While BARRY editors Franky Guttman and Ali Greer ACE worked independently on their own episodes of the series (the finale being the lone exception), the pair worked closely with one another and Bill Hader to review and refine each episode. This was a process the two not only enjoyed, but credit for helping the show to maintain its high quality throughout.
BARRY follows Barry Berkman, a U.S. Marine and Afghanistan veteran from Cleveland, who works as a hitman and wrestles with loneliness, depression, and guilt caused by his lifestyle as well as his actions during his service. He travels to Los Angeles to kill a target and finds a new sense of purpose when he follows his target into an acting class. After joining the class and making plans to become an actor, using his newfound passion as an outlet for his anxiety, he struggles to distance himself from his old life and keep his past a secret from new friends and colleagues.
FRANKY GUTTMANHaving joined the series in Season One as an assistant editor, working closely with editor Jeff Buchanan, Guttman laid his cards on the table with showrunners Alec Berg and Bill Hader after Season Two, declaring his desire to take on lead editorial duties for the show. The gambit not only worked, but resulted in an ACE Eddie and HPA award nomination for his work on that season's sixth episode (710N). In addition to his work on BARRY, Franky is also known for Swarm (2023) and Kidding (2018).
ALI GREER ACEAside from her Emmy® win in 2021 for her work on BARRY in Season Three, Ali was twice nominated for an ACE Eddie award for her work on the series, Portlandia. Ali also received an Eddie nom for the same episode of BARRY which brought her the Emmy®. In fact, Ali's editorial career is highlighted by several standout series in the comedy genre. Ali's time as an assistant editor was punctuated with stints on Kroll Show (2015) as well as the aforementioned Portlandia (2015). From there she went on to edit such shows as Dream Corp LLC (2018), Black Monday (2020), Schmigadoon! (2021) and Hacks (2021), for which she received her first Emmy® nomination.
Editing BarryIn our discussion with the BARRY editing team of Franky Guttman and Ali Greer ACE, we talk about:
- Giving the audience "2+2" instead of giving them "4"
- Being an editor at night and the "king security guard" by day
- Bringing an improv mentality into the cutting room
- The incomparable sweatiness of Fred Armisen
- How to make sure both editors tell the same story
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