Editors – Vikash Patel, Matthew V. Colonna, ACE and Emily E. Greene, ACE

Lanterns editors Vikash Patel, Matthew V. Colonna, ACE and Emily E. Greene, ACE return to The Rough Cut to discuss shaping an HBO series that brings the Green Lantern mythology down to Earth and combines superhero storytelling with the structure and atmosphere of a detective drama. For Vikash, the series also meant taking on a broader role as supervising editor and associate producer, working alongside showrunner Chris Mundy to maintain a consistent editorial language across the entire season. Created by Chris Mundy, Damon Lindelof and Tom King, La...

Editor – Dody Dorn, ACE

For Heart of the Beast, editor Dody Dorn, ACE was tasked with cutting a survival thriller built around one man, one dog and an unforgiving wilderness. Reunited with director David Ayer more than a decade after their work together on Fury, Dody helped shape a film that combines large-scale action and physical danger with a much more intimate story about trauma, loyalty and the bond between two combat veterans trying to make their way home.

Directed by David Ayer and written by Cameron Alexander, Heart of the Beast stars Brad Pitt as...

Editor – Joe Murphy and Music Editor – Scott Hedrick

Resident Evil editor Joe Murphy and music editor Scott Hedrick join The Rough Cut to discuss the picture and music editorial work behind Zach Cregger's reinvention of the legendary survival-horror franchise. For Joe, the film marks his third consecutive collaboration with Cregger following Barbarian and Weapons, while Scott brings a background as a music editor, score producer, composer and longtime musician to a film where sound, score and silence are essential parts of the suspense.

Directed by Zach Cregger and written by Cregger and Shay Hatten, Resident Evil...

Editors – Chris Chandler and Devin Dulany

The Musical editors Chris Chandler and Devin Dulany discuss cutting a dark comedy that turns professional frustration, romantic jealousy and middle-school theater into an increasingly elaborate act of revenge. For Devin, the project began years earlier when he edited the original AFI short that eventually became the feature, while Chris brought a background in comedy that includes Curb Your Enthusiasm, Dave and Blindspotting.

Directed by Giselle Bonilla and written by Alexander Heller, The Musical stars Will Brill as Doug Leibowitz, a frustrated playwright working as a middle-school theater teacher wh...

Editor – Phil Hignett

Finding Emily editor Phil Hignett returns to The Rough Cut to discuss cutting a romantic comedy built around music, timing, chemistry and the difficult balance between letting a joke land and giving a relationship enough space to feel real. Working with director Alicia MacDonald, Phil helped shape a film that draws on the pleasures of the classic British rom-com while giving the genre a younger, more contemporary point of view.

Directed by Alicia MacDonald and written by Rachel Hirons, Finding Emily stars Spike Fearn as Owen, a musician and sound engineer who be...

Editor – John Axelrad, ACE

The End of Oak Street editor John Axelrad, ACE returns to The Rough Cut to discuss cutting a science-fiction thriller that takes an ordinary suburban family and abruptly removes every familiar rule of the world around them. Working with writer-director David Robert Mitchell, John had to balance large-scale spectacle and mystery with a story that remains grounded in the relationships between the members of one family.

Written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, The End of Oak Street begins when a mysterious cosmic event rips an entire suburban neighborhood from its su...

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Spider-Man: Brand New Day editors Nat Sanders, ACE, Harry Yoon, ACE and Gina Sansom join The Rough Cut to discuss helping director Destin Daniel Cretton take Peter Parker into a deeper, more grounded chapter of his story. Nat and Gina began the film together during production, with Harry joining them for the director's cut, bringing together three editors who had each previously collaborated with Destin on projects ranging from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to Wonder Man. Directed by Destin Da...

Editor – Payton Koch

For Avatar: The Last Airbender editor Payton Koch, this job offered a very different kind of editorial challenge from his Emmy-nominated work on Only Murders in the Building. The series has to move between large-scale action, visual effects, martial arts, comedy, mythology and coming-of-age drama, often within the same sequence. It also has to satisfy a fanbase that knows this world extremely well while still making the story accessible to viewers coming to it for the first time.

Based on the Nickelodeon series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, Avatar: Th...

Editor – Greg Ng

BACKROOMS editor Greg Ng joins The Rough Cut to discuss cutting a film built around liminal spaces, analog horror, slow-burn tension and the challenge of turning an internet-born phenomenon into a feature-length cinematic experience.

Directed by Kane Parsons, BACKROOMS expands on the world Parsons first created through his viral YouTube videos, where endless yellow corridors, fluorescent hums, distorted VHS textures and uncanny architecture became the foundation for a very specific kind of dread. The feature stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as Clark, a furniture store owner whose discovery of a strange passageway pulls him in...

Editor – Greg O'Bryant

Tuner editor Greg O'Bryant returns to the podcast to discuss cutting a film that is part crime thriller, part romance, part character study, part music movie and part very compelling argument for keeping your ears covered in New York City.

Directed by Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Daniel Roher, Tuner stars Leo Woodall as Niki, a gifted piano tuner whose hypersensitive hearing makes every day sound almost unbearable. That same extraordinary hearing also gives Niki an unexpected talent for cracking safes, pulling him from a quiet life of tuning pianos into an increasingly da...

Widow's Bay

Editors – Isaac Hagy, ACE; Kyle Reiter, ACE and Jen Bryson

The editors of Widow's Bay may not live on a cursed New England island, but after years of working together across shows like Atlanta, Station Eleven and Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Isaac Hagy, Kyle Reiter and Jen Bryson have developed the kind of shared creative history that makes them feel right at home in one.

Created by Katie Dippold for Apple TV, Widow's Bay stars Matthew Rhys as Tom Loftis, the skeptical mayor of a strange little island town where the locals be...

Spider-Noir

Although the editors of Spider-Noir may have all arrived at the series through different paths, they quickly found themselves working toward the same goal: shaping a superhero story that functions first and foremost as a noir detective tale. For Jennifer Barbot, Tirsa Hackshaw, Eric Kissack, and Geraud Brisson, that meant balancing 1930s atmosphere, modern pacing, dry comedy, stylized action, and the very particular energy of a Nicolas Cage performance. Created by Oren Uziel for MGM+ and Prime Video, Spider-Noir stars Nicolas Cage as...

Editors - Laura Zempel, ACE and Lauren Connelly, ACE

Although BEEF - Season 2 editors Laura Zempel and Lauren Connelly are working together for the first time, this is Laura's second season working on the series.  But despite being new to one another, Laura's and Lauren's talents seamlessly combined to tackle a complex, character-driven "slow burn" with multiple storylines that required a delicate balancing of tone, including both dark comedy and psychological drama.

Created by Korean director Lee Sung Jin (Sonny Lee) for Netflix, Season 2 of BEEF stars Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan as Joshua Martin a...

Editor - Brian Philip Davis

Hokum editor Brian Philip Davis teams up once more with director Damian McCarthy.  Prior to this film the two joined forces to craft McCarthy's supernatural thriller, Oddity.  This time out, they double down on the dread and jack up the jump scares to keep audiences on the edge of, and often a few feet above, their seats.

Written and directed by Damian McCarthy, Hokum stars Adam Scott as novelist Ohm Bauman.  When Bauman retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents' ashes, he's consumed by tales of a witch that...

Editor - Nena Erb ACE and Asst. Editor Gioia Caruso

Wonder Man editor Nena Erb and her assistant Gioia Caruso first worked together on the R-rated road trip comedy, Joy Ride. A film that could not be more different than the grounded, character driven tv series, Wonder Man.  Making the dramatic jump in tone and style from Joy Ride to Wonder Man might have been a daunting task for other editorial duos, but Nena's skills as a "digital quilter" and Gioia's talents as "keeper of the footage" helped them rise to the challenge.

In the Mar...

Editor - Joel Negron ACE, Sound Designers - Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn

Project Hail Mary editor Joel Negron says that one of the first calls that he makes when he signs on to a new film is to his trusted colleagues in audio post, Erik and Ethan. And for more than fifteen years the trio has collaborated on a wide variety of films, including the Transformers franchise, Jungle Cruise and Cocaine Bear. But their latest film with directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller would prove to be one of their greatest challenges, but also one of...

