The Rough Cut

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Anatomy of a Fall Feb 19, 2024

Show notes

Editor - Laurent Sénéchal

ANATOMY OF A FALL editor Laurent Senechal has been working as an editor since the early 2000s and is well known for his collaborations with Oscar® nominees Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, collaborating with Justine four times (three narrative features, one documentary) and Harari five times (two narrative features including Onoda, 10,000 Nights in the Jungle, opening Un Certain Regard in Cannes 2021, and three shorts) over the course of his career. For this latest film, Laurent had the pleasure of working with both Triet and Harari, with Justine as director and Arthur as co-writer.

ANATOMY OF A FALL tells the story of a celebrated writer who is put on trial when her husband falls to his death from their secluded chalet. What starts as a murder investigation soon becomes a gripping journey into the depths of a destructive marriage. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023, where it won the Palme d'Or. Anatomy of a Fall also received Oscar® nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Original Screenplay, and won two Golden Globes for Best Non-English Language – Motion Picture and Best Screenplay.

LAURENT SÉNÉCHAL

After spending his entire school career in Africa (Congo, Chad, Benin), Laurent studied cinema at the University of Paris 8, where he met director Arthur Harari. In addition to his Academy Award® for Best Film Editing nomination, he has been nominated for the BAFTA Award and the ACE Eddie for Best Editing, won the European Film Award for Best Editor, and won the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Editing. His other notable work includes Claire Burger's comedy-drama film Real Love, which won Best Film in the Venice Days section at the 75th Venice International Film Festival in 2019, and Berni Goldblat's drama film Wallay, which won the European Film Academy's Young Audience Award in 2018.

Editing ANATOMY OF A FALL

In our discussion with ANATOMY OF A FALL editor Laurent Sénéchal, we talk about:

Joining Justine
Influencing the audience for unseen characters
Turning a thriller into Kramer vs Kramer
Putting a point of view on the flashbacks
VFX for vomit

The Credits

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Griselda Feb 12, 2024

Show notes

Editors - Joaquin Elizondo and Chris Cavanagh

The GRISELDA editing team of Joaquin Elizondo and Chris Cavanagh didn't have an easy time finding work when they first made their way to Hollywood, but through a mentor/mentee relationship built on a foundation of trust, they would eventually join forces on another drug war-themed Netflix show, NARCOS: MEXICO. That NARCOS crew would go on to form the foundation of the team behind GRISELDA.

GRISELDA is directed by Andrés Baiz, produced by Eric Newman and Sofía Vergara, and written by Doug Miro and Ingrid Escajeda. It stars Vergara as Griselda Blanco, a notorious Colombian drug lord. The story follows her rise in the Miami drug scene and her pursuit of power and wealth.

JOAQUIN ELIZONDO

Joaquin Elizondo has over 20 years of experience as an editor. He currently works in the world of scripted television shows in Hollywood. His most recent editing credits prior to Griselda include Narcos: Mexico (Netflix), The Hot Zone: Anthrax (NatGeo) and Dark Winds (AMC). Before arriving in Los Angeles, Joaquin worked in unscripted television for several years in New York City. There he edited content for HBO Sports, NBC, Telemundo, and was the lead editor on Bravo's late-night talk show Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen. Joaquin majored in Film & Video Studies at the University of Michigan. He grew up in the San Diego-Tijuana border region where he began his career cutting a wide range of projects. They include news, promos, commercials, and documentaries.

CHRIS CAVANAGH

In the last few years, Chris has been pursuing his passion for editing scripted stories. Prior to his work on Griselda, Chris recently served as an editor on NARCOS: MEXICO Season 3 for NETFLIX. Before that, he was editing as an assistant editor and mentored by top-shelf editors on COBRA KAI for NETFLIX, STAR TREK for PARAMOUNT+, and DARK WINDS for AMC. Before moving to LA to work in scripted entertainment, Chris edited dozens of unscripted TV shows, documentaries, and indie films in NYC. When he's not in a cutting room, Chris is playing with his two kids, cooking dinner with his wife, or attempting to complete one of the 7,942 daily tasks required to exist as both a professional and a parent in the 21st century.

Editing Griselda

In our discussion with the GRISELDA editing team, we talk about:

Not making NARCOS all over again
Letting go of the facts to keep things fresh
Real-time language translation before its time
Making the most of mentorship
Doing the director's cut during the assembly

The Credits

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Mr. and Mrs. Smith Feb 05, 2024

Show notes

Editor - Greg O'Bryant

MR. AND MRS. SMITH editor, Greg O'Bryant was not just joining the biggest project of his career with this new Amazon series, but he would also be the "new guy" on a well-oiled machine of storytellers from the tv series, ATLANTA. Taking the chance really paid off for Greg. Not only did he get to try his hand at action, but he got to have his name in the credits twice (Greg also co-produced)!

