Eddie Hamilton, an acclaimed action movie editor known for his work on multiple Mission Impossible films and Top Gun: Maverick, shares his insights on editing 'Mission Impossible - The Final Reckoning.' He discusses the unique challenges of tying up narrative threads in this climactic film. Listen as he reveals his editing techniques, personal anecdotes from diverse filming locations, and the impact of modern technology on storytelling. Hamilton also reflects on his collaborations with legendary directors and offers inspiration for aspiring editors.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Tech Tips for Efficient Editing
Embrace subframe keyframing and importing Pro Tools sessions for efficient music editing.
Use edit group features to manage multi-camera sync issues and save time.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Portable Powerhouse Setup
Eddie worked with a powerful 160-terabyte RAID hard drive that traveled worldwide.
He also used M1 MacBook Pro and the new M4 Mac minis for fast Media Composer editing.
insights INSIGHT
Linear Storytelling Triumphs
Non-linear structure at the start of the final reckoning confused audiences.
Linear storytelling was ultimately adopted to maintain clarity and emotional engagement.
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MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - THE FINAL RECKONING editor Eddie Hamilton ACE has edited the last four of the franchise's eight films. While there are a combined five other editors responsible for the first four movies, the challenge of tying up any loose ends and bringing the franchise to a close (seemingly) fell solely to Eddie. In addition to his work on the Mission Impossible films, Eddie has also taken part in two other action franchises. Eddie cut TOP GUN: MAVERICK as well as two of director Matthew Vaughn's "Kingsman" films. Both within, and beyond, these three franchises, Eddie has clearly set himself apart as one of the top action movie editors working today. Picking up two months after the events of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING PART ONE, Ethan Hunt and the IMF team must stop a malevolent AI known as "The Entity" from either forcing the world powers into a nuclear war or launching the missiles on its own. Adding to the challenge, they must do this before Ethan's nemesis Gabriel gains control of The Entity and its power to dominate the world.
Eddie Hamilton, ACE
Prior to finishing the seventh and eighth films in the Mission Impossible franchise, Eddie cut Top Gun: Maverick, directed by Joseph Kosinski, for which he was nominated for the Oscar and BAFTA Film Editing awards, and won the ACE Eddie and Hamilton Behind The Camera Award. He also cut Mission: Impossible - Fallout and Mission: Impossible - RogueNation for director Christopher McQuarrie. Other credits include Kingsman: The Secret Service, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, X-Men: First Class and Kick-Ass for director Matthew Vaughn. After 30 years in the industry Eddie has cut over 20 feature films (both indies and studio movies) in a wide variety of genres as well as TV dramas, documentaries and award-winning short films. His enthusiasm for big screen storytelling is matched only by his total dedication to the craft of film editing, his nerdy technical expertise and his undisputed love of chocolate. He has given presentations on Avid Media Composer editing at NAB and IBC. Eddie is a member of the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, American Cinema Editors, British Film Editors and BAFTA, was on the feature film panel at EditFest London in 2013 and 2018, and was the keynote speaker at EditFest Los Angeles in 2022.
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