Editor - Tim Squyres, ACE

Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice editor Tim Squyres has over three decades of experience working with directors such as Ang Lee, Robert Altman and Jonathan Demme.  But his latest film marks the first time collaborating with writer/director BenDavid Grabinski.  Together the two navigated the tonal minefield of blending action, comedy, romance and a little time travel, to deliver a raucous romp that spans multiple years in one night.

Set in a highly-stylized criminal underworld, Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice follows two (or three) gangsters and the woman they love trying to su...

Axel Geddes ACE, Tony Greenberg, Chloe Kloezeman, Geoff Sledge, Ayesha Johannes

The Hoppers editing team of Axel, Tony, Chloe, Geoff and Ayesha understand better than anyone, that in the world of animation, creating a captivating film involves more than just drawing and animating characters. It requires a deep understanding of storytelling, editing, and collaboration. Not to mention the occasional party in the cutting room. Hoppers follows a young woman named Mabel Tanaka, an animal lover whose mind is transferred into a lifelike robotic beaver, allowing her to communicate with animals and save their habitat from human destruction, while inadvertently...

Editor - Nigel Williams

How to Get to Heaven From Belfast editor Nigel Williams once again finds himself cutting with showrunner Lisa McGee.  Having first worked with McGee on her hit series, Derry Girls, the two are back together for a show that features Lisa's well-known witty dialogue and quirky characters, but this time all wrapped up in a mystery.

How to Get to Heaven From Belfast is an eight-part series that follows three longtime friends. Now in their late 30s, but still as close as ever, the girls are about to embark on the mo...

Editors - Arthur Tarnowski ACE, CCE and Véronique Barbe CCE

After years of working in different cutting rooms across Montreal, Heated Rivalry editors Arthur Tarnowski and Véronique Barbe are finally skating on the same line for showrunner Jacob Tierney. But bringing the "spicy" subject matter of Rachel Reid's book series to tv audiences would be no small feat. It required the editors to find the right balance of tension, chemistry and character within and around the steamy sexual encounters of the shows main characters.

Heated Rivalry follows the lives of two budding hockey su...

Editor - Michael P. Shawver

Sinners editor Michael Shawver has enjoyed a long and productive relationship with his former USC classmate, director Ryan Coogler.  Together the two have collaborated on Fruitvale Station, Creed, Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and now Sinners.  Their past experience on both VFX-heavy films like Black Panther, as well as socio-political dramas like Fruitvale Station, would prove invaluable as they worked to blend the real horror of racial injustice with the fantastical horror of a vampire onslaught.

Taking place in 1932, Sinners follows identical twins, and World War I veterans, Elijah "Sm...

Editors - Skip Macdonald ACE, Chris McCaleb ACE and Joey Liew

The PLUR1BUS editing team of Skip, Chris and Joey have worked together for 15 years on Vince Gilligan's Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul and now his new sci-fi hit for Apple TV+.  With that kind of shared experience the three have established a creative "hive mind" of their own, while still demonstrating their individual talents as storytellers.  Despite PLUR1BUS being such a departure from the stories he has told up to this point, it's easy to see why one thing Vince wouldn't change is the po...

Editor - Stacey Schroeder ACE

Editor Stacey Schroeder ACE admits she knows nothing about magic, but you wouldn't know it from the amazing slight of hand she demonstrates when cutting a movie.  Coming into this film never having worked with director Ruben Fleischer before, and also being new to the franchise, Stacey had to rely upon her past experiences in comedy and action to hit all the right notes for this "magic-heist-action-comedy" tale.

Now You See Me: Now You Don't is the third installment in the Now You See Me film series. Returning cast members in...

Editors - Esther Sokolow, Glenn Garland ACE and Matthew V. Colonna ACE

IT: Welcome to Derry editors Esther, Glenn and Matt had never worked together prior to the new HBO series, but quickly formed a family bond that translated into a fun and creative cutting room. Their antics included scaring unsuspecting tourists taking the Warner Brothers tram tour past their offices. And you know what Jack Torrance says about "all work and no play"! Developed by Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti and Jason Fuchs, It: Welcome to Derry is based on Stephen King's 1986 novel It and is a prequel to...

Editor, Myron Kerstein ACE

WICKED: FOR GOOD editor, Myron Kerstein ACE finds himself in familiar post-production territory after taking a short break to enjoy the success of the first film in this two-part adaption of the musical megahit.  This brief respit included Myron receiving an Oscar® nomination and an ACE Eddie win for his efforts.  But this time out, Myron faces the challenge of closing out this story with a movie that is darker in tone with a more complex narrative.

Adapted from the venerable Broadway smash, WICKED: FOR GOOD follows the journey of a you...

Editor - Evan Schiff ACE

Frankenstein editor Evan Schiff ACE first began his journey as an assistant editor on Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth (2006). Over the next, nearly two decades, Evan would establish himself as an action movie editor to be reckoned with.  He would flex his cutting chops on films like John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017), John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019) and Bob Odenkirk's action debut, Nobody (2021).  Evan would also drop by the MCU to cut The Marvels (2023).  But to hear Evan tell it, it was hardly his skills as an action editor that would prompt Del Toro to hir...

Editor - Nathan Schauf

KPop Demon Hunters editor Nathan Schauf was already a trusted teammember at Sony Pictures Animation (SPA) when has was asked to "lend a hand for a bit" on this new action-comedy musical. Not long after, lending a hand turned into leading the way, with Nathan leaning on his years of experience cutting animation to help craft the film into a worldwide hit that would become Netflix's most streamed content of all time.

KPop Demon Hunters follows Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, a world-famous K-pop girl group known as Huntrix.  Unbeknownst to their f...

Editor - Andy Jurgensen

One Battle After Another editor Andy Jurgensen came into his new film already "battle" tested with director Paul Thomas Anderson's unique film-based workflow.  Shoot film.  Print film dailies.  Screen film dailies.  Create digital workprint.  Cut in Avid.  Conform negative.  But Paul loves a challenge, so he decided to not only make "One Battle" the first IMAX film presented entirely in the 1.43:1 ratio, but he also resurrected the VistaVision format for the first time in sixty years.  Luckily, Andy loves a challenge too.

One Battle After Another stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob, a washed...

Editors - Vikash Patel, Cedric Nairn-Smith and Kyle Reiter ACE

Black Rabbit editors Viks, Ced and Kyle worked independently during post but still managed to collectively craft a complex narrative that stayed consistent in tone and style throughout the run of the series.  And while new guy Reiter described feeling like a "bench player" on the team, Viks and Ced benefited from a long working relationship that began with Viks mentoring Ced as his former assistant.  Regardless of any of their past experiences, star and producer Jason Bateman tasked the post team with creating a vibe that ha...

Editors - Julie Cohen ACE and David Rogers ACE

The Paper editors Julie Cohen and David Rogers first began collaborating on another Greg Daniels series, Space Force.  Although that series was not in the same "mock doc" format as The Paper, David's first show with Daniels was. And that series was The Office, where he served as both editor and director.  Both Julie and David felt at home with The Paper's faux documentary format however, with David having worked on The Office and Julie receiving multiple Emmy nominations for her work on the unscripted series, Project Runway.
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Editor - Joe Murphy

Weapons editor Joe Murphy probably had no idea when he interviewed with Zach Cregger over a Zoom call that, in a relatively short amount of time, they would collaborate on not one, but two hit horror films.  Regardless, Joe says that call wasn't just about getting to know each other, but also about ensuring a supportive and frank collaboration; key ingredients for him in being able to articulate the director's vision effectively.  Weapons unfolds in chapters around six main characters, which presented a unique challenge in introducing new characters multiple times throughout the fi...

Director, Richard Shepard and Editor, Adam Lichtenstein

FILM GEEK isn't just another notch on the IMDB belts of director, Richard Shepard and his friend and editor, Adam Lichtenstein.  This is the story of Richard's cinematic "life" and the mysterious father who was his guide into that world.  Deftly incoroporating clips from over 200 movies of the 70's and early 80's, FILM GEEK chronicles Richard's introduction and absorption into films both classic and forgotten, between the ages of 6 and 18.  From there, Richard would make the transition from amateur 8MM auteur, to being an "all-in" film student at NYU, where he wo...

