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Sofi Marshall Talks Editing Horror Feature ‘I Saw the TV Glow’

by uncredited
written by uncredited 12 minutes read
By Patrick Z. McGavin
 
As an undergraduate in the film department at Boston University, Sofi Marshall made a crucial early connection with the filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun.
 
“We had this very parallel existence .. and [we shared] very specific references to ‘90s media,” Marshall said of her fellow Boston U. alum.  “Our creative aesthetic has always been pretty aligned.”
 
When Schoenbrun showed Marshall the script for what became their second feature, “I Saw the TV Glow,” Marshall, now a New York-based independent picture editor, was eager to climb aboard the production. The horror film, released by A24, is now playing in theaters. 
 
Set in the mid-90s, “I Saw the TV Glow” charts the complex friendship of two teenage outcasts, the hyper self-aware Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) and the unformed Owen (Justice Smith).
 
Their friendship is deepened by their self-identification with a “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”-styled cult television show called “The Pink Opaque,” about two kinetically connected teenage girls who fight malevolent forces.
 
Sofi Marshall sat down with CineMontage to talk about making the picture editing work with Schoenbrun’s visual style, as well as an  original score by Alex G that also features the music of Phoebe Bridgers, Caroline Polachek, Bartees Strange, L’Rain, and King Woman.
 
CineMontage: Jane Schoenbrun talked about how deeply personal material was. Did you feel as though you were eavesdropping on their world?

Sofi Marshall: I watched the film again recently with some friends of mine. We were talking about this idea in film or writing or just creative work  that the more specific you make something the more relatable it ends up being. The experiences are so specific to Jane  that it makes them all the more relatable even if the circumstances are different. The emotion behind the is something other people can tap into. 
 

Obviously my experience is different from Jane’s, but there’s just so much in this film emotionally that I can connect with. It can feel like a little window into someone else but it also really feels like a window into yourself, which I think is really driving a lot of the reaction to the film and why so many people feel so personally moved by it.

Sofi Marshall, picture editor. PHOTO: Courtesy Sofi Marshall.

 
CineMontage: What was your creative back and forth like?
 
Sofi Marshall: We cut the film remotely. We worked together in real time a lot, but we actually did it all over Zoom. I would just stream my timeline to Jane, and we would work that way for a couple of hours. 
 
There were other notes that I could do on my own. I’d go and execute those, and the next day we’d go over that. It was a lot of collaborative work, but it was very malleable. Jane trusted me to work independently. When we worked together, it was very targeted and specific to make sure we could work through something and get it exactly how we wanted it.
 
CineMontage: How would you describe your own manner of working?
 
Sofi Marshall: I’m a very rhythmic editor where I let the footage dictate what’s happening. The film, of course, is full of music, with a lot of montage. Whenever I cut something like that, I cut it totally silent. I cut it without any music. I just want to see how I feel about the shots and where I think the right cut points are going to be. I’ll add music later and make some adjustments.
 
Otherwise, I’ll watch a take, and if I have a thought or an idea, I’ll put it on the timeline. I’ll go back later, and see if it can be improved upon. I’m very first-pass instinctual.
 
CineMontage: The imagery is hypnotic and surreal, like the repeated use of the aquarium. How did that influence the cutting rhythms?
 
Sofi Marshall: Something I really enjoyed about this edit was just how striking the visuals were, and seeing how those visuals really engaged with the film.
 
So there’s a lot of repetition, like the fish tank, the scenes with Owen at the campfire, and there are the shots where he is walking to and from Maddy’s basement. There are a lot of things we return to throughout, like the TV on fire and melting. It was a really fascinating creative process to decide where to put those shots.
 
They were in the script in certain locations, but when we got to the edit and started moving things around a little bit, where those shots needed to be changed. So there was a lot of just kind of rhythmically looking at the film in its entirety and deciding where do we want to repeat these, what do we want them to feel like, and what are we trying to say with them. That was not really an experience I had with other films, and it was really cool.
 
CineMontage: The soundtrack is also allusive and gorgeous, and seems to really shape the movement.
 
Sofi Marshall: Pretty much all of the tracks in the film Jane commissioned from artists that they admired, and they were made specifically to sound like ‘90s pieces. The composer Alex G was on more or less from the beginning. He just worked so quickly that once we had some scenes that were in decent shape, we could send them to him, and he would get us back a track that was amazing, and we could put that in the edit. 
 
Once we saw how different tonalities of music felt under the scene, it would definitely inform some of the decisions that we made. We realized, we have two music cues back to back here. We were thinking of these as two different sequences, but now that we’re seeing it with music, actually, they’re one and the music should connect them. There was definitely a lot of back and forth engagement. It was very helpful having Alex on from the beginning, and being able to iterate music very quickly.
 
CineMontage: The narrative ruptures are marked by the live musical numbers, like the King Woman performance of “Psychic Wound.” What was that process like?
 
Sofi Marshall: That performance is fantastic, and always gives me just such a gut punch when we get to that point in the film. We always knew that’s what the scene was going to be, and it was going to transition from the Sloppy Jane song into the King Woman performance. So a lot of the edit was making sure that everything that led up to that moment was preparing us for the intensity of the scene. 
 
We wanted to make sure that the intensity we see in Maddy as she explains to Owen where she has been leads into the transition into the King Woman song. You need to feel this huge moment, this huge potential release emotionally, and I think we got there. That’s a lynchpin moment of the film, and that and everything around it had to morph a bit to make sure the feeling was right when we got there.
 
CineMontage: What about constructing the final form of Maddy’s monologue, where the ideas and themes profoundly color everything the film has been trying to say.
 
Sofi Marshall: That was definitely the most challenging part of the edit. Starting with Owen watching the final episode of “The Pink Opaque,” through the end of the film, it is almost shaped like one giant montage.  It just has this very flowing, musically connected vibe. Just getting that rhythmically correct took a lot of iterations, with a lot of back and forth. 
 
Specifically with Maddy’s montage, we just had a ton of choices. We had a bunch of footage to cut to with Owen. We had her in the inflatable planetarium. We had to choose when to have Maddy on screen and what to show with Owen arriving there. Initially they were two separate events. We watched Owen arrive at school, enter the planetarium and Maddy’s montage starts. 
 
I think we just realized that it was feeling too slow there for that moment in the film, and there was no reason not to combine that stuff and just make it a montage. 
 
Patrick Z. McGavin is a Chicago-based cultural journalist and writer.
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WHAT OUR MEMBERS DO: Payton Halbeisen, Assistant Editor

by uncredited
written by uncredited 12 minutes read

 

Where are you currently employed?

 I’m currently unemployed, but I’m hopeful that the industry picks up soon so we can all get back to work.

Current projects?

The strikes have slowed work a lot, but the most recent projects include “The Resident,” “History of the World: Part II” (both on Hulu), and “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (on Max, the Streamer Formerly Known as HBO).

Describe your job.

I am an assistant editor who hopes to become a full editor one day. My job includes organizing footage, doing script sync where I mark every time an actor says a line, creating temp visual effects, and doing temp sound design. I also cut recaps (“Last week on ________,”) and I even get the privilege of cutting scenes whenever I get the chance.

How did you first become interested in this line of work?

I went to the University of Michigan to study film and stumbled into my interest in post-production through a student group, M-agination, that I joined my freshman year. I was able to see other students shoot, produce, and edit their films and was inspired to do the same for mine. I took a stronger interest in editing my student films. During the last few years of college, I also worked in the film equipment department where I assisted with filming and editing promotional videos for our department.

Who gave you your first break?

One of my closest college friends is a fellow union editor, Anna Terebelo, who recommended me to assist on my first non-union assistant editor job, called “Hollywood Darlings.” It was a great introduction to becoming an assistant editor. Not only did I learn about the workflow of scripted television, but I also had the freedom to cut comedy reels for the director and cut scenes for the editors.

What was your first union job?

It was for a TV Land show called “Teachers.” I assisted Maura Corey, an editor who taught me a lot about what it looks like to be a good assistant. She also gave me many lessons in doing temp sound design, temp visual effects, doing temp music edits, and teaching me proper room etiquette with producers. Those are skillsets that I continue to use in my everyday professional life. Anyone who gets to work with Maura is extremely lucky!

What credits or projects are you proudest of, and why?

There are many credits that I am proud of, including “Briarpatch,” “History of the World: Part II,” and “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” among others.

“Briarpatch,” produced by Esmail Corp, was the first show that really put me on the map as an assistant who could work on shows other than comedies. It was a great opportunity to get experience on a drama. Gina Hirsch was a fantastic editor and a mentor to me on that show, and beyond.

“History of the World: Part II” … Getting to be part of a Mel Brooks show was a dream come true!  Amazingly, even though this was the first time I had worked with anyone on this team, it felt like I had known everyone forever. The editors — Stephanie Filo, George Mandl, Daniel Flesher, Angel Gamboa Bryant, and Daniel Missirlian — and fellow assistant editor Kenneth Rich and I all had the utmost respect for each other’s work, which made for funnier, more genuine content.

