How ‘The Substance’ Editor Trimmed the Fat of the Hit Body Horror Flick

In this episode of No Film School, GG Hawkins sits down with Jérôme Eltabet, the editor of the Oscar-nominated body horror film The Substance. Jérôme shares his journey from assistant director to editor, detailing his work with director Coralie Fargeat to bring The Substance to life. He breaks down the editing challenges, the importance of sound design, and why cutting a horror film is all about creating an immersive experience.

In this episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins and Jérôme Eltabet discuss:

• How Jérôme transitioned from assistant director to editor
• What it was like editing 300+ hours of footage for The Substance
• How sound design and score shaped the film’s tension
• The massive changes from the first cut to the final version
• How the film’s themes influenced its pacing and cutting style
• The collaborative dynamic between Jérôme and director Coralie Fargeat

Memorable Quotes:

• “I do remember I gave a call to Coralie to say, ‘Oh, this movie is going to be very long.’ And she told me, ‘Shh, don’t tell anyone! We’ll talk about this later in the edit room.’” (8:38)
• “We had maybe 150 different versions of some sequences because Coralie needs to have the kind of goosebumps to like it. It’s not something you can explain—she just has to feel it.” (10:29)
• “Coralie didn’t want any realistic sounds. Everything had to be slightly off. The world needed to feel unnatural, unsettling—like something was always wrong.” (13:14)
• “The first rough cut was three and a half hours. Coralie wanted a perfect edit, a perfect sound design, so we fought to get the movie as tight as possible without losing its impact.” (32:10)
• “As an editor, you are the first audience. You have to trust your instincts, because six months later, after watching the same footage over and over, you’ll start doubting yourself.” (37:47)
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Guest:

• Jérôme Eltabet – Editor of The Substance, known for his precise, immersive approach to editing horror and psychological thrillers.

Resources:

• The Substance – Ending Explained
• The Substance – Lookbook
• Read & Download The Substance Screenplay

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