Where are you currently employed?
New York City.
Current projects?
I recently wrapped up my work on a narrative feature called “Mother, Mother,” directed by Somali Canadian recording artist K’naan Warsame and edited by Sabine Hoffman, ACE and Geraud Brisson, ACE. While my primary role was first assistant editor, I’m so excited to be receiving my first “additional editing” credit on this project. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) last year!
Last year, I edited a deeply personal documentary directed by Hannah Myers called “DADDY,” which explores her father coming out as gay at 70 years old.
Describe your job.
As a first assistant editor, I’m essentially the editor’s right-hand man, managing the technical and organizational aspects of the editing process. My role involves prepping daily footage during production, maintaining our Avid project, exporting and quality-checking cuts for screenings, and keeping track of the ever-evolving elements of music, sound, visual effects, and automated dialogue replacement (ADR). While the job is often seen as the left-brain technical side of the team, my favorite aspect is the creative. I handle a lot of the temporary sound design for editing sessions and screenings, and I love watching scenes evolve. Offering a fresh perspective, suggesting the perfect piece of music, or finding an ideal stock footage shot can significantly influence and inspire the final cut. It’s incredibly rewarding to see how these small contributions can shape the overall narrative.
How did you first become interested in this line of work?
When I was in middle and high school, my friends and I would shoot our own movies for either class projects or just for fun on our own. Editing them (on Windows Movie Maker, no less!) was always my favorite part. Even then, I found it exciting that whatever the intention was at the beginning of the process, a film would never turn out quite the way we expected. We’d discover during editing what the film actually needed to be, which was always better and more interesting. I also loved being able to show my friends (AKA the crew) what we all made together. It’s still what I love most about editing.
Who gave you your first break?
After studying film editing at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA), my first job was in the filmmaking division at the Google Creative Lab in New York City. I contributed to a number of advertising campaigns there and eventually worked on the documentary “Trillions of Questions, No Easy Answers.” For the next year or so, I bounced around the agency world while poring over the “Master the Workflow” assistant editing course and attending Post New York Alliance (PNYA) events, all in an effort to transition into narrative editing.
My big break came from the fabulous Sabine Hoffman, ACE. She needed an assistant for “Cassandro,” a Roger Ross Williams film that premiered at Sundance 2023. Given the challenges posed by COVID, we had our interview over the phone, and she took a chance on me. We quickly clicked and have since collaborated on four feature films. Sabine’s mentorship has been invaluable, and working with her has profoundly shaped my career and the way I think about story.
What was your first union job?
My first union film was Rebecca Miller’s “She Came to Me,” starring Anne Hathaway, Peter Dinklage, and Marisa Tomei. This was my first experience of physically working in a cutting room, setting up audience screenings, and observing scenes-in-progress alongside my editor and director. Having conversations about what each scene needed to convey and how it emotionally resonated with us was incredibly educational. It was an exciting project, and I felt like I’d truly “joined the club,” becoming a fellow Guild member with editors whom I’d studied and revered for years. I was so proud; I think I wore my Local 700 t-shirt once a week.
What credits or projects are you proudest of, and why?
One of my favorite films to work on came out in theaters last summer. It was Tony Goldwyn’s “Ezra,” starring Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, and Robert De Niro. It’s centered around a young autistic boy played by first-time actor William A. Fitzgerald. His performance was mind-blowing, even in the dailies. It was so cool to watch the film start to sing with his performance up against these seasoned, iconic movie stars. In the film, Cannavale’s character is a stand-up comic, and as a huge comedy fan, I was so tickled to be working on scenes set in The Comedy Cellar in Manhattan with comedians I love like Whoopi Goldberg and Rainn Wilson. It was extremely fun.
What was your biggest challenge in your job (or on a particular project) and how did you overcome/solve it?
Not a huge challenge, but a fun story. I was on a film where I had pulled an exterior establishing shot of a Midwestern bar from a stock website, only to find out later that it wasn’t available to license. My director and editor fell in love with the shot and nothing else I found could compare. I looked up where that bar was actually located, Oregon. I remembered a cinematographer friend of mine had just relocated there, so I sent a Hail Mary text asking if he’d heard of the bar. His response was, “We can see if from our apartment.” Long story short, we worked it out so they could go shoot the bar and the shot made it into the final film. A small, magical coincidence that reminds me to try everything—there’s always a way!
What was the most fun you’ve had at work?
I had the most fun editing a short documentary called “The Fish Doctor (a doc about the fish doc)” directed by Riley Patterson and Adam Levin. This one was special because the directors are close friends of mine. They came to me with the idea of following an eccentric fish wrangler they had worked with on “Severance,” Season One. His job is inarguably unique — procuring aquatic life for film and television shows — and his life and career have both spanned decades in New York City. It was a really interesting lens through which to view how much the city has changed since the 1960s and to learn about this obscure profession from a hilarious, lovable native New Yorker. Working with my best friends was the icing on the cake. We played an improv game at the top of every editing session and wore matching tuxedos to our premiere at DOC NYC (the largest documentary festival in the country).
Jobwise, what do you hope to be doing five years from now?
My ultimate goal is to transition into the role of editor on narrative films. Until then, I’d love to start working with some larger post-production teams. It’s often only myself, my editor, and maybe one other assistant working on a film. The collaborative nature of working in a cutting room with more teammates sounds so kinetic and fun. I love learning and to share ideas, and I want to experience how a film evolves with many creative minds contributing to the process.
For the next five years and beyond, though, my greatest wish is to make good movies with good people.
What are your outside activities, hobbies, passions?
I am a huge theater nerd. I love discovering new shows, reading plays, and going to as many performances as I can on and off Broadway. I would love to edit a professionally-shot musical, ballet, or comedy special; it would be a perfect coalescence of my interests.
Favorite movie(s)? Why?
Some of my all-time favorites are “American Beauty,” “Man on the Moon,” “Requiem for a Dream,” “American Psycho,” and “Interstellar.” I also love the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, the entire filmography of Martin Scorsese, and “The Devil Wears Prada.”
Favorite TV program(s)? Why?
Most of my favorite TV shows are comedies, and I absolutely love “Veep,” “The Office,” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” “I Think You Should Leave” always cracks me up, and doing the bits with my friends never gets old. “BoJack Horseman” is a masterclass in blending humor with heartache, having you in stitches one moment and devastated the next. Also, “Succession” — c’mon.
Do you have an industry mentor?
Michael R. Miller, ACE, was my professor at UNCSA and my first mentor. His classes opened my eyes to the possibilities of editing, and I absolutely fell in love with it. I still hang onto my notes from those courses. We met weekly for the four years I was in school and did unofficial independent studies on the works of Paul Hirsch and Thelma Schoonmaker. To this day, we talk on the phone monthly, and I know I can always go to him for career advice or a funny Coen brothers story.
What advice would you offer to someone interested in pursuing your line of work?
Watch as much as you can. Film and TV, absolutely, but there’s also a lot to learn from live performance when it comes to rhythm and timing. Watch films, shows, stand-up sets, etc. and then listen to interviews with the people who made them. There are so many available accessible resources you can use to educate yourself.
As for getting industry advice, talk to as many people as you can. It can feel awkward cold-emailing or asking someone to meet for coffee, but honestly, people in post-production are cooler and more welcoming than most. Everyone’s been in your position before and they want you to succeed.
Is there anything you’d like to say to your fellow Guild members, some words of encouragement?
You have no idea how much your work continually inspires me and the filmmakers of my generation. Keep pushing boundaries and striving for excellence.
Compiled by David Bruskin.