I feel privileged to have been a part of “A Black Lady Sketch Show.” This was another sketch-comedy show where everyone shared the goal to make it as funny as possible. The production was extremely fast-paced, so we had to rely on each other to keep things organized. I’m grateful that Stephanie Filo invited me to work on the show with her. She and the editors truly valued what the assistants thought. I also built a great dynamic with fellow assistant editor Liz Pozzi (Berganza). Our strong connection and communication skills were imperative for navigating numerous obstacles that came with working from home.

For instance, because we were working on all episodes, we needed to stay consistent on how exports looked, how tracking sheets were organized, etc. We were very thankful that our co-producer had already custom-formatted a lot of the Google Drive docs for what our show needed. There were also a lot of moving parts — sketches were being moved around between episodes; the editors were constantly consulting with the director and producers – so decisions were made quickly. The AEs were responsible for staying current with information along with keeping up on exports of the latest sketches for producers. 

What was your biggest challenge in your job (or on a particular project) and how did you overcome/solve it?

The switch to working completely remote at the end of 2020 proved to be one of the biggest challenges in my career so far. I was on a show called “Black Lightning” that originally aired on The CW and later streamed on Netflix. My editor, Arman Tahmizyan, and I were used to working in an office together and being able to go back and forth between our offices to get things done. When the pandemic hit and we suddenly went back to work after a few months off, getting used to a totally new workflow with all the COVID restrictions made things difficult. There was a lot of trial and error of adjusting to a fully remote workflow that had a lot of technical difficulties. We eventually got the hang of it with a lot of communication!

What was the most fun you’ve had at work?

That was probably when I worked on “Briarpatch.” It was the last show I worked on in an office before the pandemic. Of course, there had been challenges to working in the office, and the commute to Culver City was not the best, but that post-team community had been a positive experience for me. I met some of my best friends (and my life partner) while working there. After COVID hit, I really came to miss that aspect having an office life.

Jobwise, what do you hope to be doing five years from now?

I hope I’ll be cutting a show that is culturally impactful and meaningful to people. Whatever it may be, I hope that I’ll be making a difference in people’s lives, including my own. 

What are your outside activities, hobbies, passions?

Outside of work, I spend a lot of time taking care of my two pets – my dog, Essie, and my rabbit, Teddy. In addition to loving animals, I cook and bake a lot at home! I also enjoy hanging out with friends, taking walks… and napping.

Favorite movie(s)? Why?

“Soul,” “Inside Out,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “The Holdovers,” and “Everything Everywhere All At Once.”

I have a variety of favorites, depending on my mood. I love these movies because they have relatable and grounded themes that speak to me.

Favorite TV program(s)?  Why?

“Ted Lasso,” Abbott Elementary,” “Lessons in Chemistry,” “Severance,” “Schitt’s Creek,” “Bob’s Burgers,” “The Office,” and “Parks and Recreation.”

I’m a huge fan of TV comedy shows, especially those that help me get through difficult times. “Severance” is in a different genre from the rest of the shows; it’s a workplace drama, done in such a unique way. I applaud its jumping editing style where we are constantly taken into the two different worlds – the “innie” world at work and the “outie” world outside of work. I also really like the music cue in the finale that they constantly use as transition between the different characters. The way this show makes an audience feel something familiar yet dystopian is something that is lifechanging for me and a reason that I would love to work on a show like that.

Do you have an industry mentor?

There are so many industry mentors in my life and I’m grateful to all of them. The first mentor of mine is Stephanie Filo, ACE, who really helped me both on “History of the World” and “A Black Lady Sketch Show.” The more I worked with her, the more I realized it’s possible to make a difference in post-production. She really encouraged me to cut as much as possible and saw the assistants as creative collaborators — which is rare among editors. I’m in constant awe of her success, winning four Emmys among many other awards. She does all of this while also staying extremely kind and humble to everyone she works with. Thank you, Steph, for setting such a high standard in this industry.

Another mentor of mine is George Mandl, ACE. He was the one who took a chance on a completely new hire when we started on “History of the World: Part II.” Even though we never worked together before that show, it felt like we had worked together forever. He asked me what my dreams and aspirations are for this industry (to edit, of course), and he has promised to help me achieve those dreams. Thanks, George for being a great teammate and always pushing me to do my best.

One final mentor I’d like to mention is Timothy Good, ACE. While I’ve haven’t assisted him so far in my career, I’ve really looked to him as a career mentor since I started as a post PA. He was an editor on my first scripted show, “Midnight Texas” for NBC, and has always given me great career and life advice. He is one of the most knowledgeable editors/producers/directors I’ve ever met. Not to mention, he is also one of the most authentic people I know. I’ve loved staying in touch with him over the years, attending his seminars, and learning how to succeed with grace. Truly, there are not enough kind words I can say about him.

What advice would you offer to someone interested in pursuing your line of work?

For the assistant editor job specifically, I would say to keep up your temp sound design and temp visual effects skillsets. The rest of the job is technical, but having those creative skillsets perfected will set you apart from others. Also, take initiative to be a problem solver for both the editor and the rest of the post team. Be present for your entire team.

For people pursuing a job in this industry in general, I would tell them to network and continue to build connections even in the most unlikely situations. Keeping in touch with people, especially in casual settings, is a great way to build authentic connections. This industry moves fast, and no one knows who will be where on the next job. Be humble and always remember the teams that provide support. Give credit to teammates when credit is due, and things will always come around full circle.

Was there ever a circumstance when you had to rely on the Guild for help or assistance?

Yes, I’ve had to rely on the Guild a lot, especially with the pandemic and then the strikes this past year. For instance, I recently had to rely on them for extending healthcare coverage and delaying dues payments.

Is there anything you’d like to say to your fellow Guild members, some words of encouragement?

These past few years have been hard on all of us, but the people in this industry give me hope that things will get better. No one can do this career alone, and we all need each other to lean on and to move forward. One of many reasons I am so proud to be a member of Local 700 is the network of people I’ve met over the years. There will always be ups and downs in this career, but the people we choose to build us up will make it all the better.

 

 

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Web Exclusives

‘The Jinx’ Redux: Picture Editor Shelby Siegel Recalls Finding the Audio That Sealed the Fate of Robert Durst

by Scott Collins
written by Scott Collins 11 minutes read

By Kristin Marguerite Doidge 

 

It’s been more than 20 years since picture editor Shelby Siegel, ACE, first became involved in telling the story of Robert Durst  and all of its wild – and often tragic – twists and turns. The first order of business back in 2004 was creating a pitch reel for “All Good Things,” which became a 2010 feature film starring Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst, based on the Durst story and for which Siegel served as editor.

“Back then, the filmmakers – Marc Smerling and Andrew Jarecki – mainly made documentaries,” Siegel said. “In order to pitch the fictional film, they went out and interviewed all the real people involved in the Durst story, and so when we put together this pitch reel, it was like a little mini-documentary. But of course, we didn’t have Bob Durst.”

Siegel said all of the interviewees had described the real estate heir from New York – his quirks, mannerisms, and his distinctive gravelly voice – but she and the team never thought he’d consider telling his own story.

But to everyone’s surprise, Durst soon reached out to Jarecki after the film’s release. Durst said he’d been pleased with his portrayal in the film, and the beginnings of what would become the 2015 Emmy Award-winning HBO series, “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst,” were born. The series details three murder cases over four decades that all involve Durst, with new evidence and information being uncovered in real-time. It also features several interviews Jarecki conducted with him in which viewers learn something that would turn out to be key to the story: Durst had an obsession with his own case.

As viewers prepare to dive into “The Jinx: Part Two,” the highly-anticipated sequel to the hit series airing on Max starting Friday, CineMontage caught up with Siegel to hear the improbable and never-before-told story of how she first discovered the now-infamous hot mic audio of Durst’s confession, its impact on both the television series and the real-life case, and the importance of being diligent and open in the editing process.

 

CineMontage: Tell us about your early days working on “The Jinx.”

 

Siegel: One of the first things I did when I joined the project in 2014 was watch the first interview with Bob Durst from 2010. 

It was fascinating to finally watch this guy who I had only known about through other people’s accounts. I was captivated hearing him tell his story in his own words with all the quirks I had heard so much about – talking to himself out loud during breaks in the interview, and witnessing his ‘tell:’ burping when feeling challenged or nervous.

Andrew [Jarecki, the director] had told me there was a new piece of evidence, but he didn’t tell me what it was, so when I got to the 2012 interview – his second with Durst – I was watching it very much how the audience ended up watching it. I didn’t know what was going to happen. I was on the edge of my seat as much as any audience member would be.

 

CineMontage: What was the piece of evidence he mentioned?

 

Siegel: It was a second envelope that had recently been discovered by Susan Berman’s stepson. The handwriting and spelling on the envelope – which had been addressed to Berman on Durst stationery – had an eerie resemblance to the envelope from a previously discovered letter addressed to the Beverly Hills Police Department in 2002 after Berman’s murder. That letter, which later became known as the “cadaver” note, also had Beverly misspelled (‘Beverley’), and Durst had said that the person who wrote that note must have been Berman’s killer in his earlier interview with Andrew. The handwriting on the second envelope was nearly identical.

In the 2012 interview, Andrew is essentially confronting Bob with this new evidence that points to his involvement in the Berman murder – which investigators believe was part of a cover-up of another case – the disappearance of Durst’s first wife, Kathleen Durst, in 1982. And it was in the moments after that confrontation, when the cameras had stopped rolling but Bob’s mic was still attached, that we ended up hearing him talking to himself and making a shocking revelation.

Shelby Siegel, picture editor. PHOTO: Courtesy Shelby Siegel.

 

CineMontage: Walk us through what it was like to discover the missing audio from that moment?

 

Siegel: I am in the edit room watching the footage. I have my headphones on. We were using Final Cut Pro. The sequence had both cameras stacked on top of each other and all the audio on separate tracks.

I see Andrew hand Bob the now-infamous envelope. I see Bob burping and his strange reactions. It’s intense. Then the interview is over, and I hear them looking for Bob’s bag and asking if Bob wants a sandwich. I see Andrew hand him the envelope.

And as I’m watching it, the camera that I’m watching cuts off, but the audio continues. Right at the moment it seemingly cuts off, I hear whispering. And editing 101 is if you hear whispering, you turn up the volume.

Now I am leaning in even further. I’m just listening, and I don’t see anything on the screen. Bob says, ‘where’s the bathroom?’ And then I hear him open the bathroom door, and I hear him say, ‘There it is: you’re caught.’ And I just screamed.

I know what this means. I have known so much about this guy. I’ve spent the last 10 to 15 years thinking about him. I know he has this compulsion to talk out loud and talk to himself. And when he says, ‘There it is,’ I know what the ‘it’ is – if you go back and look at the footage, Andrew shows him the envelope and the cadaver letter, and he asks him, ‘What does this say to you?’ And Bob said, ‘Well, the writing is similar and the spelling is similar [‘Beverl-ey’ instead of Beverly Hills], so I can see the conclusion that the cops could draw.’ And then he burps right away. He’s pretending like this is not new evidence, but this is new. We know from working on the project that Bob knows everything about his case. Andrew has found this letter that clearly shows that [Durst] wrote the cadaver note [which also said ‘Beverl-ey’]. This is what will get him caught. Hence, he’s saying to himself, ‘you’re caught.’

So I scream. And everyone in the room asks, ‘What? What did you hear? Did you find something?’

I assumed this had been heard before, but I took it to Zac Stuart-Pontier, our main editor, to check. He was in his room and he was on the phone, so I’m just pacing like a wild animal outside. I’m just thinking, “Oh my God, I know this is something.” I know it with every fiber of my being. So he finally comes out, and shockingly, he had never heard it. In fact, no one had heard it before.

At that point, the interview was two years old, but if you’re just looking through the footage and you see the camera cut off, you think, “Nothing else here.” I was on cloud nine – I felt like I found the smoking gun – I mean, who doesn’t want to be a detective?

 

CineMontage: What happened next?

 

Siegel: I went home that night and I’m thinking about it, and I realize that the audio suddenly stops. The next clip is Durst coming out of the bathroom, so I’m thinking, “Where’s the audio that’s in between?” This doesn’t make sense. There’s something that’s missing.

When I went back the next day, I’m looking through the project, and couldn’t find anything. Then, I hear Zac in the other room saying, “Shelby, have you heard the second part?” Zac, having the same thought as me, went searching and found that missing part, and it turns out it was never loaded into the machine.

The entire staff gathered in the tiny editing room and we’re getting ready to listen to this audio. We’re all holding hands. It was such an intense moment.

We can see it on the timeline. We can see all the waveforms. It’s a very long piece of audio. Bob is going to the bathroom several times, and what’s really happening is he’s arguing with himself because he didn’t tell his lawyer that he was going to do the second interview in 2012, so he is preparing his argument for the lawyer, saying to himself,  “Andrew didn’t find anything. It was nothing.” As he’s talking himself through it, we’re watching the waveforms, and then he says the famous line: “What did you do? Kill them all, of course.” We all screamed.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime find that went on to become one of the most talked about moments in television. It’s been cemented into the zeitgeist of popular culture and is still being referenced today. And, it even made it into the criminal case against Durst. A definite highlight of my career.

 

CineMontage: What other advice do you have for other editors of documentary series after finding such a critical piece of the story?

 

Siegel: Not every project will have a smoking gun, but you won’t find it if you’re not allowed to look. Nowadays, budgets are slashed and schedules are crunched, so it is hard to be able to really screen everything. But that’s really short-sighted thinking.

What you can learn from watching long, raw interviews with your subject is invaluable and will only pay off in spades going forward, because an editor who is more engaged with the material is going to make a better film, documentary, or TV show. And that is why we do this job. So, I think it’s important that when you can, look at everything and really engage yourself in the material. You never know what you are going to find.

Editor’s note: Robert Durst was convicted of the murder of Susan Berman in 2021 and sentenced to life in prison. He died in 2021 awaiting trial for another murder. 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

 

 

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Franzis Müller Tells How She Tracked Down the Best Cuts in ‘Death and Other Details’

by uncredited
written by uncredited 11 minutes read

By Patrick Z. McGavin

 

“I’m a huge fan of murder mysteries,” says the picture editor Franzis Müller.

That helps explain her newest project, the Hulu series “Death and Other Details,” a marriage of Agatha Christie and “Succession.” The story is about a dynastic family business becoming unraveled after a murder aboard a luxury ship.

The show stars Violett Beane as a young woman confronting her traumatic past and Mandy Patinkin as a celebrated detective tasked with solving the mystery. 

Müller – who was born in Venezuela and studied filmmaking at AFI – cut the third, sixth and ninth episodes of the 10-part series.

 

CineMontage: What drew you to this material?

Franzis Müller: Being a fan of murder mysteries and just putting puzzles together really caught my eye. So that was the first thing that piqued my interest. By the time my agent approached me, the pilot was shot, and I watched that. I thought it was really interesting. I’m a huge fan of Mandy Patinkin. That was a plus. In talking with the showrunners during the interview, they didn’t really go into too much detail because they didn’t want to spoil anything. I really loved the plan they had for the story. 

CineMontage: One of the themes of the show is illusion. How much did that influence your creative choices?

Franzis Müller: I’m not sure if we’re playing so much with illusion, but illusion is a big part of the script. The line Mandy says in the pilot, or variations of it multiple times, is that the truth is in the details. That follows so much of what we do as editors. 

It’s about the details in the performances, and the details of the cuts that we do, to try and tell the story and guide the audience the best way possible, and make sure we’re not confusing anybody. We want to make sure they’re entertained, and we’re taking them on a ride from start to finish. 

CineMontage: By the time you cut your first episode, the template was already established. Does that constrain your work, or free you up?

Franzis Müller: I don’t feel like it was creating any restraints on my work. It was more about, this is what has been built so far. We had the basic pillars to work from, but the showrunners and creators always encouraged us to put our own spin on it, and just make it the best way possible. We owed the inspiration in the sense this was the tone that was set up. I don’t want to speak for the other editors, but this was a big point for me.

There was a tone and a very recognizable score that was set up, and that does a big part of the heavy lifting. The question was more about how much more I could push the performances, and the creative art that was built for us so I could carry the story. We have a lot of characters on the show, and they’re all interconnected. It’s a lot of playing around with different personalities that are established in the pilot, and we have to carry it for the rest of the show.

Franzis Muller, picture editor. PHOTO: Courtesy Franzis Muller.

CineMontage: What’s the trickiest part of playing with time and linear order with the use of the flashbacks?

Franzis Müller: At least for the episodes I worked on, the flashbacks were built into the script. They were maybe not built into the specific scene, so it was about finding the right moment to go into the flashback to tell the story, and drag the clues throughout.

In the third episode, the first one I cut, there is a very long flashback with a lot of information that lands toward the middle of the scene. We had to make sure we went into the flashback at the right moment, so people aren’t confused and asking why are we jumping back to tell a different side of the story. The key concentration was am I going into this flashback in the right moment at the right time? Does it feel correct for the character to take a step back, and think about this moment here and then.

CineMontage: The murder on the ship is framed by the earlier unsolved murder of 18 years earlier. It’s about how the past is superimposed over the present.

Franzis Müller: Definitely. I also think a lot of the interaction Rufus (Patinkin) and Imogene (Beane) have is trying to solve the current murder, and also the earlier murder of her mother. There’s a group that feels she has to be open to all the information around her, and not try to connect everything to her mother’s death. We had to find the correct ways to introduce the flashbacks to her mother’s death so the audience is reminded how important this is for Imogen, but there is also a bigger picture, the murder at the beginning, and what we see through the rest of the series, jumping back and forth between the two, and trying to present the two stories.

CineMontage: There is a lot of permissiveness with sex, nudity, violence and language. That must have been fun and liberating to work without restriction.

Franzis Müller: Absolutely. Not having a lot of restrictions is always great, not just for the editors, but I think for every filmmaker, I think as long as it serves the purpose of the story. It’s an important thing to keep in mind. I don’t think any of those moments are done for shock value. They served a purpose in the story. That was fun, but it was also important to make sure it didn’t feel like a gimmick. We’re telling a story about regular people, and how people behave.

