The Rough Cut

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In The Heights Jul 05, 2021

Show notes

Editor, Myron Kerstein ACE

In The Heights editor, Myron Kerstein ACE had plenty of experience to draw from when tackling the film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Broadway hit. Not only had he previously worked with In the Heights director John Chu on their film, Crazy Rich Asians, but Myron had a diverse pool of film and tv projects to draw from as well. Myron's film credits include Garden State, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, Little Fockers, The Dukes of Hazard, Fame (2009). On the tv side, he's done shows such as Girls and Home Before Dark.

Editing In The Heights

In our discussion with In The Heights editor, Myron Kerstein ACE we talk about:

The similarities between musicals and VFX heavy action movies
Using ScriptSync to manage lyrical performance takes
The roundtrip workflows between picture and sound
Cutting with or against the beat of the music
The impact musicals impose on spotting sound effects

The Credits

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Small Axe Jun 28, 2021

Show notes

Small Axe editor, Chris Dickens ACE

Small Axe editor, Chris Dickens ACE first made a name for himself cutting director Edgar Wright's zombie comedy, Shaun of the Dead. A few years later Dickens would collaborate with Wright once more on the movie, Hot Fuzz. But it was a film Dickens did in 2008 that would bring him his highest honor to date. Chris was awarded an Oscar® for Best Film Editing for Slumdog Millionaire. In subsequent years Chris would edit such films as Mary Queen of Scots and Rocketman. After wrapping up the Elton John biopic, Chris began discussions with director Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave) about his upcoming project, Small Axe.

Small Axe consists of five films that tell distinct stories about the lives of West Indian immigrants in London from the 1960s to the 1980s. The series kicks off with the courtroom drama Mangrove. Next up is Lovers Rock, which takes place over the course of one day at a house party. Next is Red, White and Blue starring John Boyega as a young man who trades a promising career in medicine to become a police officer intent on creating reform from within the department. The fourth film in the series is Alex Wheatle, a historical drama about a novelist sentenced to imprisonment after the 1981 Brixton uprising. The series concludes with the film Education, which takes place in the 70's and addresses the transferring of disproportionate numbers of black children from mainstream education to schools for the so-called "educationally subnormal".

Editing Small Axe

In our discussion with Small Axe editor, Chris Dickens ACE we talk about:

Editing five different films in different formats
Non-linear editing in a linear fashion
Why 16mm is shunned by streamers
The challenge of editing a "plotless" film
The editorial gift of a non-stop musical backdrop

The Credits

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Hear Chris and Music Editor Andy Patterson talk about making Rocketman

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The Mandalorian - Season 2 Jun 21, 2021

Show notes

Editors - Jeff Seibenick, Andrew S. Eisen ACE, Adam Gerstel

Editors Jeff Seibenick, Andrew S. Eisen ACE and Adam Gerstel (along with editor Dylan Firshein) joined "forces" to deliver a follow-up season to the Lucasfilm/Disney+ hit that surpassed even the highest expectations from the ardent fanbase.

Using their now legendary virtual set technology, known as "the volume", the post team was completely integrated into the production process and could help craft and refine the storylines at a highly accelerated rate.

JEFF SEIBENICK

With a background rich in comedy tv editing on series such as; Parks and Recreation, Eastbound & Down and Vice Principals, Jeff helped craft one of the more serious aspects of Season 2...getting inside the mind of the imperial troops!

ANDREW S. EISEN ACE

Considering the cinematic approach the editing team applies to The Mandalorian, it's no surprise to see Andrew's name in the credits of big sci-fi / action films like Transformers: Age of Extinction and The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2.

ADAM GERSTEL

While Season 2 is Adam's first on The Mandalorian, he's no stranger to virtual set technology or working with showrunner/director, Jon Favreau. Adam edited both The Jungle Book and The Lion King live action remakes with Favreau.

