The No Film School Podcast Why 'Atlanta' Works: Emmy-Nominated Editor Isaac Hagy on Crafting Great Story
In this episode, GG Hawkins sits down with Emmy and ACE Eddie-nominated editor Isaac Hagy, whose emotionally charged and visually inventive work includes Waves, Atlanta, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and The Friend. Known for his moody and immersive editing style, Hagy shares how he found his voice as an editor, the unconventional path that led him to Atlanta, and the creative and technical strategies that shape his work. He also dives into his Adobe Premiere workflow, the importance of collaboration, and how intuition—and his pit bull Blue—help fuel his storytelling.
In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guest Isaac Hagy discuss...
- How Hagy’s religious upbringing led to his first foray into filmmaking
- The unorthodox path from critical studies major to documentary editor
- Jumping from music videos to the groundbreaking series Atlanta
- Why Hagy chooses Premiere Pro and how he builds intuitive workflows
- Collaborating remotely and the magic of edit dogs like Blue
- The creative process behind The Friend and working with indie auteurs
- The importance of collaboration, mentorship, and finding your crew
Memorable Quotes:
- "My dog carries so much emotional baggage. Yeah, he's an essential part of the editing room."
- "I try to think like... what is the conventional way of cutting this? And then maybe what is an interesting outside-the-box way of cutting it?"
- "You're not going to come crashing through the back door by doing something very conventional."
- "Premiere works the way my brain works... I don't think about editing when I'm editing in Premiere."
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