CineMontage: Is the editing meant to deliberately obfuscate the lines between truth and lies?

Franzis Müller: I think it’s a fine balance between the two. I don’t think we are ever trying to trick the audience into thinking one thing. I think they’ll feel betrayed by the end of the show, that we’ve led them in one direction, and that’s not where they were supposed to go. I think we go hand in hand with the audience. We want to make it an enjoyable experience, but we also can’t make it easy. That’s part of the fun of murder mysteries. You have to show all the suspects so people can jump to their own conclusions by the end of the show. Hopefully by the time they get to the two-part conclusion, they have an idea who the guilty party is, and they’ve had a great time putting the quiz together, putting the details together. 

Hopefully we’ve done it in a way that we haven’t confused them or bored them at any point throughout the show. It’s more we’re presenting the case to you as the detectives.

CineMontage: Even if the episodes are interlinked, did you feel there were moments for asides, digressions or just letting the show breathe?

Franzis Müller: I think one of the one of the things I really loved about a script is even though all the stories and characters are interconnected, we had the moments or just little pockets of information where we get to learn a little bit more about each of the characters as we move through the series. People can make their own conclusions as we get to the end of the show. 

You have examples like episode five where it’s a bit of a standalone piece that takes place on land, or episode seven, which jumps around and goes to the past, so you have those moments where the audience can breathe and connect with a character. 

CineMontage: You worked with a different director on each episode. Was was that creative dynamic like?

Franzis Müller: I always make a point to communicate with the director before they start shooting, introduce myself and just let them know that I’m available throughout the shooting if they want to look at a scene. I could send assemblies to them, so they know where things are going and I am able to communicate with them as they’re shooting to just let them know. I could tell them the footage is cutting great, or we’re having issues here or there, and just spend time with them. 

Everybody was working from home, but we were communicating forever through the different cuts. Each director has their own way of working. Some like to send notes. Some like to spend more time going through the footage. They each had their own style, and their own ideas. It was just a matter of molding myself to how they work.

CineMontage: Is there something about the process or technique of editing that merges with your personality or artistic sensibility?

Franzis Müller: I’m someone that likes to solve puzzles, or build Legos, that kind of king. The way I view editing is just having a lot of pieces together, with not necessarily a clear vision of what you want from start to finish, but you’re molding and building it for a while, and then you get to the final picture. In the end, it’s a wonderful, beautiful, and magical experience. I know I have all of these pieces that I can put together in various different ways. There isn’t just one way to do it. You have infinite ways of approaching the scene. That part is great. I enjoy the solitary aspect of editing. 

CineMontage: Do you have your own style, or is it malleable to the demands of a specific show?

Franzis Müller: I think I’ve been able to adjust that as I go. As I go through and watch things, I can’t think it’s one specific style. I see little details here and there that are a very specific style of polishing that I like. I think it’s about molding myself to projects rather than having a very specific style that’s worked for me.

CineMontage: How would you describe your process?

Franzis Müller: When I finish cutting all the dailies, the first thing I do is watch a whole episode or more whatever I’m working on without any sound. By the time I get to the end of whatever I’m watching that I’ve cut, I feel comfortable with it.

I know that I have a good base, and from there I’m going to add the sound, add the music, and that is just going to elevate the picture that much more. For me that is my favorite part, when I finish cutting dailies, and really take a step back, as if I were an audience member, and just focus on the picture. If I see there’s potential for it to grow, that’s my favorite part of the creative process.

 

Patrick Z. McGavin is a Chicago-based cultural journalist. He maintains the Substack newsletter, “Shadows and Dreams” (www.patrickzmcgavin.substack.com)

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Web Exclusives

Legendary Editor Carol Littleton’s Contributions to Film and Labor Celebrated at Hollywood Event

by uncredited
written by uncredited 4 minutes read

By Guild Staff

 

Colleagues and fans paid tribute Sunday to legendary film editor Carol Littleton, ACE, who earlier this year became the third picture editor in history to receive an honorary Oscar. 

“Carol’s contribution and impact to our industry is immeasurable,” Editors Guild board member Steve Rivkin, ACE, told attendees at an afternoon celebration in Littleton’s honor at the Pickford Center in Hollywood.  

Littleton’s film credits include “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial,” “Body Heat” and “Places in the Heart,” and she also left a lasting imprint on Hollywood labor during her two terms as president of the Editors Guild. 

Rivkin said that he and his fellow governors in the editing wing of the Motion Picture Academy, Terilyn Shropshire and Nancy Richardson, felt that Littleton’s January Oscar should be feted by her colleagues, many of whom did not attend the Oscar ceremony. They “felt that this represented something significant that we needed to have a very special celebration for, to allow the editing community to share in the experience that so many of us were not able to attend — to relive the moment, so to speak,” Rivkin added. 

ACE and the Editors Guild cosponsored the Sunday event.

The stage at the ACE/MPEG event saluting Carol Littleton for her honorary Oscar, April 7, 2024 in Hollywood. PHOTO: Deverill Weekes.

As Guild president, Littleton was instrumental in opening up the roster to make it easier for up-and-coming editors to get into the union. 

“The union was a closed shop,” Littleton told the crowd. “There were no editors in the union who did not get there by nepotism.”

Alan Heim, ACE, the Guild’s current president, saluted this dramatic shift. Littleton “was instrumental in changing the culture of the union,” Heim said. “The opening up of the roster was a monumental change that contributed greatly in increasing the union workforce and it’s responsible for the strength of the union today.”

Mia Goldman, left, Carol Littleton and Dody Dorn at the MPEG/ACE celebration of Littleton’s honorary Oscar in Hollywood, April 7, 2024. PHOTO: Deverill Weekes.

At the January ceremony where Littleton received her Oscar, actress Glenn Close presented the award and said: “I am so incredibly honored to be here tonight to celebrate the great Carol Littleton. I think it’s safe to say that all of us are here because we have an abiding passion to create stories that will resonate in the human heart and soul, and will help us understand who we are, where we came from, where we’re going, and why we are feeling what we feel. And I think all of us would agree that films are ultimately created in the editing room.”

For her part, Littleton recounted her experiences moving to Hollywood from her native Oklahoma, where she never dreamed of working in film: “My aspiration was to be a cowboy,” she told the audience.

She also recounted her relationship with her late husband and sometime professional partner, the cinematographer John Bailey. “When we met, he made it very clear that he was not going to live in Oklahoma,” Littleton said.  “‘So, you better come to California if you’re going to be with me.'”

Carol Littleton, center, with attendees at the April 7, 2024 event honoring her special Oscar: Michael Tronick, left, Dody Dorn, Steve Rivkin, Mark Goldblatt, Littleton, Lynzee Klingman, Terilyn Shropshire, Nancy Richardson. PHOTO: Deverill Weekes.

She also paid tribute to the power of community in post-production, and bemoaned the trend toward remote work.

“It’s not good to work in isolation,” Littleton said. “So, I worry about what’s going to happen to our community and working remotely.”

Two other editors have received honorary Oscars: Margaret Booth in 1977 and Anne Coates in 2016. 

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Web Exclusives

Spencer Averick Talks Editing the Epic Stories in Ava DuVernay’s ‘Origin’

by uncredited
written by uncredited 10 minutes read

By Patrick Z. McGavin

 

Spencer Averick, ACE, has always crossed genre boundaries.

Working closely with director Ava DuVernay, Averick  earned an Oscar-nomination for “13th” (2016), a documentary about the American prison system.

Their latest project, “Origin,” written and directed by DuVernay, synthesizes different storytelling techniques in exploring the ideas behind the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Isabel Wilkerson’s 2020 nonfiction book, “Caste,” a historical look at caste systems in the United States, India and Nazi Germany. The film adaptation was called by the New York Times  “as audacious as it is ambitious.” 

An edited version of a conversation with Averick follows: 

 

CineMontage: How did you and Ava Duvernay originally meet?

 

Spencer Averick: She was looking for an editor for her first project, a documentary called, “This Is the Life” (2008). She was putting out feelers in the typical Hollywood networking fashion. At the time, I had never done a feature-length project, or anything close to it. 

We just came together, and had coffee. We were both at the same point of our career, trying to get going. Neither of us went to film school. We just loved film; we were a little bit self-taught, and we connected immediately as friends.

We made that documentary, and it was just the beginning of our careers. We hit it off, and we realized quickly we have similar sensibilities. We like similar films. We have a similar sense of humor. Everything was clicking. The creative relationship went from there. We both evolved. We both were just thrown into the fire, learning how to make films together, using our instincts. I still see her vision. Her strength, her taste, her vision and her originality was all there. Ava always had the vision to tell the stories she wanted to tell.

 

CineMontage: What’s fascinating about “Origin” is how it collapses the usual distinctions between fiction and nonfiction cinema.

 

Spencer Averick: One of the great things about working with Ava for the last 15 years is that we’ve alternated making a narrative film, and then a documentary. It’s literally gone back and forth the whole time. It’s great because we get to flex these other muscles. It keeps everything fresh, and never feels stagnant.

When this project came up and I read the script, it didn’t really hit me until we were in the middle of post-production that it felt like a documentary at some points. It’s almost a cinéma vérité documentary. We’re following this character to Germany and India. At first I was a little bit resistant. I quickly embraced the fact that we had all of this experience in the documentary world that we could put to use, and create this hybrid form.

Spencer Averick

Five years ago we could never have done this without our documentary experience. People who have watched it have called it a singular experience, or that they’ve never seen anything like it.

 

CineMontage: The film uses argument and dialectical exchange in place of traditional drama. You also have recurrent examples of breaking the fourth wall.

 

Spencer Averick:  It was very liberating, exciting and fresh. With this film, the whole thing is a discussion. It’s a hard concept to grasp, especially for people that haven’t really thought about it before. Most of this movie is internal. Isabel Wilkerson (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) is figuring things out as she goes, as is the audience. 

The character of her cousin, Marion (Niecy Nash), she was like the regular person you could explain things to without it being confusing. I hadn’t really thought about it that way. 

It was always a delicate balance when we were cutting of deciding when to go into her research and when to stay with Isabel. At the end of the day, our North Star was to have everything we saw, historical moments or anything she was researching, the catalyst was her thinking, her research.

Isabel had to be the igniter anytime we dove into historical moments, whether it was a book she was reading, someone she talked to, going to a museum, or something that triggered her research deeper. That was a great process. I’d never done anything like that.

It’s a different kind of movie. It’s not a typical plot-driven movie, structurally. It’s about theme and tone. In this woman’s life, as she was trying to come up with her thesis for the book, she had a lot of tragedy in her life. That’s the story, and we had to live with it when we needed to live with that. We needed to feel what she was feeling. She was trying to push her career forward. She was at a crossroads. She wanted to take care of her mother, but she also needed to get her voice out there. Her family knew that. This character is sitting in this world without too much story.

 

CineMontage: How did you organize the flashbacks to Nazi Germany or the Jim Crow South in Depression-era Mississippi? Was it scripted like that?

 

Spencer Averick: It was in the script, but we did change them around a little. For the most part structurally the film stayed in script order, except for our entry points into these historical moments. I think at the beginning, it felt a little bit random how we got into them, and we felt like we needed to tell the story.

We worked a lot through the process of shifting around these entry points, just making them pointed and really having them come off as something important in Isabel’s research. It felt focused, and she had to be the one to take us there. We worked a lot together on trying to find those exact points to dip into and dip out. We did change those around quite a bit.

 

CineMontage: The swimming pool scene near the end is incredibly powerful. It almost doesn’t fit the larger narrative, but was that an example of the material so good you had to find a way to work it into the movie?

 

Spencer Averick: It doesn’t really have much to do with Isabel’s story or the larger narrative, but it was another example of caste, and it was so effective. We wanted to show the audience the repercussions or results of caste in a way that Americans hadn’t thought of before.

It was also very deliberate for Isabel at the very end of the sequence, she comes into the frame and she sits with the boy. She wants to be the story, and she wants to immerse herself rather than just writing a story. At that moment, she quite literally puts herself into the story. It’s a beautiful moment. We went back and forth a little bit about whether it was going to go in because it does break the law. 

 

CineMontage: The last part uses extensive voiceover from the book. How did you decide to rhyme the soundtrack with the images?

 

Spencer Averick: The whole third act was something that took a while for us to crack. We needed the end of the movie to really drive home what caste means, and to drive home how she cracked the thesis, and figure out a way to tell the story. At the beginning it was a little more linear.

We showed examples of Nazi Germany, the Middle Passages before slavery, and the caste system in India. It was not really working, and then we just decided to just mix it up, and make one big jump to the other, and then do a big intercut, with the voiceover driving the whole thing. 

We quickly realized that juxtaposing these images was clearly a way to show what caste was, and how it doesn’t matter what era you are in. If you’re in the 1930s or India now, or India 100 years ago, there’s a similar mentality in how the ruling hierarchy treats the lower hierarchy.

 

CineMontage: You have this great performance at the center with Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. What was your approach to cutting her?

 

Spencer Averick: You are only as good as your actors. Aunjanue is such a great actress. In her performance, she didn’t really need to say a lot. You could see it in her eyes, or it was boiling up within her. 

It comes down to really small nuances in a character, a look or a grin, especially with Aunjanue. Everything is so constrained and internal, it really did come down to very subtle nuances. It’s more fun and satisfying to craft a performance with a great actor, manipulating those nuances, than it is to cut together an action sequence or something. 

We were not trying to hit it on the nose too hard. We didn’t need to, because you could see it in her face, and the way she reacts to things. It was really just digging into her performance. She gave us a lot to work with. It was a great pleasure of mine to edit it together.

It’s also great to work with Ava because she’s so dialed into the nuances of character performances. She does a lot of things really well, but that is her strong point. Over the years, I feel like I’m tuned with the character performances throughout the entirety of the film. Working with her, it took my understanding of character development into a wholly different level. That was the main drive, especially at the beginning when we were shaping this thing.

 

CineMontage: What about your own artistic journey; how you became an editor?

 

Spencer Averick: I grew up in the Bay Area, and I’m one of those movie kids from the ’80s and ’90s. I always loved movies. I had a little VHS camcorder when I was 10, and I never put it down. I’d make movies in the house, and annoy my parents. I didn’t really know what editing was, but there was something inside of me. I just knew I wanted to put images together. This was before computer editing was a household option. I went to college in San Francisco, and then I came down to Los Angeles, and quickly got into Final Cut Pro.

I did these little sketches that my friends were making, and it just felt very natural to me. All the feelings I had when watching movies in the 80s, like “E.T” (1982), “Stand By Me” (1986), and later Kubrick movies, I will always take with me the way they affected me. I feel the same when I’m editing films now. I’ve learned how to use my intuition and my personality to tell stories.

 

Patrick Z. McGavin is a Chicago-based critic and cultural journalist. He maintains the Substack, “Shadows and Dreams” (www.patrickzmcgavin.substack.com).

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Web ExclusivesWhat Our Members Do

WHAT OUR MEMBERS DO: Elizabeth Berganza Pozzi, Assistant Editor

by uncredited
written by uncredited 11 minutes read

Where are you currently employed?

I’m freelancing on a documentary film project.

 

Current projects?

I’m assistant editing on an unannounced documentary that will hopefully make the festival circuit. Prior to this, I was an assistant editor on the first season of an unannounced Netflix show, on a Sundance feature called “Birth/ Rebirth,” and on “A Black Lady Sketch Show” on Max/HBO.

 

 Describe your job.

My job as an assistant editor is to organize and prep the project for my team of editors. I work with the post house and production to confirm that all of the footage received has no issues on the post end. Then I prep it so my editors can begin watching footage for the scene that was shot the previous day and they can begin to build out their cut. The most important part of my job is making sure my editors are supported in every way possible so they can do their best work. Other aspects of my job include assisting with sound design, doing temp visual effects, creating continuities that include noting music cues and timing scenes and acts, and doing final turnovers of the full cut to our finishing house when picture is locked. Although the job has many technical aspects, it’s also creative and requires great communication, not just with my editors but with the entire post team, from other assistants to post producers.

 

 How did you first become interested in this line of work?

When I was in middle school, my cousin took a film course and asked me to be in her short film. I was fascinated by the process, from storyboarding to editing. I began to research what editors do and started making little videos with friends and piecing them together.

 

 Who gave you your first break?

I got my first entertainment job through a friend and former classmate, Tori Weller, who’s now a great editor. She helped me get my first job in unscripted television as a logger; I watched raw footage and gave a brief description of what was happening in a shot so that whoever received the footage could get a quick overview of what they were about to watch and could find a specific moment more easily. From there, I was able to work my way up to assistant editor. I got my first big break into scripted television from Bradinn French, ACE, who so graciously messaged me on Facebook (thank God I looked at Messenger) to ask if I was available for an opening on “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” which was a hugely positive experience, in part because the people were so wonderful.

 

 What was your first union job?

“A Black Lady Sketch Show.” I was a huge fan from season one and even met up with editor Stephanie Filo, ACE, to talk about the show and to network. Sometime after that, I got a message from Bradinn (whom I had worked with on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion”) asking if I was available to fill an assistant editor spot on the show. It was an amazing feeling as I had really challenged myself to break from nonunion and into union.

 

 What credits or projects are you proudest of, and why?

I’m extremely proud of working on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion,” “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” and “Birth/Rebirth.” “The Fresh Prince” reunion was my first big show as a lead assistant and it was cut on Adobe Premiere. I had primarily worked on Avid most of my career, so it was a challenge to navigate an edit team on a high-profile reunion, especially one that was so nostalgic.

 

“A Black Lady Sketch Show” will always hold a special place in my heart because it signified the change in my career path. I was moving from reality/docs to scripted content, and I was proving to myself that I could navigate the workflow. I learned to be more creative and confident with my skillsets.

