The Rough Cut Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry
Editors Greg Finton ACE and Lindsay Utz ACE hadn't worked together prior to Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry, but they each had plenty of experience in the world of unscripted storytelling to bring to the table for director R.J. Cutler's film. The story centers around singer-songwriter Billie Eilish and reveals the behind the scenes creation process of her debut studio album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Released in select theaters via Neon and on Apple TV+ on February 26, 2021, the film has garnered four Primetime Emmy® nominations, including Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming for Greg and Lindsay.
GREG FINTON ACEAlthough Greg had previously worked with "Billie Eilish" director R.J. Cutler on the series American High, Greg's storied career in documentary editing actually began in the film cutting rooms of some legendary scripted editors. Working as an assistant to editors such as Lynzee Klingman ACE (A River Runs Through It) and Sandra Adair ACE (Dazed and Confused), Greg learned first hand how just changing the rhythm and pace of the dialogue can have a big impact on the way a scene felt. Greg took this knowledge into his work on highly acclaimed documentaries such as It Might Get Loud, He Named Me Malala and Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind.
LINDSAY UTZ ACEPrior to teaming up with Greg and R.J. Cutler for the "Billie Eilish doc", Lindsay had made quite a name for herself in the documentary world, having been nominated for both an Emmy® and an ACE Eddie award for her work on the Oscar®-winning documentary, American Factory. A recipient of the 2012 Karen Schmeer Fellowship, Lindsay's talent as a storyteller can also be seen in the documentary projects; Bully, Quest, Miss Americana, as well as the experimental narrative feature, Buoy.
Editing Billie Eilish: The World's a Little BlurryIn our discussion with the editing team of Greg Finton ACE and Lindsay Utz ACE, we talk about:
- Enjoying the challenge presented by documentary editing
- The deep reservoir of footage afforded by the cell phone era
- Lower thirds being a crucial decision in doc filmmaking
- How award nominations can impact a documentary editor's career
- The advantages of starting out as an assistant in film cutting rooms
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