Editing The Mandalorian - Season 2

In our discussion with The Mandalorian editing team of Jeff Seibenick, Andrew S. Eisen ACE and Adam Gerstel, we talk about:

The differences between using the virtual set process in films vs television
Manipulating story lines and character tone through ADR
Creating both new sound effects and leveraging the Star Wars Sound Library
The scoring process between editor and composer
Collaborating with one another through the pre-viz process

The Credits

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Listen to parts one and two from the Season One interview with The Mandalorian editors

A New Hope editor, Paul Hirsch ACE on turning a Camaro into Vader's TIE fighter

The Empire Strikes Back editor, Paul Hirsch ACE reflects on the film forty years later

Hear editor Bob Ducsay talk about cutting The Last Jedi

Listen to Maryann Brandon ACE talk about her work on The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker

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Mythic Quest Jun 14, 2021

Show notes

Editors - Josh Drisko, Steve Welch ACE, Trevor Penna

From the creative team behind It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia comes the AppleTV+ original series, Mythic Quest! Created in part by and starring Rob McElhenney, the series is about a video game studio that produces a popular online role playing game.

Even though it's a "workplace comedy", the MQ team knows how to surprise an audience every now and then with a dramatic turn. Both seasons one and two featured episodes that were not really part of the show's primary story line nor did they really feature the main characters. In S1 this was an episode called A Dark Quiet Death and in S2 it was an episode called Backstory. Both episodes were standouts in their respective seasons and drew praise from the critics. On top of that, between season one and two Mythic Quest had two special episodes; one of which was not only created during quarantine, it was about the quarantine.

JOSH DRISKO

Josh Drisko has an amazing 92 episodes (and counting) of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia under his belt; including the legendary pilot episode of "Sunny" that he cut on a laptop back in 2005. Josh has also worked on the series The Mick, The Grinder and Maron.

STEVE WELCH ACE

Steve Welch ACE has had a prolific career in comedy editing with such shows as Malcolm in the Middle, New Girl, Mr. Show with Bob and David and Arrested Development.

TREVOR PENNA

While Mythic Quest is the first series where Trevor has been lead editor on multiple episodes, he's been assisting editor Tim Roche on some pretty big shows, including Curb Your Enthusiasm and WandaVision.

Editing Mythic Quest

In our discussion with the Mythic Quest editing team of Josh Drisko, Steve Welch ACE and Trevor Penna, we talk about:

The challenge of incorporating video game footage into the show
Working from home to do a special episode about working from home
The power of ScriptSync for cutting comedy
Taking a break from the laughter for more dramatic episodes
The best things an editor can do besides edit to be a better editor

The Credits

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It's a Sin Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

It's a Sin editor, Sarah Brewerton

It's a Sin editor, Sarah Brewerton said, "Yes!" before ever reading the scripts for the British television miniseries written and created by Russell T. Davies (Queer as Folk). The series follows a group of gay men who each move to London in 1981 as the fast-developing HIV/AIDS crisis in the United Kingdom impacts their lives. Over the five episode arc, the group are shown living through an entire decade as they become determined to live life on their terms despite the threat posed by HIV.

Pulling off a story like that, honoring and being true to an important era in our shared history, is never easy. On top of that, in regards to the actual post process, more often than not on a series you have multiple editors in some kind of rotation to handle the editorial duties. That is not the case with It's a Sin. Sarah and her assistant editor (Daniel Gale-Coyne) did the entire series themselves. They also did it without a music editor. Considering how prominent a role music plays in setting the scene for England in the 80's, that should tell you just how much care and effort Sarah and Daniel had to put into every aspect of the series.