 

“Birth/Rebirth” was my first indie feature. It was just my editor and me, and I had to navigate setting up a remote workflow along with turning around a longer format since I’d mostly delivered 30 to 45 minute shows, which are set up differently from a movie that runs longer than an hour. I’m really proud of working on that movie, which ultimately got into Sundance.

 

 What was your biggest challenge in your job (or on a particular project) and how did you overcome/solve it?

I worked on a show that was using Premiere Pro until they decided mid-run to switch to Premiere Pro Productions — a whole new workflow that I had not yet tested or been acquainted with. The challenge was to take the entire project offline and migrate it all into a new Premiere Pro Productions project — overnight — so that the edit team would have a project and media to continue working on the next day. The turnaround was tight on this particular project, so my second assistant and I discussed the best practice to complete the task — and late into the night, we were off on a race against the clock. When it was done, it did have its kinks, but the project was a success. I’m extremely proud that I was able to complete that challenge.

 

 What was the most fun you’ve had at work?

Being in the office when I worked on “The Real World: Mexico City.” It was the greatest time because although that project was very fast-paced, it was also filled with some of the greatest post people I’ve ever met. It was the first time in my life that I was surrounded by a team that shared a similar cultural background to my own, and it felt like being at work with family.

 

Jobwise, what do you hope to be doing five years from now?

I hope I’ll have the confidence to be editing. I think my biggest setback is not feeling like I’m ready to level up because I’m always learning or don’t feel up to par with my peers. But the best thing would be to take a chance.

 

What are your outside activities, hobbies, passions?

I love spending time with my husband Jacob watching movies, walking our dog Athena, and playing Scrabble. Besides time with my partner, I love to frequent Disneyland with friends. It’s a great escape from my environment (when the crowds aren’t terrible), and it’s nice to feel like a kid.

 

Favorite movie(s)? Why?

I don’t like favorites of anything. It depends on what I’m in the mood to watch, and I’m constantly changing my mind. Some movies that I could never tire of include:

 

“The Wedding Singer”— it’s nostalgic and always reminds me of my dad. I could quote a lot of that movie.

 

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” — I cried in the theater when I watched it. I felt such a connection to the story of the mom and daughter, and it was all so well done.

 

“Ever After” — this is my favorite version of Cinderella, and I love Drew Barrymore in the role.

 

Favorite TV program(s)? Why?

My current TV obsessions are “Severance” and “The Night Agent”:

 

“Severance” – I love the way each episode of this show always ended with a cliffhanger. The story is so well thought out that I can’t wait for season two! Please call if you need an assistant editor!

 

“The Night Agent” — I love a mystery and romance. The cheese in this show was just enough for me, and I was hooked.

 

 Do you have an industry mentor?

Everyone I have ever met who has helped get me to this point is a mentor, and I am beyond grateful. I’d like to give a special mention to Taylor Mason, ACE, who has really helped me blossom into the assistant editor I am today and allowed me to feel confident with editing. Thanks, Jack-to-my-Rose partner.

 

 What advice would you offer to someone interested in pursuing your line of work?

 

Don’t get comfortable in one spot. I was feeling comfortable in one area of entertainment that I knew,  and I was scared to try other things. It’s important to open yourself up to other opportunities, whether it’s working on different shows, learning new crafts, or changing the work environment all together. The greatest thing for my career was to shift from reality to documentaries to scripted. I gained more knowledge on workflows, networked with more people, and learned from other assistants.

 

I also think it’s important to strengthen your skillset by learning other software, like Photoshop and After Effects. These two apps have been the most beneficial in my line of work. They especially help me to stand out among other candidates for a job. Visual effects are a big part of the job in entertainment, and knowing how to use templates or create temp visual effects from scratch allows you to be helpful in the edit, not only to the post team but to your editor.

 

Was there ever a circumstance when you had to rely on the Guild for help or assistance?

I’ve been very fortunate not to have needed extra assistance from the Guild, but it’s reassuring to know they are available for support.

 

Is there anything you’d like to say to your fellow Guild members, some words of encouragement?

 

This past year has been extremely difficult for many of us — I know the impact it’s had at my home — but I hold out hope that we can all resume work soon. Here’s to hoping that in 2024, we all get back on our feet and hit the ground running, doing what we love. I’m extremely proud to be part of a Guild full of such talented individuals. Every time I meet a member who tells me what they do on their project, I am fascinated. As someone who is still new to the Guild, I find it inspiring to see how so many members have come so far and regularly get to work on talent-rich projects.

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In MemoriamWeb Exclusives

IN MEMORIAM: Sue Blainey, Australian-Born Picture Editor on ‘Lost’ and ‘Six Feet Under,’ Dies at 60

by uncredited
written by uncredited 9 minutes read

By Kristin Marguerite Doidge

 

When Sue Blainey, ACE, was a little girl, she and her big sister, Libby, would often be glued to the TV after school, watching “Gilligan’s Island” and “Bewitched” until they heard a car come down the drive of their family home in Sydney, Australia. They’d jump up, switch off the TV, and scurry into the kitchen table, pretending to be doing homework.

The younger Blainey was drawn to those stories, and could be found weeping after watching a particularly touching black-and-white movie, such as “Lassie Comes Home.” It was perhaps those earliest memories of being swept up into the magic of cinema that helped her build a successful career in film and television picture editing that spanned several decades and two continents, including work on such hits as “Lost” and “Six Feet Under.” 

With Libby by her side, Sue Blainey passed away in February at the age of 60 after two years with metastatic breast cancer, leaving behind sister Robyn, brother David, three nieces, three rescue dogs, and numerous colleagues and friends in the editing world and beyond.

 

‘Bringing laughter’

 

After briefly attending North Sydney Technical College’s film and television program, Blainey got her start in editing when a neighbor introduced her to Alan Lake. He saw a bright young spark and gave her a full-time job at Film Production Services. Her first project was assisting Lake in editing the 1983 film, “BMX Bandits,” which was directed by Brian Trenchard Smith and starred a very young Nicole Kidman. Blainey’s talent – much like Kidman’s – was already apparent.

Louise Innes, who’d been a fellow assistant editor with Blainey in Australia in the 1980s, reconnected with her around 10 years ago on a show. “It’s so easy if you know someone from your early days,” Innes remembered. “She was always bringing laughter into the room, and also was obviously very skilled in her work.”

Blainey worked at Spectrum in Willoughby, where she met a number of great editors, directors, and sound designers, and gained additional experience. “There was great camaraderie amongst the workers, and much was learnt slipping in and out of others’ editing suites,” Libby Blainey explained. “And fantastic parties were held in the backyard there.”

Never one to “live to work,” the younger Blainey could be found after hours at a local pub enjoying time with her friends, listening to punk bands playing live music and drinking cheap beer. But she was also serious about her editing career, and in early 1989, she made the decision to leave Australia for New York City.

Sue Blainey early in her picture-editing career, in an undated photo. PHOTO: Courtesy Blainey family.

She found a new editing home at Sound One Studios at the iconic Brill Building in Manhattan, where Blainey remembered being “thrilled and surprised” to catch the elevator with acclaimed filmmakers and actors working there, such as Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Julie Andrews, and Dustin Hoffman. “You never knew who you would run into!” she recalled in 2008. Friend and sound editor Dan Edelstein remembered that Sound One “was a second home (and family) for all of us.” 

Blainey’s first union job came in 1990 when she served as apprentice editor for Kristina Boden, ACE, on “The Comfort of Strangers.” The pair became best friends for more than 30 years after an introduction from the late Bill Nisselson, the longtime manager of Sound One.

Elizabeth Nevin said that Blainey was living downtown at the time on Elizabeth St. “We quickly became good friends,” Nevin said. “We’d spend a lot of time at Milano’s bar on Houston St. Sue had a large group of Australian friends, and she was generous with her time and so much fun.”

Some of Blainey’s favorite projects from that time included cutting “Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” in 1994 in her native Australia, as well as her later work on the acclaimed series “Oz,” and “Six Feet Under.” Blainey earned both Emmy and Eddie award nominations in 2006 for her work on “Lost.” 

But on April 19, 2007, a moment came that she’d long been waiting for, said a friend, the agent Craig Mizrahi. ‘I AM OFFICIALLY AN ACE!!!’ she’d said to him in an email. “Sue was so proud to be part of this [ACE] organization,” he added. “She was a supremely talented film editor, whose work ethic was unmatched.”

 

The big move

 

After several years traveling back and forth between New York and Los Angeles, Blainey decided to put down roots in Los Angeles in 2005. Her steady income from work on hits like “House” helped fuel her interest in building a space of her own where she could host friends and family from both coasts. In fact, Mizrahi said she’d put him up rent-free for seven months while she was away working in the U.K. “That’s who Sue was, always thinking about everyone else first,” he said. “She was one of the kindest and most generous souls I’ve ever known.”

That generosity didn’t stop when she received news of her cancer diagnosis in 2016. Mizrahi said she “instantly” started to give back to others fighting cancer, and faced her illness with the same courage and hope that she’d built her successful career on.

An avid gardener and proud rescue dog Mum, Blainey first purchased a home on Ridgeley in mid-city, and later bought a beautiful craftsman house in Jefferson Park.

“I’ve had so many adventures with her,” Boden said. “Sue was so smart, and she embraced the beauty of life even in the face of her diagnosis, and I just adored her for that.”

In between work and treatment, Blainey enjoyed road trips, hiking, cooking (especially Aussie sausage rolls) and baking (often for neighbors and the crew), and drinking champagne with friends – something friend and colleague Tanya Swerling said she’d affectionately called “shampoo” or even just “poo” for short. Whenever possible, she brought her beloved dogs with her to the cutting room.

Just as in Sydney and New York, in Los Angeles, Blainey’s many friends adored her. Her colleagues from “Six Feet Under,” including Michael Ruscio, ACE, Swerling, Pattye Rafferty (Rogers), and Lisa de Moraes became friends who ultimately became family.

“From the second I met her, she was just my person,” Rafferty said, while de Moraes added that she was “a bright light.”

During the pandemic, Blainey helped organize socially distanced get-togethers with the neighbors to encourage building a stronger community instead of isolating, helped make face masks, and helped distribute food as a volunteer at the local church.

Dorian Harris, ACE, remembered her “incredible stamina” and fight throughout her illness. “She never let her diagnosis weigh her down,” Harris added. “She rented a beautiful apartment on the beach in Australia, and then she and her sister Libby bought a house to renovate. She was doing exactly what she loved up until the end.”

As an editor and friend, Rafa Garcia said Blainey will be remembered as an incredibly generous mentor to up-and-coming editors. “She believed in opening doors for new editors and ensuring current editors had a safe space to do their best work,” he said.

Steve Sahagun, who was Blainey’s assistant editor for more than 10 years beginning with “Happy Town” in 2010, agreed, adding that she had a humorous, spunky and feisty personality and was “always cracking jokes in the editing room.”

“When I first worked with her she came in one day with a helmet and wearing a leather jacket,” he remembered. “I was shocked that she would ride her Vespa to work on occasion. It was both cute and daring.”

Sahagun said over the years she was protective of him, helping to make sure he was taken care of when going from series to series with her or working on features. “She made sure I got paid for all of my overtime work and she would stick up for me if I had any issues during a show,” he said. “I learned so much from her during my years of assisting her – tricks, tips, organizing in editing – all of which I use to this day and teach other assistants and editors.”

Garcia said she left her mark on many hearts around the world.

“I imagine Sue would suggest downing a stiff drink, blasting some INXS and pressing forward,” he said. “Life is too short. Get up and dance, garden, adore your pets, build a community or do something that will help fill your heart with joy. That’s the way Sue lived her life.”

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AwardsWeb Exclusives

2024 IA/VA: ACE Panel Highlights ‘Oppenheimer,’ ‘The Holdovers,’ Other Best Editing Oscar Nominees

by uncredited
written by uncredited 8 minutes read

By Kristin Marguerite Doidge 

 

When picture editor Jennifer Lame, ACE, took the stage on Sunday to accept her first Academy Award for best film editing for “Oppenheimer,” she spoke about how meaningful it was to work with director Christopher Nolan to bring his epic film to life.

“You instilled so much confidence in me,” she said. “And I looked forward to going to work with you every day. It’s so exciting to collaborate with you – and I can’t thank you enough.”

That spirit of gratitude was reflected often in this year’s American Cinema Editors (ACE) “Invisible Art/Visible Artists” (IAVA) panel event that highlighted the achievements of all of the Oscar-nominated editors in front of an engaged crowd. The event was last Saturday, the day before the Oscars, at the Regal Sherman Oaks in Los Angeles. The Guild sponsored a lively luncheon following the panel discussion for the nominees, board members, and invited guests.

Guild President Alan Heim, ACE, introduced this year’s panel, which included this year’s Oscar winner Lame for “Oppenheimer,” as well as the nominees: Laurent Sénéchal for “Anatomy of a Fall,” Kevin Tent, ACE, for “The Holdovers,” Thelma Schoonmaker, ACE, for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” and Yorgos Mavropsaridis, ACE, for “Poor Things.”

Moderator and fellow picture editor Sabrina Plisco, ACE, asked each of the nominees to reflect on what first inspired them to get involved in editing, what they love about it, and the unique bonds they’ve each forged with their respective film directors over the course of several collaborations together. They also shared clips from this year’s nominated films and discussed how they approached the work.

For Tent, who also serves as president of American Cinema Editors (ACE), his love of editing began early on when he was growing up outside of Buffalo, N.Y. He longed to be at the center of something. “And I get that feeling when I’m editing sometimes,” he explained. “I love it when I get into this groove and I can’t believe a half hour has gone by and I’ve just been cutting things.”

Lame agreed, adding that she thinks of editing as a wonderful puzzle to solve. “My dad was a private detective, and I think I inherited his kind of love of puzzles,” she said. “Fitting the pieces together and spending hours doing the tiniest thing, as Kevin said, and it unlocks the whole world. And I love movies. I always wanted to work on movies.”

Mavropsaridis said he loves the loneliness of the work, while Sénéchal said he thinks of editing like cooking – as a way of telling good stories and to “be in the middle of it and struggle with it.”

Schoonmaker added that for her, editing is simply the “greatest job in the world.”

“It’s just so damn creative,” she said. “I mean, every cut we make is a creative choice, and it can be right or wrong and you can improve a movie and you can ruin it.”

She recommended that emerging editors in the field take a look at Martin Scorsese’s first feature film “Who’s That Knocking At My Door?” (1967) to see how the legendary director used music and slow motion in one of the film’s key sequences at a mafia party. She’d first seen it at NYU, when she and other students volunteered their services to help him finish shooting and editing the film. “When I saw it, I was just stunned,” she said. “He was beginning to teach me about editing then, and I surely wanted to continue.”

Lame was also introduced to editing at Wesleyan University, while Tent explained he’d first been exposed to the craft at Los Angeles City College, a few miles away from where the ACE event was taking place.

In his eighth collaboration with director Alexander Payne, Tent said his work on “The Holdovers” was focused on building empathy for the main character, Angus, early on. In his clip from the film, he explained that this particular sequence allowed the audience to see the bond grow between Mary (played by Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph) and Angus about 15 minutes earlier than it had been conceived in the script, which was “huge for us in the movie and for the audience.”

As for what it was like working with Payne again, Tent said he always keeps things in perspective. “Even when there’s dark days, he’ll say, ‘It’s just a movie,’” Tent said. “He’s super smart. He’s super collaborative and creative, and it’s wonderful to work with him.” 

Sénéchal (“Anatomy of a Fall”) shared the opening scene from the film and likewise spoke about how important it was for director Justine Triet (who was nominated for best director and won for best original screenplay) to balance empathy and doubt in the quiet moments between mother and son. He also spoke about experimenting in the cutting room with the idea that the family’s dog could lead the audience to be more attentive to subtle cues and movements rather than just dialogue.

“It’s really interesting to immediately put the audience on this idea that the sound is really important, and in what you are seeing and what you are hearing, there is a gap,” he explained. “And this gap is where we are dancing with the audience, and it’s going to be like that throughout the movie.”

For Schoonmaker (“Killers of the Flower Moon”), that idea of never explaining to the audience what’s happening came from her husband, the late director Michael Powell. She shared a clip from the first scene in the film, and said it was vital to director Martin Scorsese, that the score be composed by someone of Native American descent. (Robbie Robertson, who died in August of last year, also received a nomination for best original film score.)

“One of the important things to try and do in this movie was to assume that the audience will understand themselves – to have them engage with the movie instead of telling them what to think,” she said. “Being immersed in the culture of the Osage Nation was a great gift – one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever been given. It was fantastic to learn about them and meet them and share the movie with them. They were very much a part of it.”

Plisco pointed out that the first Academy Award for Achievement in Film Editing was given out in 1934. The most-nominated editor is Schoonmaker, who has been nominated nine times and won three. Of this year’s nomination after more than 40 films together with Scorsese, Schoonmaker added that “Marty and I do it all together. It’s his award as well.”

Mavropsaridis shared the dance sequence from “Poor Things,” and said he loved “everything” about working on the film with director Yorgos Lanthimos in their seventh collaboration together. “It’s always these existential themes that run through his filmography,” he said. “It’s always the individual faced with a polite society or the rules of society. How can the individual find himself in this reality?”

The challenge with this film, he said, was to construct the character of Bella Baxter and allow her to “feel free to express herself without offending the audience.”

As for Lame (“Oppenheimer”), there was a lot of experimenting in the cutting room in visualizing the emotions and inner thoughts of theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer as he grappled with the ramifications of developing the atomic bomb in her second collaboration with Nolan. The film won 7 of its 13 nominations for Academy Awards, including Lame’s, as well as best picture, director, score, supporting actor, lead actor, and cinematography.

“[Chris] would say, ‘have a play,’ and then he would just disappear,” Lame said. “He’s very respectful of the editorial process. He always reminds me that ‘you’re here because you’re my collaborator until the end, and you’re brilliant, and you’re here to just work this with me.’”

The event closed with questions from the audience about editing skills – and skills from life that help with editing. The nominees advised young editors to be kind, curious, and generous, and, of course, “to keep on cutting.”

 

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FeaturesInterviewWeb ExclusivesWhat Our Members Do

WHAT OUR MEMBERS DO: Ian Chase, Sound Editor/Re-Recording Mixer

by uncredited
written by uncredited 12 minutes read

Where are you currently employed?

I work as a freelance sound editor and re-recording mixer in Burbank, Calif., but for the past few years, the majority of my work has been with Skywalker Sound and done remotely from my home studio. I will go up to the ranch in Northern California to work in person during the final mix, as it allows me to spend time with my teammates and collaborate more effectively.

 

Current projects?

I recently worked as one of the Foley editors on two Marvel Disney+ series called “Echo” and “Secret Invasion.” In “Echo,” there was a unique aspect with a deaf character, and a significant part of the show involved using American Sign Language (ASL) for dialogue. Typically, Foley is a background element that helps blend the soundtrack together, but in this case, it took a prominent role; the hand movements and the sound of clothing movement that was recorded to match the ASL became the dialogue of the scene.

 

On “Secret Invasion,” the show had a gritty spy drama vibe with plenty of intense action scenes. One memorable moment was a gunfight in a glass greenhouse. We had the opportunity to capture all the sounds of glass breaking, SWAT team gear, weapon movements, and impacts. Even after the chaos subsides and the main characters cautiously move around, the subtle sound of crunching glass underfoot can be heard. I think it adds to the tension and realism of the scene.

 

Describe your job.

One of the most interesting jobs I’ve had is working as an assistant sound supervisor. The job is very diverse in terms of tasks. Because of this, I have begun to learn some basic coding skills and have even started developing my own software. One particular program I created acts as a virtual assistant. It can sort files based on their names and types, move them to the right place on the show server, create new folders with the correct-version numbers and dates, and even set up Pro Tools sessions with video and audio tracks. I built this software while working on “She-Hulk,” where it proved incredibly helpful as we dealt with 286 conforms due to picture and/or visual effects updates. Occasionally, we were conforming three times a day due to the changes. Despite having two assistants on the show, myself and Melissa Lytle, the workload was immense, so my virtual assistant software was a lifesaver.

 

How did you first become interested in this line of work?

As a kid, I played electric guitar and collected effect pedals and amps. Instead of focusing on learning songs, I was more interested in creating strange and unique sounds with the pedals. This sonic passion carried into high school where the guidance counselor suggested that I pursue a career in sound, so I looked into the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). I applied, got in, and started learning about different positions (classifications, in union-speak) within post sound for film and TV. I’m thankful that the professors had real world experience and were able to teach a lot of the skills I still use today.

 

Who gave you your first break?

After graduating from SCAD, I moved to Los Angeles and lived in my car for about seven months while  working for free in different post sound roles. Then Brent Kiser, a sound supervisor who owns Unbridled Sound and is a fellow SCAD alum, gave me my first paying job as a re-recording mixer. Back then, we were working on indie projects headed to festivals, so if I made a mistake, it wasn’t career ending. I took great advantage of this time and mixed on as many projects as I could. I used my time at Unbridled Sound to learn and grow as an audio professional, and now I feel confident in my work because I can spot issues early and know how to fix them.

 

What was your first union job?

A friend told me he had passed my name along to a supervisor at Skywalker for a Marvel TV show headed for Disney+. I remember feeling really excited and knew that if the call came through, I would be ready. A few weeks later, I was playing video games with my siblings on a Saturday morning. An unnamed call came through with a San Francisco area code, and I had to decide whether to answer the potential Skywalker call or stay online with my brothers. Tough choice, but I took the call and it was Mac Smith asking me to work on an ambitious series called “Moon Knight.” I happily took the job and a few months later even won a Primetime Emmy for the work. But I almost missed my first Skywalker opportunity because I was playing video games with my brothers.

 

What credits or projects are you proudest of, and why?

For two years, I worked with Wylie Stateman and Eric Hoehn at Post 2.0 mixing the foreign dubbed version of movies. Since dubbing usually happens after the project is done, there wasn’t any pressure from directors or producers during the mixing sessions, so I was free to take my time and explore. This allowed me to experiment with different mixing techniques and plugins. We would also get copies of the original Pro Tools session, and I would go through them very thoroughly, dissecting and analyzing all the automation and trying to pick up little tips and tricks. 

 

What was your biggest challenge in your job (or on a particular project) and how did you overcome/solve it?

I worked as one of the re-recording mixers on “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Brent Kiser and the editors had already done a lot of work on the mix so they asked me to start around the middle of the movie. The reel he asked me to focus on had a scene in an alley where characters talk about finding happiness even in simple things, like owning a laundromat together. It made me reflect on my own life, and I got emotional because it felt related to events in my own life.

 

When I met with the directors, I shared how moved I was by that scene. We had a long conversation about its importance to the film and how crucial it would be to ensure the audience experiences  a similar emotional journey. With this clear goal, we went scene by scene and discussed the emotional beats and then worked the audio until that goal was achieved. It was a new approach for me and them to build a mixing guide based on personal emotional check points, but it worked well, and I believe it’s a key reason so many audience members related to the movie in the end.

 

At the end of the year, our sound team was one of the ten selected for the Academy Sound Branch shortlist. It was a great opportunity to meet with other mixers and sound editors to discuss our work. A memorable highlight of the night was the chance to speak with Paul Massey, one of my favorite mixers who has inspired me with his previous mixing work. We talked about the importance of finding yourself in a project and translating that connection into artistic decisions.

 

What was the most fun you’ve had at work?

I used to work with two talented and funny sound editors, Danielle Price and Jacob Flack. They worked together in a small room without air conditioning. To beat the heat, they got a fan that could be filled with water to make the air cooler. Instead of using fancy water, they used tap water stored in plastic bottles in the fridge. To tell them apart from actual drinking water bottles, they drew skulls on the tap water bottles. These skull bottles still crack me up whenever I think about them, and now that Death Water is the name of a legit company, I wish they had run with the idea more.

 

Jobwise, what do you hope to be doing five years from now?

I have two distinct goals for the future, both very different. First, I’d love to supervise or mix on an action or war movie. My brothers are in the army, and I want to work on something they can proudly share with their army buddies. I’m on the lookout for my own version of movies like “The Hurt Locker” or “Fury.” Secondly, I heard Taylor Swift is working on her first feature film, and if the chance comes up, I’d love to be involved in any way possible.

 

What are your outside activities, hobbies, passions?
I learned to scuba-dive in 2021 and have been going on trips to the California coastal islands via chartered boats.

 

Favorite movie(s)? Why?

I keep a highlight reel of sound design moments from movies I wish I had done. I go back to the list when I’m lost and looking for  inspiration. A glimpse at a few of the titles on my wish-I-had-done-that list are: “Blade Runner 2049,” “Dune,” “The Creator,” “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” “Inglourious Basterds,” “Iron Man,” “Tron: Legacy,” “Road to Perdition,” “Transformers,” and any of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Each of those films has a unique sonic thumbprint and tackled a difficult genre in a fresh way.

 

Favorite TV program(s)?  Why?

My wife and I love watching the TV show “Below Deck.” It features the interior and exterior crew working on a super yacht. Naturally, there’s a lot of workplace drama, and we always pause to talk about who we think is right and wrong.

 

Do you have an industry mentor?

Currently, I have been learning a lot from Justin Doyle, an amazing sound effects editor and designer. He has such great taste in sounds and is pretty much unique in his ability to select the perfect sound for a scene. He has taught me not to be tricked by visually complex, overly stacked sound editing and instead find confidence in simple, clear, well-chosen design. Since working with him, I have been trying to select one well-chosen sound rather than ten average sounds mangled together.

 

What advice would you offer to someone interested in pursuing your line of work?

Conan O’Brien once compared working in show biz to playing slots at the casino. He said you have to keep trying every day because you never know when you’ll hit the jackpot. I agree and have found it helpful to maintain consistent effort. I would also add that having a good life partner is key. My partner, April Lamb, is a true genius. and I really am grateful for her support, love, and business savvy.

 

Was there ever a circumstance when you had to rely on the Guild for help or assistance?

Recently, my first child was born, and the union health insurance was amazing. Anytime I had a question or issue, I would call. They always answered the phone quickly and had the right answers.

 

Is there anything you’d like to say to your fellow Guild members, some words of encouragement?

When I first started freelancing, I wanted to join the union and work at a studio. I reached out to various studios in LA, asking to work as a mix tech or assistant re-recording mixer. I shared my goal with my friend Eric Hoehn, who offered to help. He wrote a great email to Formosa Group, asking them to consider hiring me as a re-recording mixer. They responded quickly, wanting to schedule a Zoom interview. I was nervous, but Eric boosted my confidence by reminding me of my skills. His support helped me ask for what I wanted, and in the end, I was hired by Formosa Group to mix. If I could offer encouragement to anyone in this industry, it would be to recognize your skills as valuable and seek out supporters who believe in you and your success.

 

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