The Rough Cut

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Post in Black Jun 19, 2022

Show notes

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

Celebrate Black excellence behind the lens by visiting POST IN BLACK.

Be sure to check out MADE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT too

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Ozark - Season 4 Jun 13, 2022

Show notes

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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Top Gun: Maverick Jun 06, 2022

Show notes

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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Hear Eddie talk about his work on Mission Impossible: Fallout

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The Pentaverate May 30, 2022

Show notes

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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Russian Doll May 23, 2022

Show notes

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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Hear Todd's interview with fellow ACE editors, Emily E. Greene and Robert Komatusu for MRS. AMERICA.

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Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness May 16, 2022

Show notes

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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Moon Knight May 09, 2022

Show notes

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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Listen to editor Cedric Nairn-Smith discuss his work on THE BOYS

Check out other Rough Cut podcasts on Marvel series - WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki and Hawkeye

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The Bad Guys May 02, 2022

Show notes

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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CODA Apr 25, 2022

Show notes

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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Shining Vale Apr 18, 2022

Show notes

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: