the events of ALIEN (1979) and ALIENS (1986). The film follows a group of downtrodden young space colonists in pursuit of better life conditions.  During the course of their escape from endless servitude on a mining colony, they encounter hostile creatures while scavenging a derelict space station.

JAKE ROBERTS, ACE

After his work on CITADEL (2012), STARRED UP (2013), THE RIOT CLUB (2014) and BROOKLYN (2015), Roberts earned an Oscar nomination for Best Film Editing for his work on HELL OR HIGH WATER (2016) starring Chris Pine. The movie also garnered him a nomination for an Independent Spirit Award.  Roberts then cut OUTLAW KING (2018) for Netflix directed by David Mackenzie.  He then began collaborating with director Alex Garland, editing his 2020 miniseries DEVS as well as his film, MEN (2022).  Prior to ALIEN: ROMULUS, Jake cut Garland's CIVIL WAR (2024).

WILL FILES

Will Files is known for his work on THE INVISIBLE MAN (2020), VENOM (2018), WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (2017), STAR WARS:  EPISODE VII – THE FORCE AWAKENS (2017) and CLOVERFIELD (2008).

POLLY McKINNON

Polly McKinnon is known for DISTRICT 9 (2009), FORD V FERRARI (2019) and INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY (2023).  In 2019 she won a Golden Reel Award for her sound editing on EXTINCTION (2018).

LEE GILMORE

Lee Gilmore is known for BLADE RUNNER 2049 (2017), DUNE (2021) and THE BATMAN (2022).  Gilmore also won an Emmy for his work on the feature film, PREY (2022).

Editing Alien: Romulus

In our discussion with the Alien: Romulus postproduction team, we talk about:

• Bringing the noise to the set
• Clubbing with Fincher
• Going "Holm" again
• The sweet sound of saturated seventies screams
• Fede's formula for jump scares

The Credits

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Listen to Jake talk about his work on CIVIL WAR

Hear Will discuss the psychology of SOUND DESIGN and how he employed it on GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE and THE BATMAN

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Editor - Eliot Knapman

FURIOSA editor Eliot Knapman is no stranger to the post-apocalyptic postproduction of a Mad Max movie, having previously worked as ACE editor Margaret "Margie" Sixel's second assistant on MAD MAX: FURY ROAD.  For director George Miller's latest film in the franchise, not only was Eliot tapped to be co-editor with Sixel, but was there on set with Miller throughout production doing the first assembly under what had to be fun, but arduous, conditions.

FURIOSA is the fifth installment in Miller's Mad Max franchise, and the first not focused on series protagonist Max Rockatansky, instead acting as both a spin-off prequel to MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015) and an origin story for the Fury Road character Furiosa, portrayed by both Anya Taylor-Joy and Alyla Browne in the prequel.  Set 15 to 20 years before the events of Fury Road, the film follows the title character's life for over a decade, from her kidnapping by the forces of warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) to her ascension to the rank of Imperator.

Eliot Knapman Prior to moving up to the editor's chair on FURIOSA, Eliot worked as a first assistant on such films as THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING (2022) and THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE (2017), and as a second assistant on films like MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015) and THE GREAT GATSBY (2013). Editing FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA

In our discussion with FURIOSA editor Eliot Knapman, we talk about:

• Origin stories on screen and in the cutting room
• Q-Taking it all in
• Digging through the ToyBox to build the War Rig
• Keeping your protagonist active
• Having fun with frame rates

The Credits

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Editor Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir, ACE and assistant editor Matt Absher

The Fall Guy editing team of editor Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir, ACE and assistant editor Matt Absher once again find themselves in the cutting room of a David Leitch action spectacular.  With this film being the fifth the trio has worked on together; their postproduction process is like a highly coordinated stunt sequence.

THE FALL GUY, directed by David Leitch from a script written by Drew Pearce, is loosely based on the 1980's TV series about a stuntman who moonlights as a bounty hunter.  The film version follows a stuntman (Ryan Gosling) working on his ex-girlfriend's (Emily Blunt) directorial debut action film, only to find himself involved in a conspiracy surrounding the film's lead actor (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).

ELÍSABET RONALDSDÓTTIR, ACE

Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir is an award winning tv and film editor, who has worked on over 50 feature films, television programs, documentaries, as well as animated features. She is best known for her collaborations with film directors David Leitch for BULLET TRAIN (2023), JOHN WICK (2014), ATOMIC BLONDE (2017), DEADPOOL 2 (2018) and Baltasar Kormákur for JAR CITY (2006), THE SEA (2002) and CONTRABAND (2012). 

Although Elísabet edited various movies throughout her career, she developed international recognition for her ability to balance humor and seriousness in action features. She built her international prominence by editing CONTRABAND (2012) and later JOHN WICK (2014), which also began her career-long partnerships with Baltasar Kormákur and David Leitch. She first started in the industry by editing Icelandic tv programs, shows, and films.

Elísabet is also actively participating and changing the industry. She is a founding member and two-term inaugural chairwoman of Women in Film & Television Iceland (WIFT Iceland). In addition, Elísabet has sat on the Icelandic Producers Guild board and served for two years as chairwoman of The Icelandic Film & TV Academy in 2005 and 2006. Since 2007 Elísabet has been a board member of the prominent Filmmakers at Reykjavík International Film Festival (RIFF). Born and raised in Reykjavik Iceland, Elísabet is graduate of the London Film School.

MATT ABSHER

Assistant editor Matt Absher has been Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir's right hand man in the cutting room for seven films spanning eleven years.   In addition to their most recent work on David Leitch's THE FALL GUY, the two collaborated on; THE MISSIONARY (2013), JOHN WICK (2014), ATOMIC BLONDE (2017), DEADPOOL 2 (2018), SHANG-CHI and THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS (2021) and KATE (2021).  Aside from his work with Elísabet, Matt has also assisted editors such as Stephen Mirrione on THE INFORMANT! (2009) and Nick Monsour on NOPE (2022).

Editing THE FALL GUY

In our discussion with The Fall Guy editing team of editor Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir, ACE and assistant editor Matt Absher, we talk about:

• Defining David Leitch
• Intercutting to the chase
• Taming a triad of tones
• Syncing split screens
• Voice over and out

The Credits

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David Hunter Jr. and Daniel Hunter

David Hunter Jr., Host of POST IN BLACK, and his brother Daniel Hunter, Founder of POST IN BLACK, joined forces with Executive Producer Tatiana Johnson to create a podcast that has quickly caught fire amongst the film and tv post community.  In featuring African American creative professionals working in the world of media and entertainment, their mission is to reach out to a new generation who may not be aware that a variety of career opportunities exist for them not just in front of the camera, but behind the lens as well.  In this special edition of The Rough Cut, David and Daniel not only give us the scoop on "the guys behind the podcast", but also some new perspectives on the lack of diversity in the industry today.

DAVID HUNTER JR.

David Hunter Jr. is an actor, writer and producer born in Washington DC and raised in the surrounding Metro Area. His acting training began on the stage at Hampton University, a prestigious HBCU located in Hampton, Virginia. From there, David performed on stage in DC performing at the Historic Lincoln Theatre, Atlas Theatre and the DC Improv where he performed monthly with a local improv troupe.

Since relocating to LA, David has voiced campaigns for Blavity, Google, Samsung along with a variety of Commercials and animated projects. He also served as the "Voice of God" for the theatre staff at the Dolby Theatre (formerly Kodak) for the Oscars for over 10 years.

In 2016, David's versatility shined bright as he created, co-wrote and starred in the Web Series, "The Process". The series had 2 seasons and aired on numerous streaming platforms.

In 2018, David auditioned for and was accepted into the inaugural class of the Los Angeles branch of the award-winning Identity School of Acting. While there, he was nominated for Best Actor in his group's showcase.

The ability to create has allowed David to make a lane for himself that lets others see him as more than just an actor. This lead to David starting his own production company, Made For More Entertainment. Underneath the Umbrella of Made For More, David hosts a popular Podcast / Web Series called "Post In Black". This podcast highlights the work of African Americans working behind the scenes in Post Production with guests including the likes of Terilyn Shropshire (Jumping The Broom, When They See Us, The Old Guard) and Daysha Broadway (The Forty Year-Old Version, Insecure, A Black Lady Sketch Show)

David has a genuine love for kids and performed Children's Theatre in the LA area for LAUSD for over 8 years with the theatre company, Enrichment Works. He has also worked as an elementary school teacher for 1st and 2nd grade as well as a middle school teacher for 6th, 7th and 8th grade. He loves to give back to the youth through the arts as well as one-on-one mentorship.

DANIEL HUNTER

When he's not doing his full time job of being David Hunter Jr.'s brother, Philadelphia-based Daniel works as both a sound postproduction professional as well as a driving force behind POST IN BLACK.

Talking POST IN BLACK

In our discussion with David Hunter Jr. and Daniel Hunter, we talk about:

• How you can't desire something you weren't aware of
• That winding road from school teacher, to tour guide, to actor, to...
• The time-tested approach of "thinking globally and acting locally"
• Sound design being just like music composing with sound effects
• The importance of above the line talent crediting their crews

The Credits

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Editor - Vikash Patel OZARK editor Vikash Patel not only has the distinction of cutting twenty episodes over four seasons of the hit Netflix series, but also receiving an Emmy® nomination for his editing on a standout episode that featured the critically-acclaimed performance of guest actor Tom Pelphrey, playing the part of Wendy Byrde's (Laura Linney) brother, Ben.  In addition to his contributions on OZARK, Viks has also lent his storytelling talents to; THE MORNING SHOW (2019), BATES MOTEL (2015-16), LONGMIRE (2012-14), SMALLVILLE (2009-11) and TOP CHEF (2006-07).  Viks also cut the pilot for the TNT series, SNOWPIERCER (2020).

The plot of OZARK is built around financial advisor Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) who, after a money laundering scheme for a Mexican drug cartel goes wrong, proposes to make amends by offering to set up a bigger laundering operation in the Lake of the Ozarks region of central Missouri. Marty suddenly moves his family from the Chicago suburb of Naperville to the remote summer resort community of Osage Beach, Missouri.  When the Byrdes arrive in Missouri, they become entangled with local criminals, including the Langmore and Snell families, and later the Kansas City Mafia.

Editing OZARK

In our discussion with OZARK editor, Vikash Patel we talk about:

• Working with directors who are new to a series
• Living in two-shots and wide shots to let the performances play out
• How premieres and finales differ from other episodes
• Jason Bateman's interaction with post while producing, directing and starring in OZARK
• What Viks will take away from his experience on OZARK

The Credits

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Editor - Eddie Hamilton ACE

TOP GUN: MAVERICK editor Eddie Hamilton ACE has been immersed in the TCEU (Tom Cruise Extended Universe) since 2015 when Eddie took the editorial helm of MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION.  And with the exception of a quick return to his roots with director Matthew Vaughn for KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE (2017), Eddie has spent all his subsequent time working on MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT (2018), TOP GUN: MAVERICK (2022) and the upcoming MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING PARTS I (2023) and II (2024).  Both within, and beyond, these three franchises, Eddie has clearly set himself apart as one of the top action-movie editors working today.

TOP GUN: MAVERICK stars Tom Cruise, reprising his role as Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell from TOP GUN (1986).  The story follows Maverick's return to the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program (also known as "Top Gun") where he must confront his past as he trains a group of younger fighter pilots, among them the son of Maverick's deceased best friend Goose.

Editing TOP GUN: MAVERICK

In our discussion with editor Eddie Hamilton ACE, we talk about:

• Serving the audience broccoli before the brownie
• Referencing the incredible sound design from the original Top Gun
• Hitting the emotional notes for Tom Cruise
• Wrangling over 800 hours of footage
• How to build a better dogfight

The Credits

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Editors - Joseph Krings ACE and Jasmin Way

THE PENTAVERATE editors, Joseph Krings ACE and Jasmin Way, first met when Jasmin assisted Joe on the indie feature, THE REBEL IN THE RYE (2017); a biopic about reclusive author J.D. Salinger.  Joe was so impressed with the way that Jasmin cut scenes for that film that he knew she was the right choice to join him as co-editor on Myers' new comedy series.

THE PENTAVERATE was created by Mike Myers for Netflix and features Myers playing eight different parts throughout the six-episode series.  Initially mentioned in Myers' film, SO I MARRIED AN AXE MURDERER (1993), THE PENTAVERATE is about a Canadian journalist who tries to uncover the truth about a secret society of five men who have controlled the world since 1347.

JOSEPH KRINGS ACE

Joe Krings began his career as a commercial editor in New York City, but quickly grew restless knowing that his real passion was for long form film and television projects.  One of Joe's earliest films was a documentary called SUPERMENSCH (2013), helmed by THE PENTAVERATE creator, Mike Myers.  From there Joe would go on to make a name for himself with the dramedy feature, CAPTAIN FANTASTIC (2016) and indie films such as the aforementioned THE REBEL IN THE RYE (2017) and Sundance stand-outs, AFTER THE WEDDING (2019) and THE EVENING HOUR (2020).

JASMIN WAY

Jasmin Way is a New York-based film and television editor. Her first feature, SOLACE (2018) premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival and won Best Ensemble Cast. Her second documentary feature was the critically-acclaimed THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING (2018) about the history of women in film behind the scenes and in front of the camera. It premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and was the runner-up for the People's Choice award. In addition to her work on THE PENTAVERATE, Jasmin also worked as an editor on the latest season of David Letterman's MY NEXT GUEST NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION (2022).

Editing THE PENTAVERATE

In our discussion with THE PENTAVERATE editors Joseph Krings ACE and Jasmin Way, we talk about:

• The challenge of editing a show where one actor plays eight characters
• Incorporating Netflix's revolutionary "Fix Plix" technology
• Cutting out profanity to increase the vulgarity
• The importance of diction in comedy
• Why you should never follow up an orgy scene with a shot of children

The Credits

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Editor - Todd Downing ACE

RUSSIAN DOLL editor, Todd Downing ACE returns to THE ROUGH CUT, having appeared previously in 2020 to talk about his work on the HULU series, MRS. AMERICA.  In that series, one of Todd's many standout moments was a sequence he cut that featured a conservative 70's housewife going on a drug-fueled, psychedelic trip at the National Women's Conference.  Todd also had a similar episode in the work he did on the series DIFFICULT PEOPLE, on Hulu as well.  Put those two together with the mind-bending journeys Todd navigates on RUSSIAN DOLL and you start to see that Todd Downing has carved out quite a niche for himself as the "go to" editor for shows that feature women going on existential and introspective adventures.

Season 1 of RUSSIAN DOLL tells the story of a woman named Nadia who is caught in a time loop as the guest of honor at a seemingly inescapable birthday party one night in New York City. She dies repeatedly, always restarting at the same moment at the party.  As she tries to figure out what is happening to her, she meets a man who is experiencing the same thing in a different event.

In Season 2, Nadia is ten days away from celebrating her 40th  birthday when the NYC "6" Train sends her back in time to 1982. She soon discovers she is trapped inside the body of her mother, Lenora, who is pregnant with Nadia.  Having learned what a significant impact it had on her family,  Nadia decides to pursue the gold Krugerrands her mother lost that same year, in hopes of changing the course of her family’s history.

Editing RUSSIAN DOLL

In our discussion with RUSSIAN DOLL editor, Todd Downing ACE we talk about:

• Riding the wave of comedy vs drama within a show
• The kind of notes you get from a showrunner who is also the star
• Managing the story logic of characters looping through time and inhabiting other characters
• Natasha's Extraordinary Playlist
• Dealing with VFX "supply chain" issues

The Credits

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Editor - Tia Nolan ACE

In creating DR. STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS, editor Tia Nolan ACE and editor Bob Murawski ACE (along with director Sam Raimi) created a film that not only stands on its own, but also picks things up where other MCU projects previously left off.  WANDAVISION, SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME and the Disney+ series, LOKI all served to introduce the concept of the multiverse to Marvel fans.  And in the case of WANDAVISION and SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME, put Dr. Strange and Wanda Maximoff on a collision course for the events that take place in Multiverse of Madness.

DR. STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS is the sequel to DOCTOR STRANGE (2016) and the 28th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film was directed by Sam Raimi, written by Michael Waldron, and stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange, alongside Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Rachel McAdams. In the film, Strange travels into the Multiverse to protect America Chavez (Gomez), a young girl capable of travelling the Multiverse, from Wanda Maximoff (Olsen).

Editing DR. STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS

In our discussion with editor Tia Nolan, we talk about:

• Making a "rock witch goddess" with Danny Elfman
• Doing your Marvel "homework"
• How to manage a multiverse in editorial
• How Sam Raimi distinguishes between "clangs"
• Lessons learned from legendary editor, Richard Marks ACE

The Credits

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Editors - Ahmed Hafez, Joan Sobel ACE and Cedric Nairn-Smith

Marvel's MOON KNIGHT editing team brought together their diverse background of experiences and talents to deliver a truly new take on what a superhero series can be.  Working together for the first time, they overcame the challenge of collaborating over great distances, with editor Joan Sobel working from home in Los Angeles and editors Ahmed Hafez and Cedric Nairn-Smith both in Budapest, but still mostly separate from one another.

MOON KNIGHT follows Steven Grant, a mild-mannered gift-shop employee, who becomes plagued with blackouts and memories of another life.  Through those visions, Steven discovers he has dissociative identity disorder and shares a body with a mercenary named Marc Spector. As Steven/Marc's enemies converge upon them, they must navigate their complex identities while thrust into a deadly mystery among the powerful gods of Egypt.

AHMED HAFEZ

With an extensive career spanning more than 20 years full of local and international works in the film industry, Egyptian film editor Ahmed Hafez has presented the final cuts of over 20 films and edited numerous TV commercials and music videos. Hafez started his editing career with many TV commercials and music videos. He won 12 local and international awards for his work in six films. Hafez received international acclaim for his work in CLASH (2016) by director Mohamed Diab, which opened the Un Certain Regard section at the 69th Cannes Film Festival. American film critic Deborah Young described his editing style as "rapid-fire editing" in her Clash Cannes review in The Hollywood Reporter. For his work in Clash, Hafez received three awards at the Carthage Film Festival (JCC), Cairo Film Society Festival and the Egyptian National Film Festival.

JOAN SOBEL ACE

Editor Joan Sobel ACE made her first foray into tv editing with MOON KNIGHT.  Up until then it had all been feature work as both an assistant on films such as; BOOGIE NIGHTS (1997), ALL THE PRETTY HORSES (2000) and KILL BILL: Vol. 1 & 2 (2003-2004).  From there she went on to work as an editor on NOCTURNAL ANIMALS (2016), WIDOWS (2018) and THE RHYTHM SECTION (2020).

CEDRIC NAIRN-SMITH

In addition to his work on MOON KNIGHT, Cedric is known for his work as an editor on; THE BOYS (2019-2020), LISEY'S STORY (2021) and BATES MOTEL (2015-2017).

Editing Marvel's MOON KNIGHT

In our discussion with Marvel's MOON KNIGHT editing team, we talk about:

• Breaking away from the MCU and starting fresh
• The onboarding process for a Marvel editor
• Replacing the Marvel theme with needle drops
• Remote collaboration between Budapest and LA
• The importance of push-ups in the editing room

The Credits

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Editor - John Venzon ACE

THE BAD GUYS editor, John Venzon ACE started his career off assisting in the cutting rooms of such memorable films as NATURAL BORN KILLERS (1994), TWISTER (1996), FIGHT CLUB (1999) and PANIC ROOM (2002).  So, it's fair to say he certainly knows his way around a live action feature.  But his career as a lead editor has been highlighted with animated features like SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER & UNCUT (1999), SHARK TALE (2004), FLUSHED AWAY (2006), STORKS (2016) and THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE (2017).  The result is an editor who is a great resource to talk to about working as an editor in animation and how that contrasts and compares with editing live action.

THE BAD GUYS tells the story of the notorious criminal gang of Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Shark and Ms. Tarantula, who, after a lifetime of legendary heists, are finally caught.  To avoid a prison sentence, the animal outlaws must pull off their most challenging con yet -- becoming model citizens.  Under the tutelage of their mentor, Professor Marmalade, the dubious gang sets out to fool the world that they're turning good.

Editing THE BAD GUYS

In our discussion with THE BAD GUYS editor, John Venzon ACE we talk about:

• The editorial phases of animated features
• How animated features endured the lockdowns and remote editing requirements
• Refining the tone and logic of a film so that audiences of all ages can understand and enjoy it
• The influence of OCEAN'S ELEVEN and OUT OF SIGHT
• Editors turned voice actors

The Credits

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Editor - Geraud Brisson

CODA editor, Geraud Brisson wasn't completely unprepared when he took on the challenge of cutting a movie where forty percent of the dialogue is delivered in American Sign Language (ASL).  In 2018 he edited a series called THIS CLOSE whose creators and stars were deaf.  But it was another series he worked on, LITTLE AMERICA, that would have the biggest impact on him becoming the editor for CODA.  While working on that series, Geraud would meet CODA director Sian Heder and discuss her ideas for the indie coming-of-age story she was adapting from the French film, La Famille Bélier.

CODA tells the story of a seventeen-year-old girl named Ruby (Emila Jones) who is the only hearing member of a deaf family from Gloucester, Massachusetts.  Ruby works mornings before school to help her parents (Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur) and brother (Daniel Durant) keep their fishing business afloat.  But in joining her high school's choir club, Ruby finds herself drawn to both her duet partner and her latent passion for singing.

Editing CODA

In our discussion with CODA editor, Geraud Brisson we talk about:

• When to introduce subtitles into editorial
• Why you still need to lav mic actors who are speaking with ASL
• How dialogue delivered as ASL affects shot choices and cut durations
• What silence sounds like
• Why the best directors are also the best knitters

The Credits

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Editors - Joel Griffen and Gardner Gould

SHINING VALE editors Joel Griffen and Gardner Gould teamed up with editor Antonia de Barros to craft a truly unique tv series that deftly blends comedy, fantasy and horror.  Created by Jeff Astrof and Sharon Horgan, SHINING VALE stars Courteney Cox, Greg Kinnear, Sherilyn Fenn, Mira Sorvino, Merrin Dungey and Judith Light. It premiered on Starz on March 6th, 2022.

The plot of SHINING VALE is described thusly...a dysfunctional family moves from the city to a small town after Patricia "Pat" Phelps, a former "wild child" who became famous through writing raunchy female empowerment novels, is caught cheating on her husband. The house the family has moved into is a place where in the past, terrible atrocities have taken place. Nobody seems to suspect anything odd except for Pat who's convinced she's either depressed or possessed. Pat has been sober for 16 years, but begins to feel very unfulfilled in life – she still hasn't written her second novel, she can't remember the last time she had sex with her husband and her teenage kids have grown up to the point where they don't want their mother in their lives. Soon, the demons haunting the family's new home begin to appear much more real.

JOEL GRIFFEN

Editor Joel Griffen is known for his work as an editor on such shows as Leverage: Redemption (2021), Almost Paradise (2020), Krypton (2018-2019); and as an assistant editor on The Walking Dead (2014-2015), Super 8 (2011), Rango (2011), Top Chef (2007-2008) and American Idol (2007).

GARDNER GOULD

Gardner Gould came up in NY and LA cutting rooms under editors Tim Squyres (LIFE OF PI), and Michael Berenbaum (BEFORE NIGHT FALLS). Gould earned his first feature editing credit on DON’T BREATHE (dir. Fede Alvarez; prod. Sam Raimi), grossing over $157M. He followed this taut editorial debut with the lush and exploratory PERFECT (dir. Eddie Alvarez; e.p. Steven Soderbergh), which premiered at SXSW. The same year, drama/sci-fi/thriller HOTEL ARTEMIS (dir. Drew Pearce, prod. Marc Platt) allowed Gould to work a contained ensemble cast into a chest-sweating boil. Sony's GRUDGE reboot (dir. Nicolas Pesce; prod Sam Raimi) followed as an opportunity to re-team with Ghost House producing team to unnerve and terrify horror fans worldwide. He's now lead editor on Starz’s new series SHINING VALE (creators Jeff Astrof and Sharon Horgan). Always on the lookout for fresh projects, he also edits for the Sundance Directors Lab.

Editing Shining Vale

In our discussion with the editors of SHINING VALE, we talk about:

• Fun with title cards
• To visit the set or to not visit the set...that is the question
• Relying on an unreliable narrator
• Paying homage to the classics of scary cinema
• Cultivating hand signals for remote collaboration

The Credits

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Editor - Jake Roberts, ACE

CIVIL WAR editor Jake Roberts ACE is back once again in the cutting room with writer/director Alex Garland for a sequel of sorts to their 2022 feature, MEN.  Although MEN was their first foray into collaborating on a feature, Jake and Alex first worked together on the 2020 FX mini-series, DEVS.

Written and directed by Alex Garland (EX MACHINA, MEN), CIVIL WAR follows a team of journalists traveling across the United States during a civil war fought between an authoritarian federal government and several regional factions. The cast includes Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sonoya Mizuno and Nick Offerman.

JAKE ROBERTS, ACE

After his work on 2012's CITADEL, 2013's STARRED UP, 2014's THE RIOT CLUB, and 2015's BROOKLYN, Roberts earned an Oscar nomination for Best Film Editing for his work on 2016's HELL OR HIGH WATER starring Chris Pine. The movie also garnered him a nomination for an Independent Spirit Award. Roberts then cut 2018's OUTLAW KING for Netflix directed by David Mackenzie. He then began collaborating with director Alex Garland, editing his 2020 miniseries DEVS and 2022 film MEN.  Jake is currently putting the finishing touches on Fede Alvarez's upcoming ALIEN: ROMULUS for 20th Century Studios.

Editing CIVIL WAR

In our discussion with Civil War editor Jake Roberts ACE, we talk about:

• The non-linear editing benefits of a linear production
• Depoliticizing a political thriller
• The unsettling sound of silence
• How tension can affect retention
• The skill of slotting in stills

The Credits

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Editor - Justin Krohn, ACE

WeCrashed editor, Justin Krohn is An Emmy-nominated American Film & TV editor based in Los Angeles.  Krohn began his career working as an assistant editor in Los Angeles & New York, most notably on Martin Scorsese’s Bob Dylan documentary, NO DIRECTION HOME (2005). Continuing to work in the Scorsese orbit while in New York, he contributed to the George Harrison documentary LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD (2011), while also working on Michael Haennke’s US remake of FUNNY GAMES (2007) & several Bruce Springsteen documentaries for director Thom Zimny.

Returning to Los Angeles, Justin began to work as an editor on AMERICAN HORROR STORY (2015-2016), BLOODLINE (2017), TWIN PEAKS: THE RETURN (2017), & THE CURRENT WAR: DIRECTOR'S CUT (2017). Beginning in 2017, he began working with director Sam Esmail on the acclaimed series, MR. ROBOT (2017-2019), starring Rami Malek, & then Amazon’s limited series HOMECOMING (2018), starring Julia Roberts. In 2018, he was nominated for an Emmy for his work editing TWIN PEAKS: THE RETURN for director David Lynch.

WeCrashed is an American drama streaming television miniseries based on the podcast WeCrashed: The Rise and Fall of WeWork by Wondery. The series stars Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway and follows the entrepreneurial rise and fall of WeWork, one of the world's most valuable startups, and the characters whose chaotic love made it all possible.

Editing WeCrashed

In our discussion with WeCrashed editor, Justin Krohn, ACE we talk about:

• Getting film schooled by Thelma Schoonmaker
• The editorial benefits of cross-boarded shooting
• Motivated cutting techniques to accelerate the story
• Making the most out of montages
• Learning and re-learning the communications skills an editor needs

The Credits

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Editor - Annette Davey, ACE

MAID editor, Annette Davey, ACE first began her journey into post production in her native Australia.  After a stroke of good fortune led her to a program funded by a grant from the Australian government where she would learn her craft amongst sixteen women for six months, Annette began assistant editing in tv and enrolled in film school.  From there she would make the move to the U.S. so she could continue her career path, editing a variety of projects in both film and television.  Her feature film work is accented by an indie hit about a young waitress in an abusive relationship, 2007's WAITRESS.  On the tv side, Annette has worked on such series as; HOW TO MAKE IT IN AMERICA (2010), HUNG (2009-2011), TRANSPARENT (2014), GLOW (2018), ZOEY'S EXTRAORDINARY PLAYLIST (2020) and Hulu's original series, PAM AND TOMMY (2022).

MAID is based on a memoir from author Stephanie Land called, Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive. It tells the story of a young mother named Alex (Margaret Qualley) who leaves her abusive boyfriend in the middle of the night, taking their toddler daughter with her.  Once on their own, Alex struggles to make ends meet while working as a maid and dreaming of a future as a writer.

Editing MAID

In our discussion with MAID editor, Annette Davey, ACE we talk about:

• The challenge of interviewing for jobs over Zoom
• Crafting multi-dimensional antagonists
• The benefits of at-home editing
• Enhancing the performances of child actors with stolen moments between takes
• How her own career path influenced what she looks for in an assistant

The Credits

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William Hoy ACE, Tyler Nelson, Will Files, Douglas Murray

THE BATMAN post production team of editors Bill Hoy and Tyler Nelson, along with supervising sound editors Will Files and Doug Murray, are justifiably proud of the film they've made.  In breaking the mold of the superhero archetype, they achieved director Matt Reeves' vision of a noir murder mystery that's more in the vein of classis 70's cinema than the glossy blockbusters of the 21st century.  Adding to this feat is the fact that they were forced to shut down one month into production only to return to action in a much more restrictive model of collaboration than they were used to.  In spite of those challenges, audiences and critics alike have responded in a big way to the remarkably fresh take on DC Films' dark knight.

The story of THE BATMAN begins two years into his crimefighting legacy, forgoing the usual origin story elements often found in super hero tales, and follows Batman / Bruce Wayne as he ventures into Gotham City's underworld where he must track a sadistic killer prone to leaving behind a trail of cryptic clues. As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator's plans becomes clearer, he must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued the city.

WILLIAM HOY ACE

William Hoy is known for his work on NO WAY OUT (1987), DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990), THE BONE COLLECTOR (1999), DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (2014) and WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (2017).

TYLER NELSON

Tyler Nelson is known for his assistant editing work on THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010), THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (2011) and GONE GIRL (2014); as well as his editing work on MINDHUNTER (2017-2019) and SHADOW AND BONE (2021).

WILL FILES

Will Files is known for his work on CLOVERFIELD (2008), DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (2014), WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (2017), STAR WARS:  EPISODE VII - THE FORCE AWAKENS (2017) and VENOM (2018).

DOUGLAS MURRAY

Douglas Murray is known for his work on THE ENGLISH PATIENT (1996), CLOVERFIELD (2008), DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (2014), WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (2017) and ANT-MAN AND THE WASP (2018).

Making The Batman

In our discussion with THE BATMAN post production team, we talk about:

• The influence of 70’s cinema on THE BATMAN
• Using POV driven sound to internalize character feelings
• Building the “voice” of the Batmobile
• The anatomy of a chase scene
• Futzing music on the fly

The Credits

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Editors - Jon Corn ACE and Dean Zimmerman ACE Editing THE ADAM PROJECT at home, away from production and director Shawn Levy, was a new and unwelcomed experience for editor Dean Zimmerman.  Throughout all their collaborative efforts, including the "Night at the Museum" films, FREE GUY (2021) and of course, STRANGER THINGS, the two were practically joined at the hip.  Not only that, but Dean was balancing a new season of STRANGER THINGS, wrapping up FREE GUY and getting THE ADAM PROJECT off the ground all at the same time.  Even with all his experience, he definitely needed help.  Fortunately, a talented editor familiar to both Dean and Shawn was available to help the pair hit all the right notes of comedy, drama and action, for their new Netflix film.

THE ADAM PROJECT tells the tale of time-traveling fighter pilot Adam Reed (Ryan Reynolds), who accidentally crash-lands in 2022 while on his way to 2018.  Once there he teams up with his 12-year-old self (Walker Scobell) on a mission to save the future.

JON CORN ACE

Prior to THE ADAM PROJECT, editor Jon Corn's first and only experience with Shawn Levy and Dean Zimmerman was in 2017 on a series called, IMAGINARY MARY.  But apparently he made a pretty strong impression on the two as they trusted his talents to their latest high-profile project.  And why not?  Jon had an impressive roster of comedy tv to his credits, including; PARKS AND RECREATION, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, THE GOLDBERGS, ENTOURAGE and many others.  Jon had also recently cut the feature film FATHERHOOD (2021).

DEAN ZIMMERMAN ACE

THE ADAM PROJECT finds Dean collaborating once again with director and longtime friend, Shawn Levy.  The two have been working together for over twenty years on projects like the NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM franchise and a little series called STRANGER THINGS.  In fact, a lot of Dean’s crew from STRANGER THINGS is on board for THE ADAM PROJECT.  Assistant editor Kat Naranjo, pre-viz editor Brad Tobler and sound editor Craig Henighan were all on hand for the film.  So, clearly Dean takes a family-oriented approach to putting a crew together and keeping them together.  And editing is a family business in more ways than one for Dean.  His father, Don Zimmerman, is a highly accomplished editor in his own right.   (yes, I totally copied this from the write-up on Dean I did for FREE GUY)

Dean is currently working on wrapping up Season Four of STRANGER THINGS, premiering May 27th, 2022.

Editing The Adam Project

In our discussion with THE ADAM PROJECT editors Dean Zimmerman and Jon Corn, we talk about:

• The additive coolness of digital trees
• Overcoming the newness to the bigness
• Getting rid of remote editorial anxieties with PacPost Live
• Working with Ryan Reynolds on timing and inflection notes
• Sacrificing great material for the even greater good

The Credits

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Editors - Charles Little II ACE and Bryan Colvin

9-1-1: Lone Star editors Charles Little II and Bryan Colvin make their debut on The Rough Cut to describe both their workflow for the Fox procedural drama as well as the career paths that lead them there.

From 9-1-1 co-creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear, 9-1-1: Lone Star follows a sophisticated New York firefighter who, along with his son, relocates from New York City to Austin, Texas. He must try to balance the duties of saving those who are at their most vulnerable and solving the problems in his own life. He is joined by other firefighters as well as members of the police department and emergency medical services.

CHARLES LITTLE II ACE

Charles is an accomplished motion picture editor, television producer and an award-winning multimedia creative. In 2008, Charles received the Best Editing Award for The Luminaries' inspiring music video entitled Peace at the fifth annual Elevate Film Festival which challenged international filmmakers to create works of social and environmental importance. In 2012, Charles directed and edited a series of short brand films for ad agency Gertude, Inc. which earned him a bronze Telly Award.  Charles' credits also include unscripted series for networks like Showtime, Discovery, NatGeo and VH1; including Ru Paul's Drag Race and MTV Networks' 1 World Hip-Hop Championship where Charles wore several hats including Editor, Director and Executive Producer. Charles is an active member in various post-production groups promoting diversity and advancement within the film and television industry; and is a proud member of the Motion Picture Editor's Guild (I.A.T.S.E. Local #700).

BRYAN COLVIN

Bryan is an up and coming motion picture editor, currently working on 9-1-1 on FOX (created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk & Tim Minear), with his roots in all forms of media creation growing up. From music performance, composition, video editing, motion graphics, even adobe flash before that went the way of the dodo. Any art form that involved media placed over a timeline, was of interest in his upbringing. At the age of 19 Bryan cut a web series called Noah’s Arc created by Patrik-Ian Polk that was picked up by LOGO Network. He’s cut many music videos, short films, and a sum of 7 indie feature films since his first, and 2 more as Additional Editor. In 2013 Bryan cut his first feature film Blackbird, starring Mo’Nique, Isaiah Washington, and new comer Julian Walker, which even got a small theatrical release in major cities. Always striving to dig deeper into story and plot, and engage the audience better with edge-of-your-seat excitement and empathy for the characters. Always striving to learn new tools and improve the time it takes for thought to be built in the timeline for real, all while guiding the collaborative synergy at the edit bay to keep it flowing all the way to lock picture.

Editing 9-1-1: Lone Star

In our discussion with the editors of 9-1-1: Lone Star, we talk about:

• Snapchat editorial setups
• Trolling Twitter for audience feedback
• Taking the mad scientist approach to remote "Parsec" workflows
• Loving the trim tool and 3-band EQ
• Being an "emotional DJ"

The Credits

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Asst. Editors - Francesca Castro, Art O'Leary ACE, Irene Chun, Daniel Morfesis, Christina Mar

For those that aspire to careers in film and tv editing, this panel (originally recorded for ACE EditFest 2021) offers plenty of great advice and lots of interesting origin stories from five assistant editors who have worked on some of the most acclaimed films and television shows.

FRANCESCA CASTRO

Life Sentence, Whiskey Cavalier, Ted Lasso

ART O'LEARY ACE

The Next Iron Chef, Forever Young, Deadliest Catch

IRENE CHUN

Eastsiders, Minari, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

DANIEL MORFESIS

If Beale Street Could Talk, Zola, The Underground Railroad

CHRISTINA MAR

Trumbo, Molly's Game, Eternals

Building Careers in Film and TV Editing

In our discussion with these amazing assistant editors, we talk about:

• Taking ownership of your mistakes
• What happens in the cutting room stays in the cutting room
• The importance of being genuine and having a good attitude
• How anyone can be a mentor

The Credits

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Editors - Fred Raskin ACE, Greg D'Auria and Gregg Featherman

PEACEMAKER editors Fred Raskin ACE, Greg D'Auria and Gregg Featherman have worked together going back many years, just never all together on the same project.  For the HBO Max spinoff of James Gunn's THE SUICIDE SQUAD, the three have combined their collective talents to create a series that balances comedy, action and drama with Gunn's signature style.

PEACEMAKER is an American television series based on the DC Comics character Peacemaker. It is the first DC Extended Universe (DCEU) television series and is set after the events of THE SUICIDE SQUAD.  The series follows jingoistic killer Christopher Smith / Peacemaker as he joins "Project Butterfly"; a black ops squad that targets extra-terrestrial parasitic butterfly-like creatures.

FRED RASKIN ACE

In looking for an editor and Associate Producer for his first DC tv series, James Gunn had to look no further than an old friend from his Marvel days, editor Fred Raskin.  Fred worked with Gunn on both Guardians of the Galaxy films, as well as Peacemaker's origin film, THE SUICIDE SQUAD (2021).  In addition to his work with Gunn, another prominent director that Fred is known to cut for is Quantin Tarantino.  Fred handled the editorial duties for Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight and, most recently, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

GREG D'AURIA

Editor Greg D'Auria has crossed paths with Fred Raskin on more than one occasion in their careers.  Also a veteran of the "Quentin Tarantino Extended Universe", Greg has worked as assistant and editor on films such as KILL BILL: VOL 1 (2003) and DJANGO UNCHAINED (2012).  D'Auria also lent his editorial talents to films like FAST & FURIOUS 6 (2013) and F9: THE FAST SAGA (2021).

GREGG FEATHERMAN

While PEACEMAKER marks the first time that Gregg Featherman has worked with Raskin, he was assisted by editor Greg D'Auria on the films MUSIC OF THE HEART (1999) and TEXAS RANGERS (2001).  Although the earlier part of his career was primarily in feature film, Featherman has spent most of his career editing tv series such as; ENTOURAGE (2005-2011), SHAMELESS (2013-2015) and JANE THE VIRGIN (2015-2016).

Editing PEACEMAKER

In our discussion with PEACEMAKER editors Fred Raskin ACE, Greg D'Auria and Gregg Featherman, we talk about:

• Editing the most awesome show open ever
• John Cena's incredible improv talents
• Working with James Gunn on a tv series vs working with him on a film
• Meeting the director over FaceTime and communicating via notes
• Resurrecting the career of a Norwegian glam metal band

The Credits

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Hear Fred Raskin talk about his work on THE SUICIDE SQUAD and ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD

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ACE Editors - Harry Yoon, Joi McMillon, Ben Bulatao, Melissa McCoy, Alan Baumgarten

For those that aspire to careers in film and tv editing, this panel (originally recorded for ACE EditFest 2021) offers plenty of great advice and lots of interesting origin stories from five editors who have helmed some of the most acclaimed films and television shows.

HARRY YOON ACE

The Newsroom, Euphoria, Minari, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

JOI McMILLON ACE

Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk, The Underground Railroad, Zola

BEN BULATAO ACE

Biography, Ice Road Truckers, Black Gold, Deadliest Catch

MELISSA McCOY ACE

CSI, I Love Money, Rush Hour, Ted Lasso

ALAN BAUMGARTEN ACE

Zombieland, Molly's Game, The Trial of The Chicago 7, Being the Riccardos

Building Careers in Film and TV Editing

In our discussion with these amazing ACE editors, we talk about:

• Starting an editing career with a blooper reel
• How sometimes you have to take a step sideways or backwards to move forward
• The immutable truth that WHO you meet in film school can be more important than WHAT you learn in film school
• What it means to be good in the room

The Credits

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Hear Alan Baumgarten talk about his Oscar-nominated work on The Trial of the Chicago 7

Listen to Melissa McCoy discuss editing Ted Lasso

Harry Yoon on his work on Minari and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

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Editor - Janus Jansen

FLEE editor, Janus Jansen began his filmmaking journey when he first stepped into an editing room on Monday, February 5th 1970.  Fifty-two years later he can look back upon a career rich in both scripted films, such as SMILLA'S SENSE OF SNOW (1997) and THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS (1993), as well as documentaries like STRONG ISLAND (2017) and A CIVILIZED COUNTRY (2014).  Fourteen of those films were done with noted Danish director, Bille August.

FLEE follows Amin Nawabi, who, on the verge of marrying his husband, shares his story for the first time about his hidden past fleeing his home country of Afghanistan to Denmark as a refugee.

Editing FLEE

In our discussion with FLEE editor, Janus Jansen we talk about:

• To dub or not to dub, that is the question
• Creating animatics
• Keeping post in sync with animation
• Doing sound design when there's little-to-no production audio
• What the word 'home' means to an editor

The Credits

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Editors - Molly Shock ACE, Matt Cluett, Ezra Hudson

MASTERCHEF: LEGENDS editors Molly Shock, Matt Cluett and Ezra Hudson join The Rough Cut to talk about their ACE Eddie nominated work on Season 11 of the reality TV juggernaut.

Featuring celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey, the cooking competition pits amateur and "at home" chefs against one another in an ongoing gauntlet of culinary challenges until only one contestant is left standing.  The competition takes place in the MasterChef soundstage located in Los Angeles, CA; which includes a large kitchen area with several cooking stations that are overlooked by a balcony, a well-stocked pantry, a freezer/fridge area and a fine-dining restaurant/seating dining area room used for certain challenges.

MOLLY SHOCK ACE

Aspiring director Molly Shock discovered her love of editing through her disdain for being on set.  The DGA's loss was unscripted tv's gain as Molly's storytelling skills and eye for "salty looks" has helped create some of the most popular shows in the world of reality television.  Too numerous to name in their entirety, Molly has edited such reality tv standouts as;  BEYOND SCARED STRAIGHT, TOP CHEF MASTERS, PROJECT RUNWAY, SURVIVOR, NAKED AND AFRAID and RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE ALL STARS.  Always up for a challenge, Molly has never met an escape room she didn't like or a turkey she couldn't cook.

MATT CLUETT

Matt Cluett's first opportunity to try his hand at cutting unscripted tv began in Australia on the Aussie versions of many well known reality franchises, including shows such as;  THE BIGGEST LOSER, THE APPRENTICE, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE, THE X FACTOR, WIFE SWAP, AUSTRALIA'S NEXT TOP MODEL, THE BACHELOR and of course, MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA.  Currently on his third season of MASTERCHEF: LEGENDS, Matt focuses much of his attention on the "super tease" element of the show.

EZRA HUDSON

USC film school grad, Ezra Hudson initially found himself on a track to being a "very" junior feature development studio exec and then marketeer at Legendary Pictures.  At that point Ezra considered the process of post production to be boring, based on some brief experience he had visiting a film cutting room while he was in high school.  Despite that previous conception of post, Ezra knew he needed to do something more visceral and vital with his talents.  That desire put him back on course with editing, joining shows like LEGO MASTERS and DANCING WITH THE STARS, and ultimately leading him to lend his "God's eye view" to the finishing phase of MASTERCHEF: LEGENDS.

Editing MasterChef: Legends

In our discussion with MASTERCHEF: LEGENDS editors Molly Shock ACE, Matt Cluett and Ezra Hudson, we talk about:

• What it's like to be on a show that can have a team of up to 20 editors
• How they divide up the workflow with “Builders”, “Polishers”, & “Finishers”
• How you work remotely with such a large team
• Why the cold opens and "next on" segments are so important to the whole context of an episode
• Managing the sheer volume of media required to make a show like MasterChef

The Credits

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Editor Michael Ruscio, ACE and assistant editor Josh Carley

The 3 BODY PROBLEM editing team of editor Michael Ruscio, ACE and assistant editor Josh Carley collaborated for the first time to take on arguably the biggest episode of the Netflix adaptation of the Chinese sci-fi novel.  Helmed by former GAME OF THRONES showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Wiess, 3 BODY PROBLEM masterfully blends multiple genres, including action, fantasy and psychological thriller.

The wheels of 3 BODY PROBLEM are set in motion when Ye Wenjie, an astrophysicist who sees her father beaten to death during a struggle session in the Chinese Cultural Revolution, is conscripted by the military. Due to her scientific background, she is sent to a secret military base in a remote region. Her decision at the base to respond to contact from an alien planet implicates a group of scientists in the present day, forcing them to confront humanity's greatest threat.

MICHAEL RUSCIO, ACE

Michael Ruscio began his editing career making films with independent mavericks Alan Rudolph and Robert Altman.  He has enjoyed editing some of the top dramatic shows of the past twenty years, including The Sopranos, Homeland, Dexter, House of Cards and Six Feet Under, where he first met Rodrigo Garcia, for whom he edited the film Raymond & Ray.  Recent work featuring Michael's talents include Pieces of Her, Your Honor, Carnival Row, Ridley Scott's Raised by Wolves, and Hulu’s Catch-22.  Ruscio was nominated for an ACE Eddie Award for the finale of Six Feet Under and won the 2009 Eddie for the pilot of True Blood.  He created a workshop for the American Film Institute on the art of editing which he also taught at the Los Angeles Film School. Additionally, he has directed multiple episodes of the HBO series True Blood and his short film In Order of Appearance received ensemble and individual acting awards during its festival run.  He is currently editing the upcoming Amazon series Butterfly.

JOSH CARLEY

Josh Carley started his editing career in his home state of Louisiana, where he cut short films, trailers, EPKs, web pieces, local commercials, music videos, and a large array of other kinds of projects. His work led him to projects with other local filmmakers, and projects for SYFY, Lifetime, and Hallmark.  In 2018 Josh moved to Los Angeles where he still resides with his wife and kids. He’s had the privilege on working as Assistant Editor on such shows as Amazon’s Utopia and The Terminal List, FX’s The Old Man, and Apple TV’s Truth Be Told.  In addition to 3 Body Problem, his most recent work can be seen in the upcoming final season of The Umbrella Academy.

Editing 3 BODY PROBLEM

In our discussion with the 3 BODY PROBLEM editing team of Michael Ruscio and Josh Carley, we talk about:

• Doubling down on dialogue to deliver the action
• Slicing through the VFX work
• Taking a different angle on the same scene
• Sound advice for assistants
• Transcontinental cutting rooms

The Credits

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Editor - Tom Eagles ACE

THE HARDER THEY FALL editor, Tom Eagles ACE first made a name for himself with his ACE Eddie-winning work on JOJO RABBIT (2019); a film for which he was also nominated for an Oscar® for Best Film Editing.  Looking to expand his career and broaden the scope of the work he could choose from, Tom was in the process of moving his family from his native New Zealand to Los Angeles, while he took on a new project with first-time director, Jeymes Samuel.  Due to the impact of COVID, that move was delayed and Tom wound up cutting his new film back home in New Zealand.

In addition to directing THE HARDER THEY FALL, Jeymes Samuel is also known as a singer, songwriter and music producer who travels under the name "The Bullitts".  For his first time out as a filmmaker, Samuel has crafted a revisionist Western with a distinct emphasis on visual style and, of course, musicality.    THE HARDER THEY FALL is also one of the few, if not only, Westerns whose principal cast members are all Black and all the characters they play in the film are real.   The standout cast is anchored by actors; Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Regina King, Delroy Lindo, RJ Cyler, Zazie Beets and Lakeith Stanfield.

TOM EAGLES ACE

Back in his home country of New Zealand, Tom Eagles built his career on a foundation of work with director, Taika Waititi.  Projects such as; WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (2014), HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE (2016), the TV series WELLINGTON PARANORMAL (2018) and their critically-acclaimed film, JOJO RABBIT (2019).  Now working full time in Los Angeles after completing THE HARDER THEY FALL, Eagles is once again reuniting with Waititi for his next film.

Editing The Harder They Fall

In our discussion with THE HARDER THEY FALL editor, Tom Eagles ACE, we talk about:

• Managing a story with a large cast
• The punctuation of freeze frames, stings and split screens
• Having a director "sing" you the script
• The enduring analog method of "pen and paper" note taking
• Being a working editor in New Zealand vs Hollywood

The Credits

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Editors - Andrew Weisblum ACE and Myron Kerstein ACE

tick, tick...Boom! editors Andy Weisblum and Myron Kerstein merged their considerable talents to bring Lin-Manuel Miranda's directorial debut to life....but not at the same time.  While Weisblum began the project, COVID-related delays and a prior commitment to another film meant that Andy would not be able to finish the film.  Fortunately for Miranda, he had to look no further than the cutting room of his film IN THE HEIGHTS.   With that, Myron Kerstein was brought in to lend his storytelling skills to the project and bring "TTB" home.

ANDREW WEISBLUM ACE

Aside from his rich body of work with Wes Anderson, Andy is also a frequent collaborator with director Darren Aronofsky.  In addition to his Oscar®-nominated work on Aronofsky’s BLACK SWAN (2010), Andy also collaborated with him on THE FOUNTAIN (2006), BROKEN ENGLISH (2007), THE WRESTLER (2008), NOAH (2014) and MOTHER! (2017).  The two are currently at work on Aronofsky’s next film, THE WHALE.

MYRON KERSTEIN ACE

Even before re-teaming with Lin-Manuel Miranda for tick, tick...Boom!, Myron Kerstein had plenty of experience to draw from going into their first project together - Miranda’s Broadway hit, IN THE HEIGHTS (2021). Kerstein previously worked with IN THE HEIGHTS director John Chu on the film, CRAZY RICH ASIANS (2018).  Myron also had a diverse pool of film and tv projects, including; GARDEN STATE (2004), NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST (2008), LITTLE FOCKERS (2010), THE DUKES OF HAZARD (2005), FAME (2009), GIRLS (2015-17) and HOME BEFORE DARK (2020).

Editing tick, tick...Boom!

In our discussion with tick, tick...Boom! editors Andy Weisblum and Myron Kerstein, we talk about:

• How to manage the handoff of a project from one editor to another
• Converting beats to frames when cutting a musical
• Cutting at director, Lin-Manuel Miranda's house
• What to do with the post crew when a new editor comes in to replace the first one
• Editing with The Wu-Tang Clan looking over your shoulder

The Credits

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Editor - Andy Jurgensen

LICORICE PIZZA editor, Andy Jurgensen has worked with director Paul Thomas Anderson since their time together on INHERENT VICE (2014).  At that time, Andy was first assistant editor to Leslie Jones ACE.  From there Andy served as associate editor to Dylan Tichenor ACE on Anderson's PHANTOM THREAD (2017).  In addition to his work with Paul Thomas Anderson, Andy has also served as an assistant editor on a number of films with director, Jay Roach, including THE CAMPAIGN (2012), TRUMBO (2015) and BOMBSHELL (2019).

Set in the San Fernando Valley in the early 1970's, LICORICE PIZZA is a semi-biographical film that tells the tale of Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman), a 15 year-old actor-turned-entrepreneur who becomes infatuated with 25 year-old Alana Kane (Alana Haim).  Despite rejecting his romantic overtures due to their age difference, Alana can't deny Gary's charisma and charm.  Realizing her life is more interesting with Gary in it, Alana becomes partners with Gary in his burgeoning waterbed business.

Editing LICORICE PIZZA

In our discussion with LICORICE PIZZA editor, Andy Jurgensen we talk about:

• Rising up the ranks from assistant to lead editor
• Working in a hybrid film and digital workflow
• The unique processes of director Paul Thomas Anderson
• How to cut a film without a strong plot to guide you
• Breaking the rules of needle drops to establish an era

The Credits

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Editors - Terel Gibson ACE, Rosanne Tan ACE and Tim Roche

The editors of Marvel's HAWKEYE each brought their own storytelling super powers to the mix for the most recent Disney+ hit.  MCU "newbie" Terel Gibson brought his formidable feature editing skills, while MCU veterans Rosanne Tan and Tim Roche applied their respective tv experience in action/drama and comedy.  Collectively the result was a show that delighted Marvel fans and evoked the holiday spirit of a diverse set of films from DIE HARD to HOME ALONE.

Taking place one year after the events of AVENGERS: ENDGAME, Clint Barton (Hawkeye/Ronin) must partner with Kate Bishop to confront enemies from his past as Ronin in order to get back to his family in time for Christmas.

TEREL GIBSON ACE

Prior to joining the MCU for HAWKEYE, Terel Gibson ACE was best known for his feature film work on movies such as SORRY TO BOTHER YOU (2018), READY OR NOT (2019) and THE FIGHTER (2010).

ROSANNE TAN ACE

Rosanne Tan ACE makes her record-tying 3rd appearance on The Rough Cut!  Prior to HAWKEYE, Rosanne also cut Marvel's THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER and had plenty of other experience editing tv shows (MR. ROBOT, HOMECOMING) that featured action, intrigue and high drama.

TIM ROCHE

In addition to Tim's previous experience cutting another hit Marvel series (WANDAVISION), Mr. Roche honed his editorial skills in the field of comedy tv, having cut such shows as CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM and IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA.

Editing Marvel's Hawkeye

In our discussion with the editors of Marvel's Hawkeye, we talk about:

• Mining the Marvel archives
• The narrative role of the "walk and talk"
• Building an epic 360 degree car chase
• How to make a mega montage from "scenelets"
• Meeting your heroes

The Credits

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Listen to editor Tim Roche discuss his work on WANDAVISION

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Author / Editor / Documentarian - Roger Nygard ACE

Cut to the Monkey author, Roger Nygard has logged many hours in the editing rooms of some of the biggest names in comedy.  It was those sessions with the likes of Larry David, Sacha Baron Cohen and Judd Apatow that inspired him to organize their thoughts, and his own, into a book that can help even more experienced editors confidently take on comedy projects.

ROGER NYGARD ACE

Roger Nygard is probably best known for his highly-successful and acclaimed documentary Trekkies, about the most obsessive fans in the Universe. Nygard's previous documentary, The Nature of Existence, addressed the impossible subject of the world's philosophies, religions, and belief systems. Nygard has made several other award-winning films, including the car-salesman cult-film, Suckers, and a profile of UFO fanatics, Six Days In Roswell, and now the documentary The Truth About Marriage. His work as an editor includes "Grey's Anatomy," "The League," and Emmy-nominated episodes of "VEEP" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm."  Nygard has also directed television series such as "The Office," and "The Bernie Mac Show".

Writing Cut to the Monkey

In our discussion with Cut to the Monkey author, Roger Nygard ACE, we talk about:

• Working backwards to find the best takes faster
• Studying the classics
• Staying in the wides and staying on the joke
• The importance of being a filmmaker first, editor second
• Navigating the Periodic Table of Nonsense

The Credits

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Editors - Leigh Folsom Boyd ACE and Jeffrey Ford ACE

Editors Leigh Folsom Boyd and Jeffrey Ford are not exactly newbies when it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  And while they have many prior MCU colleagues in common, SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME represents the first time they've ever worked together on a project.  Jeff was the editor who introduced Tom Holland's Peter Parker to the MCU when he cut CAPTAIN AMERICA - CIVIL WAR.  Leigh has the distinction of also cutting the previous film in director Jon Watts' "Spidey" trilogy, SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME alongside editor Dan Lebental ACE. NO WAY HOME picks up things up in the moment after Mysterio exposes Parker's identity as Spider-Man to the world in FAR FROM HOME.  Peter then asks Dr. Strange to make it a secret again with magic, but this breaks open the "multiverse" and allows five supervillains from alternate realities to enter Parker's universe.

LEIGH FOLSOM BOYD ACE

Even before joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe to co-edit ANT MAN, SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME and BLACK WIDOW, editor Leigh Folsom Boyd had plenty of experience cutting blockbuster action movies.  Her rich resume includes films like FAST & FURIOUS, FAST FIVE, FAST & FURIOUS 6, FURIOUS 7, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES and TOTAL RECALL (2012).

JEFFREY FORD ACE

While Jeff Ford's career has been punctuated by the excellent work he has done in smaller projects such as ONE HOUR PHOTO (2002), BLOODWORTH (2010) and THE COMEY RULE (2020), it is his impressive and unmatched roster of ten MCU films (plus THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER for Disney+) for which he is most well known.

Editing Spider-Man: No Way Home

In our discussion with the SPIDER-MAN: NOW WAY HOME editing team of Leigh Folsom Boyd and Jeffrey Ford, we talk about:

• Taking care to build a film that can stand on its own within both a trilogy and a franchise
• Integrating the Easter eggs
• Collaborating under COVID restrictions
• The experience of editing on set
• Jeff Ford finally coming clean about his gaffe in AVENGERS: ENDGAME

The Credits

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Hear Leigh Folsom Boyd talk about editing Black Widow

Jeffrey Ford and Robin Buday discuss Avengers: Endgame

Editor Dan Lebental on cutting Spider-Man: Far From Home

See Chancler's Spider-Man Music Video over on Twitter

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Editor - Cam McLauchlin

NIGHTMARE ALLEY editor, Cam McLauchlin has been working with director Guillermo Del Toro dating back to their time together on PACIFIC RIM (2013).  But up to this point Cam had exclusively served in assistant editing and associate editing roles for Del Toro.  NIGHTMARE ALLEY marks McLauchlin's first time as lead editor for the celebrated director.

Set in the 1940's. NIGHTMARE ALLEY tells the tale of Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper), a down-on-his-luck drifter who endears himself to a clairvoyant (Toni Collette) and her mentalist husband (David Strathairn) at a traveling carnival. Using newly acquired knowledge, Carlisle crafts a golden ticket to success by swindling the elite and wealthy. Hoping for a big score, he soon hatches a scheme to con a dangerous tycoon with help from a mysterious psychiatrist who might be his most formidable opponent yet.

CAM McLAUCHLIN

As a film & television editor based out of Toronto and Los Angeles, Cam's career began in Toronto working as an assistant editor for Guillermo Del Toro on PACIFIC RIM, THE STRAIN, CRIMSON PEAK and eventually as an associate editor on SHAPE OF WATER.  Cam also edited the horror cult classic, THE VOID with alumni from Canadian film production and directing company, Astron-6.  Other selected work includes; Max Minghellas' feature debut musical, TEEN SPIRIT and Dogme 95 member, Lone Schefrig's KINDNESS OF STRANGERS.  Cam is currently working with Ana Lily Amirpour for Guillermo's Netflix anthology series, CABINET OF CURIOUSITIES.

Editing NIGHTMARE ALLEY

In our discussion with NIGHTMARE ALLEY editor, Cam McLauchlin we talk about:

• Rising up the ranks from assistant to associate to lead editor
• Making bulldogs bark for Guillermo Del Toro
• Managing notes from the director, producers, stars and the studio
• The challenge of cutting fluid camera work
• Assisting neurotic editors

The Credits

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Ghostbusters: Afterlife - Dana E. Glauberman ACE, Nathan Orloff, Will Files, Perry Robertson

Although editor Dana E. Glauberman ACE and sound editor / re-recording mixer Perry Robertson already had plenty of experience working with director Jason Reitman, editor Nathan Orloff and veteran sound editor / re-recording mixer Will Files were not quite as familiar with the "Reitman-verse".  But together these four very talented people helped create a new film that not only honored the beloved comedy classic, but also paved the way so that a whole new generation could fall in love with symmetrical book stacking.

DANA E. GLAUBERMAN ACE

Dana E. Glauberman ACE is known for her work on THE MANDALORIAN (2019), CREED II (2018),  UP IN THE AIR (2009) and JUNO (2007).

NATHAN ORLOFF

Nathan Orloff is known for his work on JOHN WICK 4 (2022), PLAN B (2021) and TULLY (2018).

WILL FILES

Will Files is known for his work on THE INVISIBLE MAN (2020), VENOM (2018), WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (2017), STAR WARS:  EPISODE VII - THE FORCE AWAKENS (2017) and CLOVERFIELD (2008).

PERRY ROBERTSON

Perry Robertson is known for his work on THE FRONT RUNNER (2018), WONDER (2017) and TRUMBO (2015).

Editing Ghostbusters: Afterlife

In our discussion with the GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE post production team of Dana E. Glauberman ACE, Nathan Orloff, Will Files and Perry Robertson we talk about:

• Using legacy sounds from the original film
• Bringing back a lost scene from Ghostbusters (1984)
• How to create voices for ghosts and marshmallow men
• Dividing up the workload in picture and sounds
• Advice for up-and-comers looking for a career in editing and mixing

The Credits

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Editor - Peter Sciberras

THE POWER OF THE DOG editor, Peter Sciberras had never met director Jane Campion prior to their working together on this film, but their initial discussion about maintaining the tension throughout the film and the kind of tenacious editor that would require, left no doubt that Pete was the one for this project.

THE POWER OF THE DOG is a western drama. both written and directed by Jane Campion, based on the 1967 novel of the same name by Thomas Savage. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, and Kodi Smit-McPhee.

PETER SCIBERRAS

Prior to his work on THE POWER OF THE DOG, Pete had cut his storytelling teeth on a number of short films and then went on to make his mark in Australian cinema with films such as; HAIL (2011), THE ROVER (2014), WAR MACHINE (2017) and THE KING (2019).

Editing THE POWER OF THE DOG

In our discussion with THE POWER OF THE DOG editor, Peter Sciberras we talk about:

• The skills an editor can develop doing short films
• Editing in isolation during the pandemic
• Shifting perspectives between characters
• The role of the DI assistant?
• Telling a story between the lines of dialogue

The Credits

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Hans Zimmer and Joe Walker ACE

Long time friends and collaborators, Hans Zimmer and Joe Walker ACE have had the pleasure of working together on five feature films.  Their first was Steve McQueen's 12 Years A Slave, followed up by Dune director Denis Villeneuve's Blade Runner 2049.  After that came Widows (again with McQueen), Dune and their upcoming film, The Unforgivable.  Feature films aside, their relationship dates back even much further than that.  Both creative talents were part of a BBC TV series called First Born in 1988.  And while Hans filled the roll he's become most known for by scoring three episodes of the series, twice Oscar®-nominated film editor Joe Walker actually contributed as a sound editor and not a picture editor for First Born.  In fact, musically trained Walker began his career as a sound editor before switching to cutting picture.

HANS ZIMMER

The work of legendary composer Hans Zimmer is notable for integrating electronic music sounds with traditional orchestral arrangements. Since the 1980's, Zimmer has composed music for over 150 films. His works include The Lion King (for which he won the Academy Award for Best Original Score in 1995), Crimson Tide, Gladiator, the Pirates of the Caribbean series, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk, Blade Runner 2049 and Dune.  In addition to his Academy award, he has received four Grammy Awards, three Classical BRIT Awards and two Golden Globes. He was also named to the list of Top 100 Living Geniuses, published by The Daily Telegraph.

JOE WALKER ACE

Formally trained in music and with a career that began as a sound editor, Joe's decision to pursue a life as a picture editor clearly paid off as he is one of the most celebrated feature film editors working today; having been nominated for an Oscar® for his work on the films 12 Years a Slave and The Arrival.  Those films also notched Joe two of this three BAFTA nominations, with the third being for Blade Runner 2049.

The Details

In our discussion with the dynamic "DUNE" duo of Hans Zimmer and Joe Walker ACE we talk about:

• How Hans's early film scores messed with the monitors
• Creating "the voice"
• The horizontal and vertical editing Joe Walker does within the frame
• Building a better bagpipe
• The brief and inauspicious careers of Hans Zimmer, film editor and Joe Walker, sound editor

The Credits

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Editors Maria Gonzales and Aika Miyake

The work of SHOGUN editors, Maria Gonzales and Aika Miyake played a crucial role in the success of this adaptation of James Clavell's novel, as Maria and Aika created a fast-paced story, shifting the conflicts away from battlefields and into political intrigues by highlighting interpersonal dynamics, intense dialogue scenes, and the crucial role of female characters.  While editing, they were also often challenged with condensing the run times of episodes down from close to one hundred minutes to one hour each, while still fleshing out the complex tapestry and culture clashes of XVII century Japan and overcoming language barriers themselves.

SHOGUN follows the collision of two ambitious men from different worlds; John Blackthorne, a risk-taking English sailor who ends up shipwrecked in Japan and in a country whose unfamiliar culture will ultimately redefine him, and Lord Toranaga, a shrewd and powerful daimyo at odds with his own dangerous political rivals.  Entangled with the pair is Lady Mariko, a woman with invaluable skills but dishonorable family ties, who must prove her value and allegiance.

MARIA GONZALES

With over twenty years of experience in the industry, Maria's previous television work includes many award-winning shows, including The Old Man, See, and Counterpart, as well as fan-favorite shows, like The Walking Dead and its spin-off show, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live. Outside of her episodic work, Maria served as an editor on two horror features: A24’s fantasy horror The Monster and Blumhouse’s horror thriller Mockingbird. She also previously worked as an assistant editor on the Academy Award-winning film The Bourne Ultimatum and Academy Award-nominated Up in the Air along with working on a long list of features beloved by audiences, including Jon Favreau’s Chef and Barry Sonnenfeld’s Men in Black II.  Maria sees editing as the subtle hand that guides narratives into seamless coherence, and she continually seeks the delicate equilibrium between creativity and technical mastery while fostering a creative environment that uplifts those around her.  Currently living in Los Angeles with her family, Maria was born in the United States but spent her formative years in modern-day Serbia before returning to LA to study at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where she graduated with a BA in Cinema Studies.

AIKA MIYAKE

Aika's sixteen years of film/tv work spans across all styles and genres, covering short-form branded content, documentaries, narrative TV, and feature films. Her television work includes Netflix's Emmy-winning documentary mini-series Chef's Table: BBQ, and Beyonce's Emmy-winning and Grammy-nominated visual album Black Is King. Aika also worked on a diverse range of films, including the "nominated at SXSW Film Festival" short documentary film Coming Home, and Best Documentary Feature winner at the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, Hafu: The Mixed-Race Experience in Japan. She started her career working on commercials and music videos with clients such as Nike, Pampers, IKEA, and Spotify to name a few.  Growing up in Japan, Aika enjoyed playing drums and making hundreds of mixtapes for her sisters, and after discovering her passion for photography, she opened her heart to the potential of filmmaking and how images paired with music could create emotional experiences.  She currently lives in Los Angeles.  Outside of her work in editing, Aika is passionate about food, travel, reggae music, and her two cats, Oreo and Millie.

Editing SHOGUN

In our discussion with SHOGUN editors, Maria Gonzales and Aika Miyake, we talk about:

• Starting off with subtitling
• The Red Hot Ronin Peppers
• Commercial breaking into the business
• Filling out the story with flashbacks
• "Feudal" gestures

The Credits

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Editor - Úna Ní Dhonghaíle ACE, BFE

BELFAST editor, Úna Ní Dhonghaíle joins director Kenneth Branagh once again for their third feature together; having previously collaborated on ALL IS TRUE (2018) and the upcoming DEATH ON THE NILE (2022).  Branagh describes BELFAST as his "most personal film" about a young boy's childhood amidst the tumult in Belfast, Northern Ireland in the late 1960's.

ÚNA NÍ DHONGAÍLE

BELFAST editor, Úna Ní Dhonghaíle is also well known for her work on THE CROWN, MISBEHAVIOUR, THREE GIRLS and STAN AND OLLIE. She has worked on the leading lights of British drama in what some are calling "The Golden Age of Television". Having completed a degree in Film and Media Studies in her native Dublin, Úna specialized in film editing at the National Film and Television School (NFTS) from 1995-1998.

Úna earned her first of four BAFTA nominations in 2009 for the Abi Morgan's TV feature WHITE GIRL.  Over a five year period, she co-directed and edited a documentary INVISIBLE MAN, for which she won the 2016 IFTA for Best Editing in Television. Úna has also received much recognition for her editing of the highly acclaimed BBC drama THREE GIRLS, for which she won the BAFTA award for Best Fiction Editing, the Technicolor Craft Award from Women In Film UK, the IFTA for Best Editing, the RTS Award for Best Editing of Fiction, the RTS West of England Award for Editing and the Televisual British Bulldog Award for Editing.

Editing BELFAST

In our discussion with BELFAST editor, Úna Ní Dhonghaíle, we talk about:

• Finding the film's narrator in Van Morrison's music
• Aligning the audience with a child character
• Establishing a scene through sound design
• Collaborating with director Kenneth Branagh
• Leveraging the inherent tension from a historical event

The Credits

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Editor - Paul Machliss ACE

THE LAST NIGHT IN SOHO editor, Paul Machliss ACE is reunited once more with director Edgar Wright.  The two first met on Wright's BBC TV series, SPACED (1999-2001) where Machliss served primarily as on-line editor until he moved into the offline role for four episodes from the final season.

LAST NIGHT IN SOHO is a 2021 British psychological horror film directed as well as co-written by Wright.  The film stars Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith, Michael Ajao, Diana Rigg and Terence Stamp. It marks the final film appearances of Rigg and Margaret Nolan, who both died in 2020.  Focus Features states that the film "tells the tale of Eloise, an aspiring fashion designer, who is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer, Sandie. But the glamour is not all it appears to be and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter into something far darker".

PAUL MACHLISS ACE

While known most prominently for his work with Wright; SPACED (1999-2001), SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD (2010), THE WORLD'S END (2013), BABY DRIVER (2017) and LAST NIGHT IN SOHO (2021), Paul also edited the pilot episode of FLEABAG (2016), eighteen episodes of THE IT CROWD (2006-2008) and films such as THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING (2019) and THE GENTLEMEN (2019).  Paul is currently working on THE FLASH (2022) with editor Jason Ballantine ASC ACE for director Andy Muschietti.

Editing LAST NIGHT IN SOHO

In our discussion with THE LAST NIGHT IN SOHO editor, Paul Machliss ACE, we talk about:

• The early BBC days with Edgar Wright
• Using Media Composer and Pro Tools on set for lighting and camera control
• Solidifying the soundtrack before production
• Taking an analog "tape loop" approach to sound design
• Using dupe detection to build an edit

The Credits

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Editors - Craig Wood ACE and Dylan Tichenor ACE

Editor Craig Wood ACE returns once again to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and this time he is joined by the formidable talents of Oscar®-nominated editor Dylan Tichenor ACE. Despite their extensive careers and wide variety of credits, ETERNALS marks the first time that Dylan and Craig have co-edited together. It's also the first film, possibly for any editor, where the director (Chloe Zhao) received an Oscar® nomination for Best Film Editing (NOMAD) while their current film was still in post production.

CRAIG WOOD ACE

While ETERNALS is Craig's fourth film with Marvel, following GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2014), GAURDIANS OF THE GALAXY - VOL.2 (2017) and ANT-MAN and THE WASP (2018), most of Craig's own "cinematic universe" has been with director Gore Verbinski. Together they made the films; MOUSEHUNT (1997), THE MEXICAN (2001), THE RING (2002), THE PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL (2003), THE PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST (2006), THE PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN: AT WORLD'S END (2007), THE WEATHERMAN (2005), RANGO (2011), THE LONE RANGER (2013) and A CURE FOR WELLNESS (2016)...just to name a few. Craig even cut MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL (2019) along with editor Laura Jennings, who appeared on THE ROUGH CUT when that film came out.

DYLAN TICHENOR ACE

In addition to his work on ETERNALS, Dylan has done a number of films with many acclaimed directors. Most notably with director Paul Thomas Anderson on films such as BOOGIE NIGHTS (1997), MAGNOLIA (1999), THERE WILL BE BOOD (2007) and PHANTOM THREAD (2017). And when he wasn't working with Paul Anderson, he was doing BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2005) with Ang Lee, ZERO DARK THIRTY (2012) alongside editor Billy Goldenberg ACE for Kathryn Bigelow, UNBREAKABLE (2000) for M. Night Shamalan, THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (2001) for Wes Anderson and THE TOWN (2010) for Ben Affleck. Dylan received Oscar® nominations for his work on ZERO DARK THIRTY as well as THERE WILL BE BLOOD.

Editing Eternals

In our discussion with the ETERNALS editing team of Craig Wood ACE and Dylan Tichenor ACE we talk about:

• The challenge of introducing 11 new characters in one film
• How Eternals is just The Revenant with laser beams
• Working in 7.1 surround in the cutting room
• Keeping the team together via "Zoom Hallways"
• Mentoring the next generation of super hero editors

The Credits

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Watch editor Dylan Tichenor ACE take you on a guided tour of his ETERNALS timeline

Hear director/editor Chloe Zhao talk about her love of editing

Hear editor Laura Jennings discuss the film she did with Craig Wood ACE, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

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Editor - Andrew Weisblum ACE THE FRENCH DISPATCH editor, Andrew Weisblum ACE joins forces for the fifth time with director Wes Anderson.  Andy's history with Wes began with THE DARJEELING LIMITED (2007) and was followed up by FANTASTIC MR. FOX (2009), MOONRISE KINGDOM (2012) and ISLE OF DOGS (2018).

THE FRENCH DISPATCH was written, directed, and produced by Wes Anderson and stars an ensemble cast featuring Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Jeffrey Wright, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and many more talented actors.  It tells the tale of the French foreign bureau of a fictional Kansas newspaper, compelled to create its final issue when Arthur Howitzer Jr., the editor of the newspaper, dies suddenly of a heart attack. According to the wishes expressed in his will, publication of the newspaper will be suspended following one final farewell issue in which three articles from past editions of the paper are republished, along with his obituary.

The project was first mentioned in August 2018 as an untitled musical set after World War II.  That December, the film was officially announced with Anderson calling it a "love letter to journalists."  Filming took place between November 2018 and March 2019.  Following a year delay, THE FRENCH DISPATCH had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on July 12, 2021 and was theatrically released in the United States by Searchlight Pictures on October 22, 2021.

ANDREW WEISBLUM ACE

Aside from his rich body of work with Wes Anderson, Andy is also a frequent collaborator with director Darren Aronofsky.  In addition to his Oscar®-nominated work on Aronofsky's BLACK SWAN (2010), Andy also collaborated with him on THE FOUNTAIN (2006), BROKEN ENGLISH (2007), THE WRESTLER (2008), NOAH (2014) and MOTHER! (2017).  The two are currently at work on Aronofsky's next film, THE WHALE.

Editing The French Dispatch

In our discussion with THE FRENCH DISPATCH editor, Andrew Weisblum ACE, we talk about:

• Editing from an animatic
• Wes Anderson's disdain for ADR
• Using color and framing for punctuation
• The fun of splits and morphs and sub-frame editing
• When an editor has to neuter a film

The Credits

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Editors - Tom Cross ACE and Elliot Graham ACE

NO TIME TO DIE editors, Tom Cross ACE and Elliot Graham ACE combine their collective talents for storytelling and their love for the Bond franchise in director Cary Joji Fukunaga's take on the iconic super agent.

NO TIME TO DIE is the twenty-fifth film in the James Bond series. It stars Daniel Craig in his fifth and final outing as fictional British MI6 agent, James Bond.  In this film, Bond, who has left active service with MI6, is recruited by the CIA to find a kidnapped scientist, which leads to a showdown with a powerful adversary.

TOM CROSS ACE

Editor Tom Cross first really made a name for himself working alongside director Damien Chazelle on their breakout film, WHIPLASH.  Among the many accolades garnered by the film was Cross's Oscar® win for Best Film Editing.  Chazelle and Cross would follow that up with another hit movie, LA LA LAND, for which Cross was again nominated for an Oscar®.  The two would team up yet again for FIRST MAN, a biopic about astronaut Neil Armstrong.  Cross is currently working with Chazelle on the forthcoming film, BABYLON.

ELLIOT GRAHAM ACE

Editor Elliot Graham wasted no time in making his way into the editor's chair, bypassing the more traveled route of assistant editing.  Graham cut his teeth on a healthy mix of music videos and action movies, punctuated by his work with Oscar®-winning editor John Ottman (BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY) on Bryan Singer's X2: X-MEN UNITED.  Although Elliot would go on to do more action/superhero movies like SUPERMAN RETURNS and CAPTAIN MARVEL, it was his work on MILK, the story of gay rights activist and politician, Harvey Milk that brought Elliott an Oscar® nomination.

Editing No Time to Die

In our discussion with the NO TIME TO DIE editors Tom Cross ACE and Elliot Graham ACE, we talk about:

• Creating action within a dialogue scene
• What they require in their editing suites
• Hans Zimmer taking over the music during post
• How Tom and Elliot got started in the business
• Considerations when cutting IMAX footage

 

The Credits

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Editors - David Webb, Steve Ackroyd, Phil Hignett and Izabella Curry

The Sex Education editing team of David, Steve, Phil and Izzy join The Rough Cut to talk about their work on Season Three of the hit series.

Sex Education is a British teen comedy-drama streaming television series created by Laurie Nunn for Netflix. The show follows the lives of the students, staff and parents of the fictitious Moordale Secondary School as they contend with various personal dilemmas, often related to sexual intimacy.  The first season of Sex Ed was released in January 2019, the second in January 2020 and, after a pandemic related delay, the third in September 2021. The series has been renewed for a fourth season.

DAVID WEBB

David Webb is partner, Managing Director and a film editor at Final Cut Ltd . He cut his teeth on music videos in the early 2000's for George Michael, Charlatans, Super Furry Animals, Paul McCartney and Robbie Williams among others. David also collaborated with Edgar Wright on many of his early music videos, including Mint Royale's 'Blue Song', the inspiration for Wright's film Baby Driver. Earlier in his career, he spent a decade cutting commercials before moving into long-form at the request of director Jim Field-Smith. Webb has collaborated with Jim ever since, working on The Wrong Mans; Endeavour; Criminal; Defending The Guilty and, most recently, Truth Seekers.

STEVE ACKROYD

Steve Ackroyd is an award-winning editor represented by Final Cut. After starting his career cutting ads for the BBC, Ackroyd was headhunted by the edit house & expanded into the world of commercials and music videos.  In 2015, Ackroyd made the leap into longform TV with Channel 4’s multi-award winning comedy Catastrophe, directed by Ben Taylor - he proceeded to be the sole editor on the show for the first 3 seasons. Ackroyd has since cut series such as Hang Ups, Frank Of Ireland and all 3 seasons of the internationally acclaimed Sex Education for Netflix. He’s just finished a stint on the UK version of Call My Agent and is currently working with director Paul McGuigan on four-part drama Inside Man for the BBC and Netflix, starring Stanley Tucci and David Tennant.

PHIL HIGNETT

Prior to joining the post team for Sex Education in Season Two, Phil's work could be seen on the series Dead Pixels and Year of the Rabbit, also helmed by Sex Education director, Ben Taylor.  Phil is also credited with editing six episodes of the comedy, Stath Lets Flats.

IZABELLA CURRY

Izabella is a film editor based in Brighton and London. Her credits include the feature film Two For Joy [directed by Tom Beard] which premiered at Edinburgh International Film Festival 2018 and the short film Kara [directed by Deepa Keshval] which was premiered at The London Film Festival 2017.

Editing Sex Education

In our discussion with the Sex Education editing team of David Webb, Steve Ackroyd, Phil Hignett and Izzy Curry, we talk about:

• Balancing multiple story lines and "checking in" with characters
• Collaborating in a COVID bubble
• Team building through table tennis
• Working with director Ben Taylor
• Taking inspiration from Steven Soderbergh's Out of Sight

The Credits

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Editor - Maryann Brandon ACE

Venom: Let There Be Carnage editor, Maryann Brandon ACE completes a trilogy of her own with her third appearance on The Rough Cut podcast!  Having previously appeared to discuss her work on the Star Wars sequels (The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker), Maryann once again finds herself on board a high-profile franchise flick.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is directed by Andy Serkis and stars Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock / Venom and Woody Harrelson as serial killer Cletus Kasady / Carnage.  In the film, Brock struggles to adjust to life as the host of the alien symbiote known as Venom, while Kasady escapes from death row after becoming the host of Carnage, a chaotic spawn of Venom.

MARYANN BRANDON ACE

Maryann Brandon is, without question, no stranger to the big movies and big movie franchises.  She first teamed up with director JJ Abrams, someone who would become a central figure in her career, back when Abrams was doing the action tv series, Alias.  In fact, Maryann even directed a few of those shows.  From there, Maryann worked with JJ on Mission Impossible 3, Star Trek, Super 8, Star Trek Into Darkness, and finally Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.  Among the many other films Maryann has edited was a film that came out in 2018 called Venom, which she co-edited with Alan Baumgarten ACE.

Editing Venom: Let There Be Carnage

In our discussion with Venom: Let There Be Carnage editor, Maryann Brandon ACE, we talk about:

• Managing the amount of VFX so as not to exhaust the audience or the budget
• The tonal balancing act of Venom
• The qualities of a great assistant editor
• The value of shooting clean plates on set
• Reactions to Star Wars editor, Marcia Lucas's comments on the sequels

The Credits

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Editor - Jason Ballantine ASE ACE

The Guilty editor, Jason Ballantine ASE ACE had always wanted to work with director Antoine Fuqua; he just figured it would be on an action film in the vein of the features Fuqua is known for (Training Day, The Replacement Killers, Olympus Has Fallen).  But with Fuqua's remake of the critically acclaimed Danish film, Den Skyldige "The Guilty" (2018), Ballantine instead finds himself at the editorial helm of a psychological thriller.

The Guilty takes place over the course of a single morning in a 911 dispatch call center.  Call operator Joe Baylor (Gyllenhaal) tries to save a caller in grave danger—but he soon discovers that nothing is as it seems, and facing the truth is the only way out.

JASON BALLANTINE

Jason Ballantine began his editing career in the horror genre (one which he would return to often) with the Australian thriller Wolf Creek (2005).  From there he would edit other fright flicks, such as Prom Night (2008), Crush (2009) and Needle (2010).  But it would be his work on director Andy Muschietti's adaptation of Stephen King's It (2017) and It: Chapter Two (2019) that would put an exclamation point on Jason's work in the horror medium.  Currently at work on Muschietti's The Flash (2022), Jason has also previously teamed up with directors Baz Luhrmann and Matthew Vaughn for The Great Gatsby (2013) and The King's Man (2021) respectively.

Editing The Guilty

In our discussion with The Guilty editor, Jason Ballantine, we talk about:

• Interviewing with a director
• Recording dialogue over zoom
• An assistant who's also a VFX editor
• Everything you'd ever want to know about futzing audio
• Ignoring the notes and making the movie the director wants to make

The Credits

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Editor - Greg O'Bryant

Brand New Cherry Flavor editor, Greg O'Bryant told his frequent collaborator, and B.N.C.F. show runner, Nick Antosca that he couldn't believe that any studio would back a series based on Todd Grimson's 1996 book of the same name; but if any did, Greg was "all in".  As it turns out, Netflix was all in too.  The result is an 8-episode series that almost defies description, but here's how Netflix describes it anyway.

