THE HARDER THEY FALL editor, Tom Eagles ACE first made a name for himself with his ACE Eddie-winning work on JOJO RABBIT (2019); a film for which he was also nominated for an Oscar® for Best Film Editing. Looking to expand his career and broaden the scope of the work he could choose from, Tom was in the process of moving his family from his native New Zealand to Los Angeles, while he took on a new project with first-time director, Jeymes Samuel. Due to the impact of COVID, that move was delayed and Tom wound up cutting his new film back home in New Zealand.
In addition to directing THE HARDER THEY FALL, Jeymes Samuel is also known as a singer, songwriter and music producer who travels under the name "The Bullitts". For his first time out as a filmmaker, Samuel has crafted a revisionist Western with a distinct emphasis on visual style and, of course, musicality. THE HARDER THEY FALL is also one of the few, if not only, Westerns whose principal cast members are all Black and all the characters they play in the film are real. The standout cast is anchored by actors; Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Regina King, Delroy Lindo, RJ Cyler, Zazie Beets and Lakeith Stanfield.
TOM EAGLES ACEBack in his home country of New Zealand, Tom Eagles built his career on a foundation of work with director, Taika Waititi. Projects such as; WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (2014), HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE (2016), the TV series WELLINGTON PARANORMAL (2018) and their critically-acclaimed film, JOJO RABBIT (2019). Now working full time in Los Angeles after completing THE HARDER THEY FALL, Eagles is once again reuniting with Waititi for his next film.
Editing The Harder They FallIn our discussion with THE HARDER THEY FALL editor, Tom Eagles ACE, we talk about:
- Managing a story with a large cast
- The punctuation of freeze frames, stings and split screens
- Having a director "sing" you the script
- The enduring analog method of "pen and paper" note taking
- Being a working editor in New Zealand vs Hollywood
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