Page 31 - Poze Magazine Volume 80

You’ve worked across a variety of genres, from
family dramas to horror films. How does your
editing approach differ between genres, and did
any of your past experiences influence your work
on The Best Christmas Pageant Ever?

On every film I’ve edited, the most important thing
for me is the director’s vision and the story.
Depending on the genre, I surround and bury myself
within that genre. If it’s a horror film, I watch horror
films and constantly have horror film scores playing
in the background. It’s a joy to play in the sandbox of
your project’s genre and parameters. For The Best
Christmas Pageant Ever, I stayed in the holiday spirit
by continuing to listen to Christmas music well after
December 25th. I had Christmas lights and an old
school small ceramic lit-up tree in my cutting room.
I watched every movie and show Dallas referenced
and immersed myself in listening to film scores of
what seemed to match the tone of our film. For me,
it becomes more than just work, and I make working
on a film an immersive experience that has me
thinking about it, even outside of the office. I love it.

7. As an editor, your role goes far beyond With nearly two decades in the industry, what are
simply cutting scenes together. Can you some key moments or collaborations that have
share how you approach editing as an art shaped you as an editor? How has this experience
form and how that philosophy came into influenced your work on this film and beyond?
play with The Best Christmas Pageant?
Well, how much time do you have? I started off
My approach to editing starts by finding out editing Syfy Channel flicks and straight-to-video
from the script and the director what they horror films, where there was no room in the budget
want the tone and rhythm of the film to be, to fix things by throwing money at it. No reshoots or
and then adapting to that. I played piano, pick-ups. I learned to problem solve and tell the best
percussion, and bass guitar, and I find that story we could with what we had, sometimes
there’s a musicality to how the edit feels and creating something out of nothing. I worked with
when it lands. Each cut should feel right, Tim Robbins on a pilot for Comedy Central.
whether watching the edit silently or with Together, we would compare each line and each
music. Of course, there are moments when comedic beat of every take. It took a long time and
you want the cut to feel intentionally jarring or was very tedious, but it was completely worth it.
in your face. You have to know the rules and After that project, I found ways to compare multiple
everything that has come before you, so you line readings in a much more timely manner. I want
can break the rules or even create your own as to be able to tell every director and producer I work
needed on each project you work on. I’m not with that we have the best or most suited
satisfied until the timing feels just right with performance for each moment in the movie. John
every cut. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Singleton taught me to not let insane schedules get
has a distinct style, and it was important that to me. On Aisha Tyler’s first feature, I learned I loved
the cuts are smooth and flow seamlessly. Take being given rules and parameters. That film took
the VO, for instance. I set it up, that whenever place in a car the entire time and she said we could
possible, we’re cutting to young Beth during never go to the exterior of the vehicle or the city. The
Lauren Graham’s voice-over as early as score was only music from Silversun Pickups. We
possible in those scenes. I also don’t believe in had their entire music catalog and instrumentals,
living in a bubble. I wanted to know what and I edited a score out of that for the film. More
made other people laugh or tugged on their recently I collaborated with Rusty Cundieff on
heartstrings. I always welcomed feedback different genres that had kid actors, comedy, and
from my co-editor Adam Lutge, my First VO, which prepared me for all the things that would
Assistant Editor Brian Merrick, my post interns, be in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.
and even my 12-year-old daughter.