S26 - Ep 1 - 98th Oscars - Film Editing

As the 98th Academy Awards approach, Below the Line returns for its seventh annual Oscar series — beginning with Film Editing, a category that quietly shapes every other craft recognized on Oscar night.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Amy Duddleston and Christopher Angel to open the 2026 Oscar series with a focused conversation about the nominees for Achievement in Film Editing. Together, they examine how editing choices shape performance, tone, and point of view — and why the category can be difficult to evaluate without understanding what the work actually requires.

This episode also marks a first for Below the Line: these Oscar conversations are now available both as an audio podcast and as full video episodes on YouTube, offering listeners the choice to watch the discussion unfold or continue enjoying the show in its traditional audio format.

Our discussion ranges across:

• Why Film Editing is often misunderstood as “most editing” rather than best judgment
• The distinct editorial challenges behind this year’s nominees, including F1, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sentimental Value, and Sinners
• How performance-driven films ask editors to prioritize restraint over visibility
• The editor’s role in shaping character psychology and audience alignment
• When cutting calls attention to itself — and when disappearing is the hardest choice
• Navigating collaboration with directors whose approaches range from highly controlled to deliberately chaotic
• What this year’s nominees reveal about how the Academy continues to define the craft

Grounded in the perspective of two working editors, the conversation focuses less on prediction and more on process — unpacking how editing decisions actually function on screen, and why the craft remains essential even when it goes unnoticed.

🎧 Press play — or watch the full conversation on YouTube — and join us Below the Line as we begin our 2026 Oscar series. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.