A filmmaker heads to Hollywood in the early '90s to make her movie but tumbles down a hallucinatory rabbit hole of sex, magic, revenge — and kittens.

As accurate a description as that is, it doesn't even scratch the surface of what Greg and his friends created for the streaming giant.

GREG O'BRYANT

Brand New Cherry Flavor editor, Greg O'Bryant first began his partnership with Nick Antosca on Channel Zero, a SyFy Channel anthology series based on the popular Internet "Creepypastas" Candle Cove, The No-End House and Butcher's Block.  This would not be the first anthology series where O'Bryant would lend his editorial talents, as he also worked on the tv adaptation of Steven Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience.  Prior to Brand New Cherry Flavor, O'Bryant and Antosca would join forces once again on Hulu's original series, The Act.  In addition to these projects, Greg also edited the critically acclaimed political drama, The Report.

Editing Brand New Cherry Flavor

In our discussion with Brand New Cherry Flavor editor, Greg O'Bryant, we talk about:

• Building a partnership with show runner Nick Antosca
• Creating the "nightmare logic" for the series
• Working with the LiveGrain process
• Keeping a clean timeline for the next editor
• The importance of being intentional with music

The Credits

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Editor - Catrin Hedström

Candyman is a supernatural slasher film directed by Nia DaCosta and written by Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld and also DaCosta. The film is a direct sequel to the 1992 film of the same name and the fourth film in the Candyman film series.

In 2019, twenty-seven years after the events of the first film, visual artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) lives in Chicago with his girlfriend, art gallery director Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris). Brianna's brother Troy shares with them the urban legend of Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen), a graduate student who went on a killing spree in the early 1990's. Lyle's rampage culminated in a bonfire outside Chicago's Cabrini-Green housing project, where she attempted to sacrifice a baby in the fire. The residents were able to rescue the child before Helen perished in the fire in an apparent act of self-immolation.

Desperate for a creative spark to turn his career around, Anthony roams around the Cabrini-Green housing project for inspiration. There, he eventually meets William Burke, a laundromat owner who introduces him to the story of the Candyman (Tony Todd). When Burke was a child he had a frightening encounter with a hook-handed man named Sherman Fields.  Police believed Fields put a razor blade in a piece of candy that was given to a white girl. Young William inadvertently alerted the police to Sherman's presence inside the walls of one of the Cabrini-Green towers, leading them to beat Fields to death. When children continued to receive candy with razor blades inside, Sherman Fields was exonerated.  Since then, the legend implies that if somebody says "Candyman" five times to a mirror, he will appear and kill the summoner.

CATRIN HEDSTRÖM

Candyman editor, Catrin Hedström joins us while on location for her current collaborative effort with director Nia DaCosta, Marvel Studios' The Marvels.  The Swedish native first met DaCosta when she was studying at NYU.  Since then, the two have gone on to work together on the British crime drama series, Top Boy (2019) and the film, Little Woods (2018).

Editing Candyman

In our discussion with Candyman editor, Catrin Hedström, we talk about:

• Connecting to the original Candyman film
• The uncelebrated beauty of cross dissolves
• Grounding the audience to a character
• Using wide shots and negative space to create "room" for Candyman
• Her preference for scary soundscapes over using stings

The Credits

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Editors Nathan Orloff and Shane Reid

GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE editors, Nathan Orloff and Shane Reid both came into the latest installment of the supernatural, super funny franchise having past experience with writer/director Jason Reitman.  But whereas Nathan's work with Jason came from collaborating on feature films like GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE (2021), Shane's work with Jason was amidst his impressive body of work in the commercial world.

FROZEN EMPIRE sees the Spengler family returning to the iconic New York City firehouse where the original Ghostbusters have taken ghost-busting to the next level. When the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must unite to protect their home and save the world from a second ice age.

NATHAN ORLOFF

Nathan Orloff is known for his editing on TULLY (2018), PLAN B (2021), GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE (2021) and JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 (2023).

SHANE REID

As a partner of the award-winning post house Exile Edit, Shane has been nominated for, and won, multiple awards for his work in the commercial space with top brands including Apple, Adidas, BMW, Hennessy, Audi and the Olympics.  He quickly became one of the most trusted short form editors, working with such directors as Damien Chazelle, Terrence Malick, Andrew Dominik, Jason Reitman, Craig Gillespie, Blake Lively, John Hillcoat & Chloe Zhao. He has also cut multiple music videos for Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, Florence + The Machine and Kamasi Washington.

In 2018, Reid edited on the film A Hidden Life for director Terrence Malick.  He recently cut the short film I’m on Fire for director Michael Spiccia which premiered at the 2022 Toronto and Clermont-Ferrand International Festivals.  Shane is currently co-editing Deadpool & Wolverine alongside editor Dean Zimmerman, ACE.

Editing Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

In our discussion with GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE editors, Nathan Orloff and Shane Reid, we talk about:

• How paying tribute to Ivan lead to a job that pays tribute to Ivan
• Being expeditious with the exposition
• Raising the stakes while staying funny
• Conquering the edit without clearly dividing it
• Less Mayor, more marshmallow

The Credits

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Editors - Daysha Broadway, Stephanie Filo, Jessica Hernández ACE

A Black Lady Sketch Show is an American television sketch comedy show created by Robin Thede for HBO. The show consists of comedic sketches performed by a main cast of Black women comedians.

The first season premiered with six episodes on August 2, 2019 and received a 2020 TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sketch/Variety Shows. Though the second season was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it premiered April 23, 2021 and won three Black Reel Awards and is currently nominated for four Primetime Emmy® awards; including an Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming nomination for Daysha, Stephanie and Jessica.  They went on to win that Emmy!

DAYSHA BROADWAY

Los Angeles native Daysha Broadway began her career with a Master's Degree in Film Editing from Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University.  Since graduation she has spent the past ten years editing documentary, scripted, and unscripted television.  In addition to A Black Lady Sketch Show, her credits include numerous television shows such as Insecure, 9-1-1, Twenties and Boomerang. Daysha has also contributed her talents to documentary features such as Light Girls and Surviving R. Kelly, the latter of which earned her a Peabody award.

STEPHANIE FILO

Stephanie Filo is an award-winning editor and activist with over a decade of experience editing and producing both scripted and unscripted content.  Aside from editing film and tv, Stephanie spends much of her spare time producing and editing social action campaigns and documentaries.  Her work on the news documentary series Mental State earned her an Emmy® nomination for the episode Aging Out about youth aging out of the American foster care system. She also earned an Emmy® win for her editing on the Mental State episode Separated which covered ICE deportations, making herself and Nzinga Blake the first Sierra Leonean women to ever win an Emmy® award.

JESSICA HERNÁNDEZ ACE

Jessica Hernández is a first generation Cuban-American filmmaker whose work ranges from scripted television to documentaries and features.  Her films include Bomb It (Tribeca 2007), The Garden (Oscar nom 2008), Karma Calling (Best Feature New Jersey Film Fest 2009), Bhutto (Competition Sundance 2010, Emmy nom, Peabody 2011), Treatment (Tribeca 2011), The Punk Singer (SXSW 2013), and The Boy Band Con (SXSW 2019).  In addition to A Black Lady Sketch Show, her 2021 scripted television projects include Adam McKay’s Untitled LAKERS series and Ava DuVernay's COLIN In B&W.

Editing A Black Lady Sketch Show

In our discussion with the A Black Lady Sketch Show editing team of Daysha Broadway, Stephanie Filo and Jessica Hernández ACE, we talk about:

• The role of the Supervising Editor
• Being the new editor on the team
• The VFX aspect of making "five minute" comedies
• Editing tools you can't live without
• Honing your editing chops in unscripted tv

The Credits

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Editors - Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir ACE, Nat Sanders ACE and Harry Yoon ACE

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings editors Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir ACE, Nat Sanders ACE and Harry Yoon ACE combined their unique skills and sensibilities to craft the heart, comedy and action that made Marvel's latest entry in the MCU a hit with audiences and critics alike.

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, "Shang Chi" tells the story of a skilled martial artist who was trained to be an assassin by his father at a young age.  Shang Chi chooses not to follow the same path as his father, the immortal leader of the "Ten Rings" army of assassins, and runs away to San Francisco to live a mild-mannered life parking cars.

ELÍSABET RONALDSDÓTTIR ACE

Iceland native, Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir, is widely known for her work on high-adrenaline action films such as Deadpool 2 (2018), Atomic Blonde (2017) and John Wick (2014).  She is currently editing the action movie, Bullet Train (2022).

NAT SANDERS ACE

Once named as part of Filmmaker magazine's "25 New Faces Of Independent Cinema" in 2009, Nat Sanders is known for his work on If Beale Street Could Talk (2018), Moonlight (2016), and the tv series, Girls (2016).  Nat is also the only person has won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Editing twice.

HARRY YOON ACE

Immediately prior to his work on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Harry Yoon was being lauded for his work with director Lee Isaac Chung on the Oscar®-nominated film, Minari (2020).  Harry's other work includes the films The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019), First Man (2018) and Detroit (2017).

Editing Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

In our discussion with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings editors Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir ACE, Nat Sanders ACE and Harry Yoon ACE we talk about:

• Finding the beats of hand-to-hand fight scenes
• Turning a problematic open into contextual flashbacks
• Dialing in characters that exist for comic relief
• Overcoming the resistance to making big cuts that come with big costs
• Being typecast into specific genres

The Credits

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Editors - Jess Brunetto, Susan Vaill ACE, Ali Greer

Hacks editors Jess Brunetto, Susan Vaill ACE and Ali Greer each find themselves nominated for an Emmy® award for their work on Season One of their hit series.  For those not familiar with the show, Hacks is an American comedy-drama series created by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky that streams on HBO Max.  The show tells the story of two very funny women at different points in their careers.  Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas stand-up comedy diva, is struggling to maintain relevance while the head of the casino where she performs tries to pare down on her performance dates. Ava is a Gen Z comedy writer who is unable to find work due to being "canceled" over an insensitive tweet. The two reluctantly team up to freshen up Vance's material, while learning to respect each other's differences along the way.

JESS BRUNETTO

Jess Brunetto is a director, writer, producer and editor. Her film work has screened at Cannes, Venice and Sundance. Her directorial debut Sisters (2021) premiered at SXSW and was nominated for the Grand Jury Award.  In addition to Hacks, her other editor credits include; Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens (2020), Broad City (2014), American Vandal (2017) and Jordan Peele's The Last O.G. (2018), on which she also served as an associate producer.

SUSAN VAILL ACE

Susan's love of music-driven storytelling has led her to be described as 'a legendary music supervisor masquerading as an award-winning editor.'  After assistant-editing documentaries and feature films like The Last Samurai (2003), Susan edited over 70 episodes of Grey's Anatomy (2005) which won the Golden Globe for Best Drama Series in 2008. Susan also directed three episodes of the series, one of which featured an Emmy-winning performance by guest actress Loretta Devine.  In addition to Hacks, her other television editor credits include; Space Force (2020), Grandfathered (2015), Me, Myself and I (2017), This Is Us (2016), and Lodge 49 (2018).

ALI GREER

In addition to her Emmy® nomination for Hacks, Ali was twice nominated for an ACE Eddie award for her work on the series, Portlandia.  In fact, Ali's editorial career is highlighted by several standout series in the comedy genre.  Her time as an assistant editor was punctuated with a stint on Kroll Show (2015) as well as the aforementioned Portlandia (2015).  From there she went on to edit such shows as Dream Corp LLC (2018), Black Monday (2020) and Schmigadoon! (2021).

Editing Hacks

In our discussion with the Hacks editing team of Jess Brunetto, Susan Vaill ACE and Ali Greer, we talk about:

• The money is no object approach to needle drops
• The danger of checking your email on a Friday night
• Breaking the rules of network television
• Honoring When Harry Met Sally
• Doing mixes over Zoom...in a car

The Credits

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