Editors - Chris Patterson and Dirk Westervelt ACE

EENIE MEANIE editors Chris Patterson and Dirk Westervelt reunite after a six-year break from their first co-editing effort, ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP.  From its indie vibe to its seventies-inspired aesthetic, EENIE MEANIE doesn't shy away from its influences. Chris shares how both he and writer/director Shawn Simmons gravitated towards filmmakers like Steven Soderbergh, drawing inspiration from classics like OUT OF SIGHT and OCEAN'S ELEVEN.

EENIE MEANIE tells the story of Edie, a reformed teenage getaway driver who gets dragged back into her unsavoury past when a former e...

Editor - Brian Scott Olds

The Naked Gun editor Brian Scott Olds knows that comedy thrives on the elements of surprise and timing.  He applied this philosophy to every aspect of the film—from physical gags to witty word play and silly sound design.  But making a film that respects the legacy of its predecessor while updating its essence for today is no laughing matter. Brian and director Akiva Schaffer had a clear mission: maintain the comedic tone and tenor from the original while spoofing modern-day blockbusters like Mission Impossible.  And stop calling me Shirley.

Avika...

Editors - Nona Khodai ACE and Tim Roche

The Fantastic Four: First Steps sees editors Nona Khodai and Tim Roche reunite for the 37th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the second reboot of the Fantastic Four film series.  The film also marks the first time the two have worked together since Marvel's live action series debut, WandaVision.  Although each had worked with him separately before, WandaVision was the first time both Nona and Tim worked with director Matt Shakman on a Marvel project.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps takes place in 1964, as th...

Editor - Yan Miles ACE, BFE

Andor editor Yan Miles partly attributes the decision not to extensively use the Stagecraft "volume" technology as the reason why his series has a distinctly different look and feel to other shows under the Star Wars banner. Instead, Andor leans into real-world environments, capturing the grit and authenticity that Yan believes enhances the narrative. Another significant factor in that differentiation is Tony Gilroy's writing, where the narrative complexity lies. Despite knowing the ultimate fate of characters like Cassian Andor, the series thrives on the uncertainty surrounding minor characters and their arcs...

Editors - William Hoy, ACE and Craig Alpert, ACE

Superman editors William Hoy ACE and Craig Alpert ACE didn't need to be told there was a lot riding on this movie.  Not only does it represent James Gunn's view on who Superman needs to be for modern movie-going audiences, it also kicks off Gunn's vision of the new DCU.  From the first minute of the film, viewers encounter a Superman who bleeds and is grappling with not just his limitations, but also his sense of purpose. It's these complex layers that Bill and Craig balanced through their ma...

Producer/Director - Jeremy McCarter, Sound Designer - Misha Fiksel

Making its World Premiere at the venerable Tribeca Festival and featured on Apple Podcasts, MakeBelieve's revelatory new take on Shakespeare's iconic tragedy drops you inside the fractured mind of the prince.  Produced and directed by Jeremy McCarter and with breathtaking binaural sound design by Tony-Award winner Mikhail "Misha" Fiksel, this is Hamlet as you've never heard it before.

JEREMY McCARTER

Jeremy is the founder and executive producer of Make-Believe Association, a nonprofit audio production company. Prior to Hamlet, he co-created, co-wrote, and executive p...

Editor - Stephen Mirrione, ACE

F1 editor Stephen Mirrione ACE, known for his exceptional work in films like Traffic and The Revenant, took on a whole new challenge with F1, an adrenaline-fueled project that demanded innovation and intricacy at every turn.  One of the many tasks for Mirrione was ensuring the emotional weight and authenticity within F1's racing scenes. Every cut, every transition was made with the intention of drawing the audience deeper into the world of racing. The commitment to authenticity was evident in using Formula One track cameras and high-speed car mounts, which provided u...

Assistant Editor - Jared Simon

Assistant Editor Jared Simon's new book, Every Frame Counts - An Assistant Editor's Reference Book, covers everything an assistant editor needs to know, and then some.  Topics covered in Jared's book include: