RUSSIAN DOLL editor, Todd Downing ACE returns to THE ROUGH CUT, having appeared previously in 2020 to talk about his work on the HULU series, MRS. AMERICA. In that series, one of Todd's many standout moments was a sequence he cut that featured a conservative 70's housewife going on a drug-fueled, psychedelic trip at the National Women's Conference. Todd also had a similar episode in the work he did on the series DIFFICULT PEOPLE, on Hulu as well. Put those two together with the mind-bending journeys Todd navigates on RUSSIAN DOLL and you start to see that Todd Downing has carved out quite a niche for himself as the "go to" editor for shows that feature women going on existential and introspective adventures.
Season 1 of RUSSIAN DOLL tells the story of a woman named Nadia who is caught in a time loop as the guest of honor at a seemingly inescapable birthday party one night in New York City. She dies repeatedly, always restarting at the same moment at the party. As she tries to figure out what is happening to her, she meets a man who is experiencing the same thing in a different event.
In Season 2, Nadia is ten days away from celebrating her 40th birthday when the NYC "6" Train sends her back in time to 1982. She soon discovers she is trapped inside the body of her mother, Lenora, who is pregnant with Nadia. Having learned what a significant impact it had on her family, Nadia decides to pursue the gold Krugerrands her mother lost that same year, in hopes of changing the course of her family’s history.
Editing RUSSIAN DOLLIn our discussion with RUSSIAN DOLL editor, Todd Downing ACE we talk about:
- Riding the wave of comedy vs drama within a show
- The kind of notes you get from a showrunner who is also the star
- Managing the story logic of characters looping through time and inhabiting other characters
- Natasha's Extraordinary Playlist
- Dealing with VFX "supply chain" issues
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Hear Todd's interview with fellow ACE editors, Emily E. Greene and Robert Komatusu for MRS. AMERICA.
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