Turning the premise of the 2005 feature film inside out, here John and Jane are two strangers-turned-partners who carry out their spy-like duties under the cover of being married software engineers. Taking their orders from an unseen task master they call "HiHi", the two learn the ropes of being "Smiths" while learning to love, and somewhat trust, one another.

GREG O'BRYANT

Prior to working on MR. AND MRS. SMITH, Greg first began his partnership with writer/director Scott Z. Burns on the latter's political drama, THE REPORT (2019). Greg would also edit an episode of the series, THE LOUDEST VOICE (2019) that Burns helmed. Most recently, the two collaborated on the Apple TV+ series, EXTRAPOLATIONS (2023). In addition to his work with Scott Z. Burns, Greg is also a frequent collaborator with show runner, Nick Antosca. Their partnership first began on CHANNEL ZERO, a SyFy Channel anthology series based on the popular Internet "Creepypastas" Candle Cove, The No-End House and Butcher's Block. Subsequent projects with Antosca would include Hulu's original series, THE ACT, as well as the Netflix series, BRAND NEW CHERRY FLAVOR. Greg also edited the tv series, THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE, adapted from the film by Steven Soderbergh.

Editing Mr. and Mrs. Smith

In our discussion with MR. AND MRS. SMITH editor, Greg O'Bryant, we talk about:

Using score as your "tonal buoy"
Turning the tables on the 2005 film of the same name
Making a relationship sandwich
How film is a director's medium where tv is a writer's medium
Where a grumpy p.a. can influence the work

The Credits

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Listen to Greg detail his experience cutting the Apple TV+ series, EXTRAPOLATIONS

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Ted Jan 22, 2024

Show notes

Tom Costantino ACE, Blair Clark, Allie Mitchell and Justin Ulrich

Most of the VFX and editing team from Seth MacFarlane's Peacock original series TED should have known what they were in for when they signed on for the show. Editor and assistant editor Tom Costantino ACE and Justin Ulrich had already been across the universe with MacFarlane for his cult sci-fi favorite, THE ORVILLE. And VFX and puppeteering vet Blair Clark was the guy behind the bear for the TED feature films, as well as VFX Super for Seth's A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST (2014). Newcomer Allie Mitchell was not only taking her first tour of duty with Seth, but she was also learning VXF and puppeteering on the job, relying on her background in dance and theater. Together, the four brought a feature-level quality to Ted's reintroduction on the small screen.

Set in 1993, in between the opening sequence in the feature film, TED (2012), the series depicts the early life of a sentient teddy bear toy named Ted, as he lives with John Bennett and his family in Framingham, Massachusetts. In addition to John and Ted, the Bennett household includes John's father Matty, his mother Susan, and his cousin, Blaire, who is living with them while attending a college nearby. Ted is soon forced to attend school with John, getting him bullied and in all sorts of trouble.

TOM COSTANTINO ACE

Editor Tom Costantino is known for his work on; 48 HOURS (2004-15), SCARRED (2007), CSI: MIAMI (2010-12), AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR (2014-15), 9-1-1 (2018-19) and THE ORVILLE (2017-22).

BLAIR CLARK

VFX Supervisor and puppeteer, Blair Clark is known for his work on Seth MacFarlane's feature films, as well as HELLBOY (2004), THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES (2008) and CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG (2021).

ALLIE MITCHELL

Allie Mitchell is a singer/actor/dancer/silk aerialist/writer/yogi/vegan/brunette/dog-loving native of Austin, TX. Prior to plying her significant performance background in the world of VFX and puppeteering, Allie earned a BFA in Contemporary Musical Theatre and Film.

JUSTIN ULRICH

Aside from being the "secret VFX weapon" in the cutting room, Justin's assistant editing duties can be seen on HOUSE OF CARDS (2018), NOS4A2: GHOST (2019) and THE ORVILLE (2022).

Editing Ted

In our discussion with the VFX and editing team from the series Ted, we talk about:

Looking Back to the Features
Stuffies and stunt stuffies
Chrome balls, laser pointers and the trouble with eyelines
Being a contortionist on set and in the cutting room
How Stu the Key Grip saved the day

The Credits

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Maestro Jan 08, 2024

Show notes

Editor - Michelle Tesoro, ACE

MAESTRO editor Michelle Tesoro is no stranger to cutting movies directed by actors. In fact, it was while she was working with actor Sean Penn on his film FLAG DAY, that Penn turned to Michelle and told her that he just texted friend Bradley Cooper that she was a "goddess in the cutting room". Clearly that pitch worked as Cooper entrusted Michelle with the editorial duties for his much-anticipated biopic.