Editing It's a Sin

In our discussion with It's a Sin editor, Sarah Brewerton we talk about:

The burdens and blessings of cutting a series on your own
Letting the material lead the edit
The opportunities for finding work in 2021
Making the jump from assistant to lead editor
Giving back to the next generation of editors

The Credits

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Cruella May 31, 2021

Show notes

Editor, Tatiana Riegel ACE

Cruella editor, Tatiana Riegel ACE and director Craig Gillespie were already quite familiar with one another prior to their work on Disney's most recent reimagining of its iconic I.P.. Starting with Lars and the Real Girl in 2007, the two also worked together on Fright Night, Million Dollar Arm, The Finest Hours and the critically acclaimed I, Tonya. I, Tonya also notched Tatiana an ACE Eddie award and an Oscar® nomination for Best Film Editing.

Set in 1970s London amidst the punk rock revolution, Cruella follows a young grifter named Estella. Recently orphaned, Estella befriends a pair of juvenile thieves and together they are able to build a life for themselves on the streets of London. One day, while toiling away in London's Liberty department store, Estella's flair for fashion catches the eye of legendary designer, Baroness von Hellman, but their relationship sets in motion a course of events and revelations that will cause Estella to become the raucous and revenge-bent "Cruella".

Editing Cruella

In our discussion with Cruella editor, Tatiana Riegel ACE we talk about:

The sometimes necessary evil of voice overs
Delaying the use of audio until later in the edit
Keeping an eye on continuity in the quiet scenes
Eavesdropping on conversations between Quentin Tarantino and editor Sally Menke during Pulp Fiction

The Credits

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Army of the Dead May 24, 2021

Show notes

Editor - Dody Dorn ACE, Assistant Editor - Carlos Castillón

Army of the Dead editor Dody Dorn ACE and asst editor Carlos Castillón were quite busy during the past year or so. Not only did they edit the new film from Zack Snyder, but they also did his cut of Justice League during their "break".

With Army of the Dead, Snyder is back doing what he does best, blending different genres into something not seen before. It's a "zombie" movie; in some ways a follow up to Snyder's Dawn of the Dead. Then you've got the heist movie genre, in that the protagonists are racing against a clock to steal a big pile of cash. Finally you've got Las Vegas, which isn't a genre of movie…but it's Vegas; always a category unto itself. No matter how you categorize it, Army of the Dead delivers the requisite action, comedy, gore and moments of tenderness one would hope for in a zombie-Vegas apocalypse.

DODY DORN ACE

Although she began her career as a sound editor, Dody Dorn made her transition to picture editing with projects such as the director's cut for Terminator 2. From there she would go on to edit such notable films as Christopher Nolan's Memento, Fury and Zack Snyder's Justice League.

CARLOS CASTILLÓN

Carlos Castillón has been immersed in the world of big VFX super hero movies for quite some time. He started his editorial journey assisting on films such as Iron Man 2, Cowboys and Aliens, Man of Steel and Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice. Without questions it is this extensive background that also enabled him to be the lynchpin between the two cuts of Justice League.

Editing Army of the Dead

In our discussion with Army of the Dead editor Dody Dorn ACE and asst editor Carlos Castillón we talk about:

Offloading opening sequence work to trailer editors
Turning Zack's iPad storyboards into action sequences
The art of zombie vocalization
The challenges handheld shots put on VFX
What Zack Snyder likes to see in the first assembly

The Credits

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See Dody's Avid Timeline for Army of the Dead

Check out the full 4+ hr Avid Timeline from Zack Snyder's Justice League

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PEN15 May 17, 2021

Show notes

Editors - Tai Erskine, Amelia Allwarden, John Daigle

The PEN15 editing team of Tai Erskine, Amelia Allwarden and John Daigle (along with editor Matt McBrayer) form the post production backbone of Hulu's original series. Starring and co-created by Maya Erskine (Tai's sister) and Anna Konkle, PEN15 is described as a "middle school as it really happened" comedy. That is if two of your classmates were actually in their thirties!

TAI ERSKINE

In addition to PEN15, Taichi Erskine is known for Allergic to Flowers, Bigfoot County and Balcony.

AMELIA ALLWARDEN

In addition to PEN15, Amelia Allwarden is known for Little Fires Everywhere and Westworld.

JOHN DAIGLE

In addition to PEN15, John Daigle is known for Adam Ruins Everything and the new NBC series, Kenan.

Editing PEN15

In our discussion with the PEN15 editing team of Tai Erskine, Amelia Allwarden and John Daigle, we talk about:

Managing the improv components of the show
What it's like editing a show that stars your mother and sister
Tracking towards a darker tone from one season to the next
The process of joining a show that's already into its second season
Interviewing for jobs in the era of "Zoom"

The Credits

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Hear Amelia Allwarden discuss editing Little Fires Everywhere

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Bohemian Rhapsody May 10, 2021

Show notes

The Oscar®-Winning Sound and Picture Post Team from Bohemian Rhapsody

Despite having faced many obstacles and an uncertain future, the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody went on to become a global hit at the box office and achieve widespread critical acclaim; evidenced by the fact that the sound and picture post team members each walked away with an Oscar® in their respective categories. Just two months after the Oscars®, the team joined Avid for a special live presentation of their work at the NAB 2019 convention in Las Vegas.

EDITOR - JOHN OTTMAN ACE

Not only an accomplished, award-winning editor, John Ottman ACE is also a composer and writer. Among his many credits are his frequent collaborations with director Brian Singer on the films The Usual Suspects, Superman Returns, Valkyrie and X2: X-Men United.

SUPERVISING DIALOGUE and ADR EDITOR - NINA HARTSTONE

In her role as Supervising Dialogue and ADR editor for Bohemian Rhapsody, Nina Hartstone had the enviable yet daunting task of bringing the voice of Freddie Mercury back to life. Her impressive skills as a sound post pro have been on display in such films as Gravity, The Hours, Bridget Jones's Baby and Enola Holmes.

SUPERVISING SOUND EDITOR - JOHN WARHURST

Coming into Bohemian Rhapsody, John Warhurst had already racked up some impressive credits as both a music and sound editor, honing his craft on 127 Hours, Edge of Tomorrow, Les Misérables and One Direction: This is Us.

MUSIC MIXER and RE-RECORDING MIXER - PAUL MASSEY

With a phenomenal career that spans almost forty years, music and re-recording mixer Paul Massey has lent his talents to films like Boyz N the Hood, Clueless, Jerry Maguire and Ford v Ferrari. Including his Oscar® win for Bohemian Rhapsody, Massey has been nominated for the Academy's top sound prize a total of nine times.

Editing and Mixing Bohemian Rhapsody

In our discussion with the Bohemian Rhapsody post team, we talk about:

Making montages that drive the narrative
Using hi-res footage and VFX to turn a three-shot into a two-shot
Combining three different vocals to make the "voice" of Freddie Mercury
How many guitar tracks are enough to reinvent the Fox Studios anthem
Recording live reverb instead of using plug-ins

The Credits

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The Girlfriend Experience May 03, 2021

Show notes

The Girlfriend Experience editor, Nick Carew

The Girlfriend Experience editor, Nick Carew started off the new season of his series with a bang, premiering his work at SxSW 2021 before it began its run on the STARZ network on May 2nd. Based on the Steven Soderbergh movie of the same name (Soderbergh is also an exec producer on the show), The Girlfriend Experience is an anthology series with each season having its own narrative thread and characters, but staying true to a general motif or theme of a young woman in some sort of professional field who also works as an escort. Season Three features Iris, a high-end escort in London who offers clients "the girlfriend experience" while leading a double life as a neuroscience major.

In addition to his skills as a scripted editor on series like The Girlfriend Experience, Nick has racked up a lot of reps in unscripted and documentary editing as well, unquestionably one of the most challenging types of projects an editor can undertake.

Editing The Girlfriend Experience

In our discussion with The Girlfriend Experience editor, Nick Carew we talk about: