![]() ![]() I was at Blumhouse working on “Happy Death Day” with Greg Plotkin when “Get Out,” his previous movie, was screened at Sundance. ![]() Q: What was the most fun you’ve had at work? My incredible assistant Melanie Kuan and I came up with a killer system of locators and script line numbering that enabled us to work pretty smoothly despite neither of us speaking Mandarin or ASL! My most recent movie, “Unspoken,” contained scenes in English, Mandarin, and American Sign Language (ASL). With a good scene-card wall and a method of organizing alternate cuts, it can be very satisfying to reach an optimal scene structure. ![]() There have been many times when restructuring a movie seems insurmountably complicated, but I actually really enjoy that process. ![]() Q: What was your biggest challenge in your job (or on a particular project) and how did you overcome/solve it? We had a lot of fun on that, and it had something of a cult-following meme life on Instagram. I love all my babies! I think I have a soft spot for “The Choice” - a Nicholas Sparks adaptation for Lionsgate - as it was my first main title credit. Q: What credits or projects are you proudest of, and why? I was there at a time of great expansion for them, which was very exciting. It was a film for Blumhouse called “Curve.” I worked in some capacity for Blumhouse on 10 of their movies. He also taught me a lot of tricks of the trade that I still use today. He was pivotal in my getting the opportunity to cut “Ma,” which opened a lot of doors for me. Then a post house in West London, Coach House Studios, introduced me to my first editor, Dave King, who was about to start a BBC production of a series of classic children’s books called “Just William.” To my incredible luck, the series won a BAFTA.Ī special mention in the break-giving category goes to Tim Alverson. After I graduated from film school, I pounded the pavements for a bit. I was the cutting room trainee/second assistant editor, and it’s where I first learned assistant editing skills. I worked on “Return to Cranford,” a period extravaganza starring Judi Dench. My first break came via my film school, The National Film and Television School in the UK. So I really felt like I’d found my calling when I discovered there was a job that combined so many audio, visual, storytelling, and analytical skills. I also loved jigsaws and studying images of all kinds. I played the piano from ages 6-18 (I find most editors are musical) and obsessively rewatched certain films as a teenager (excellent preparation for editing!). I found editing through a general art and design degree, and I immediately knew it was what I wanted to do. Q: How did you first become interested in this line of work?Īfter working in all sorts of jobs, including being a production assistant at a multimedia company that made CD-ROMs (it was the 90s!) and teaching English in Italy, I decided I needed a proper life plan and went back to education as a mature student. It’s a lot of crucial work that is often overlooked when describing the editor’s and assistant editor’s jobs. We are the first to set the tone with temp music, temp sound design, and temp visual effects to get the cut to work and communicate story points. Picture editorial not only handles picture. After a while, depending on time and budget, someone finally declares picture lock, which means post-production sound people can start to build dialogue, music, and effects tracks that will be in sync with picture for sound mixing. Once there’s a cut that is generally well-regarded, there are usually screenings for a test audience. After that, we work on producer’s notes together. This stage can sometimes involve significant restructuring and experimentation. During the director’s cut, I work with the director, doing their notes and ironing out kinks. It’s preferable to keep pace with production because the editor’s cut is due a week or so after shooting wraps. I usually receive them the day after they are shot. Before that, I worked on two Mike Flanagan horror projects for Netflix: “Midnight Mass,” a limited series, and a regular series called “The Midnight Club.”Īs a feature picture editor, during shooting, I cut dailies. I can’t say what it is, but it’s very exciting! My last job was a Chinese/US co-production feature called “Unspoken,” produced by Court Five and CMC Pictures. I’m not working as of this writing, but I’m starting a feature in the fall. ![]()
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