MAESTRO chronicles the fearless love story and complicated lifelong relationship between music legend Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein.

Michelle Tesoro, ACE

Michelle Tesoro's most notable works include Netflix's Emmy-winning limited series THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT (2020), directed by Academy Award-nominated Scott Frank, for which she won the 2021 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

Tesoro's versatile slate also includes Ava Duvernay's WHEN THEY SEE US (2019), Sean Penn's FLAG DAY (2021), Focus Features' biography of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ON THE BASIS OF SEX (2018), and Netflix's Emmy-nominated series by Scott Frank, GODLESS (2017).

Tesoro was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. She graduated from Whitney M. Young High School, studied at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Michelle currently resides in Los Angeles, California and is an active member of the American Cinema Editors (ACE). She is Co-Chair of ACE's International Relations Committee for which she co-founded ACE's International Partnership Program. She also sits on the 2023-2025 Board of TEMPO, a federation of international film editors associations.

Editing MAESTRO

In our discussion with MAESTRO editor Michelle Tesoro, we talk about:

Putting together a proof of concept
When Sean Penn texts his friends about you
Taking notes from Spielberg and Scorsese
Quietly doing sound design
Who the real Maestro is

The Credits

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Hear Michelle talk about her work on the Netflix hit series, THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT

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The Color Purple Jan 01, 2024

Show notes

Editor - Jon Poll

THE COLOR PURPLE editor Jon Poll was sure they had the wrong guy when his agent told him they were interested in having him come aboard as the editor. He even joked they should probably call WHIPLASH and LA LA LAND editor, Tom Cross ACE. While musicals were not necessarily a big part of Jon's background coming into the project, no one who sees THE COLOR PURPLE would ever question his prowess for interweaving a powerful narrative with incredible music.

THE COLOR PURPLE is a story of love and resilience, based on the novel and the Broadway musical of the same name. It is a decades-spanning tale of one woman's journey to independence. Torn apart from her sister and her children, Celie faces many hardships in life, including an abusive husband. With support from a sultry singer named Shug Avery, as well as her stand-her-ground stepdaughter, Celie ultimately finds extraordinary strength in the unbreakable bonds of a new kind of sisterhood.

Jon Poll

Jon has cut a wide array of films, from such acclaimed features as Bombshell, The Greatest Showman and 2022's Father of the Bride, to box office hits like Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Goldmember, Meet the Parents and its sequel, and Scary Movie 3. Poll made his feature directorial debut with the comedy drama Charlie Bartlett.

Poll and director Jay Roach are frequent collaborators on many projects. In addition to the Austin Powers sequels, Poll co-produced, edited and directed second unit on Meet the Fockers, executive produced and edited The Campaign, executive produced, edited and directed the title sequence for Dinner for Schmucks, and edited Mystery, Alaska. Poll also executive produced Judd Apatow's The 40-Year-Old Virgin. His editing credits include the films Forever Young and Death to Smoochy. Poll directed, edited and co-produced on the HBO series The Brink as well.

A graduate of USC's Cinema school with a degree in film production, Poll resides in Los Angeles with Julia, his charming and lovely wife of 400 years.

Editing THE COLOR PURPLE

In our discussion with THE COLOR PURPLE editor Jon Poll, we talk about:

The reason to remake a movie
Paging Tom Cross
Making a musical vs a drama with music
Watching the movie before making a single cut
Getting real dancers to do the dance foley

The Credits

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American Fiction Dec 18, 2023

Show notes

Editor - Hilda Rasula, ACE

When AMERICAN FICTION editor Hilda Rasula ACE first got the script from her agent, the director attached to it seemed more than a little familiar. It turns out that Cord Jefferson, Hilda's casual acquaintance from the backyard barbecue circuit, would be helming his first feature. Together the pair would create a movie that's one-part social satire, one-part family dramedy and wholly entertaining.

AMERICAN FICTION follows frustrated novelist-professor, Thelonius "Monk" Ellison (Jeffrey Wright), who's fed up with an establishment that profits from Black entertainment that relies on tired and offensive tropes. To prove his point, he uses a pen name to write an outlandish Black book of his own, a book that propels him to the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain.

Hilda Rasula, ACE

When she's not helping first-time directors launch their promising careers, editor Hilda Rasula is cutting films like VENGEANCE (2022) and MOVING ON (2022), as well as tv series such as OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH (2022), SMILF (2019) and TRANSPARENT (2014-17).

Editing American Fiction

In our discussion with AMERICAN FICTION editor Hilda Rasula, we talk about:

Trojan horse storytelling
Staying away from the dark indigo blue territory
Hilda and the traveling rug
How it's tricky temping with jazz
That first act...why is it always the first act

The Credits

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Poor Things Dec 11, 2023

Show notes

Editor - Yorgos Mavropsaridis

POOR THINGS editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis was already an established editor when he first started collaborating with a young director named Yorgos Lanthimos. At that point Lanthimos was only known for doing commercials, but by their third feature together, 2009's DOGTOOTH, the pair began to be recognized as a formidable storytelling team. Over a decade later, they would finally take on what Yorgos Mavropsaridis considers their first true studio film, Searchlight Pictures' POOR THINGS.

POOR THINGS tells the story of a young woman, Bella Baxter, who was brought back to life by her guardian, the scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter. Initially naïve, Bella was eager to learn about the world around her, albeit under Baxter's protection. Wanting to see more, she ran off with Duncan Wedderburn, a slick and debauched lawyer, and traveled across continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella demanded equality and liberation.

Yorgos Mavropsaridis

Yorgos Mavropsaridis is most known for his work with POOR THINGS director, Yorgos Lanthimos, including Dogtooth (2009), The Lobster (2015) and The Favourite (2018), for which Yorgos received an Oscar nomination and an ACE Eddie award.

Editing Poor Things

In our discussion with POOR THINGS editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis, we talk about:

Polishing up the Ektachrome
Making a studio film for the first time
Feeling the atmosphere in the cutting room
Going all "Godard" with ADR
Ways to make the telling of the tale interesting

The Credits

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Napoleon Dec 04, 2023

Show notes

Editor - Sam Restivo

NAPOLEON editor Sam Restivo credits the dutiful mentoring of editor Claire Simpson for how he found himself co-chairing the editorial duties for Ridley Scott's latest film. Sam first worked with Claire as her assistant editor on the tv series RAISED BY WOLVES (2020). From there, Claire brought Sam as her assistant to his first Ridley Scott feature, THE LAST DUEL (2021). He would assist Claire one more time for Scott's HOUSE OF GUCCI (2021) before getting the promotion for NAPOLEON.

Ridley Scott's NAPOLEON is a look at the military commander's origins and his swift, ruthless climb to emperor, viewed through the prism of his addictive and often volatile relationship with his wife and one true love, Josephine.

SAM RESTIVO

Aside from his work with Claire Simpson and Ridley Scott, Sam has worked as an assistant editor on TV series like THE WALKING DEAD (2014) and BETTER CALL SAUL (2015) as well as being an additional editor for features such as THE GREATEST SHOWMAN (2017) and ROBIN HOOD (2018).

Editing NAPOLEON

In our discussion with NAPOLEON editor Sam Restivo, we talk about:

Going entertainment first, history lesson second
Holding off on the V.O. until the end
How sometimes subtitles are just funnier
Turning 72, 48 and 36 frames into 24
The legend of Claire Simpson

The Credits

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The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes Nov 27, 2023

Show notes

Editor - Mark Yoshikawa, ACE

Mark Yoshikawa, ACE made his return to the HUNGER GAMES universe after an eight-year break to cut the prequel, THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES. Mark's first experience cutting on the franchise, and for director Francis Lawrence, was on the two-part MOCKINGJAY films. THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE editor Alan E. Bell ACE reached out to his old friend Mark to enlist his help with the increased workload of the two-part conclusion the Katniss Everdeen storyline.

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is the fifth film in the Hunger Games franchise and is set sixty-four years before the events of the first film. It explores the events that eventually lead a young Coriolanus Snow down the path to becoming the tyrannical leader of Panem. With the tenth annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow becomes alarmed when he's assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird from District 12. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and political savvy, they race against time to ultimately reveal who's a songbird and who's a snake.

MARK YOSHIKAWA ACE

Aside from his work with director Francis Lawrence on the Hunger Games franchise, the two also collaborated on the feature SLUMBERLAND (2022) as well as episodes of the TV series SEE (2019). Mark has also cut several films for director Terrence Malick, including: THE NEW WORLD (2005), THE TREE OF LIFE (2011), TO THE WONDER (2012) and KNIGHT OF CUPS (2018). Mark has also worked on TV series such as SUCCESSION (2018) and WESTWORLD (2016).

Editing THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES

In our discussion with "HUNGER GAMES" editor Mark Yoshikawa ACE, we talk about: