For twenty years editor Terilyn A. Shropshire ACE and director Gina Prince-Bythewood have worked hand in hand to entertain and inspire audiences with films dating back to Gina's directorial debut, Love and Basketball.   While their new Netflix hit, The Old Guard, seems to be a departure from Terilyn's previous work with Gina (as well as her other long time collaborator, director Kasi Lemmons), Terilyn demonstrates how to bring out the drama and humanity in an action scene, while still delivering the high-energy thrills the audience is expecting.  Terilyn also talks with us about; explaining back stories without slowing down the film, cutting dialogue in a way that demonstrates familiarity between characters, developing "main on end" credit sequences, and also how she got her start with Gina. Visit ExtremeMusic for all your production audio needs! Learn Avid for free with Media Composer | First! Subscribe to Media Composer | Ultimate and get the best Avid has to offer! Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode! Send me your feedback at matt@theroughcutpod.com or leave a message on the CONTACT page.  

January 2020 was quite a month for editor and educator Matt Friedman ACE.  Not only was he nominated for an ACE Eddie award alongside Michael Taylor ACE for their work on The Farewell, Matt's film Palm Springs set a record for the highest ever sales figure ($17,500,000.69) in the history of the Sundance Film Festival.  In spite of all the great news and positive reviews surrounding the film, the film was not available to be enjoyed by a wide audience...until now.  Palm Springs, currently streaming on Hulu, is a rom-com / timeloop movie delivered in a style unique to the team at The Lonely Island.  Matt Friedman tells us about; the delicate balancing act for both the tone and tempo of the film, the challenge of doing a "5.1 mix on a budget" and making every frame count. Visit ExtremeMusic for all your production audio needs! Learn Avid for free with Media Composer | First! Subscribe to Media Composer | Ultimate and get the best Avid has to offer! Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode! Send me your feedback at matt@theroughcutpod.com or, even better, call and leave me a message at (781) 334-8369.

Just over forty years ago, Paul Hirsch ACE took on the monumental challenge of editing The Empire Strikes Back, the sequel to a film that not only redefined the word "blockbuster" but was also a worldwide cultural phenomenon.  True to his nature of always "Looking to the future, to the horizon.  Never his mind on where he was", Paul had not seen the film since its release in 1980...until now.  On this edition of the Rough Cut, Paul not only gives his reactions to seeing it for the first time in four decades, but also his recollections of what it was like in the editing room back then.  He also discusses; working with director Irvin Kershner, how George Lucas tore apart the first three reels Paul had cut, plus what he knew about the big Anakin Skywalker reveal at the end of the film.  Paul also; does a reading from his favorite scene in Empire right from his copy of the original script, discloses for the first time a mistake Kirshner made at the end of the movie and gives us a first hand account of his secret project directing Harrison Ford! Visit ExtremeMusic for all your production audio needs! Go back to the beginning and listen to our podcast with Paul about his editing career. Hear editor Bob Ducsay talk about cutting The Last Jedi. Listen to Maryann Brandon talk about her work on The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker. Get your hands on the editing system that helped revive the Skywalker trilogy,  Avid Media Composer! Subscribe to The Rough Cut for more great interviews with the heroes of the editing room!  

An editor cutting comedy without a script can be like a trapeze artist working without a net, but that’s what editors Steve Rasch ACE and Roger Nygard ACE do on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm.  With just a short outline but a mountain of footage, Steve and Roger apply their storytelling skills and comedic sensibilities to help Larry David and his crazy cast of characters deliver big laughs on every episode. Steve and Roger tell us about; the technology evolution that has taken place in their edit bays over the past 20 years, the process they use for getting Larry’s best reactions, how cutting Curb is like working on a documentary and what it’s like to be one of the Larry David Players. Plus much more! Learn Avid for free with Media Composer | First! Subscribe to Media Composer | Ultimate and get the best Avid has to offer! Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode! Check out this podcast with Dead To Me editor and former Curb asst editor, Iris Hershner. Send me your feedback at matt@theroughcutpod.com or, even better, call and leave me a message at (781) 334-8369.

You know what visual effects are.  You know what editing is.  But do you know what a visual effects editor does?  If you've ever wanted to know, or wanted to know more about VFX editing, this episode of the Rough Cut is for you!  VFX Editors Marty Kloner (Star Wars - The Rise of Skywalker), Sharon Smith Holley (Alita: Battle Angel) and Wynton Payne (Luke Cage) demystify the process and clear up the misconceptions about this crucial component of post-production.  Even films outside the sci-fi, fantasy and action genre require the VFX editor's eye for detail and slight of hand to fix takes and save shots.  Marty, Sharon and Wynton give you their backstory in the business as well as discuss how they bridge the gap between picture editing and visual effects, as well the types of effects they're asked to do and the tools they use to do them. Learn Avid for free with Media Composer | First! Subscribe to Media Composer | Ultimate and get the best Avid has to offer! Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode! Check out this podcast with Gemini Man editor, Tim Squyres. Send me your feedback at matt@theroughcutpod.com or, even better, call and leave me a message at (781) 334-8369.

Editors Jeff Buchanan ACE and Zoe Schack probably had no idea what they were really getting into when they were approached by the Beastie Boys and director Spike Jonze to help edit some clips and photos in support of a little "book tour".  That tour became a live, four-night, multi-city theatrical presentation that would ultimately be the cornerstone of a new documentary, Beastie Boys Story.  This AppleTV+ original was both an exhausting and exciting mission for Jeff and Zoe; requiring them to not just log long hours in the edit suite, but also in the writer's room, the dress rehearsals and in the audience for all the live multi-camera events.  At each point they took a copious amount of notes that would be crucial in helping them to find the movie and its emotional touch points from within a mountain of material.  The end result is a two-hour journey that not only tells the story of the band, but details an enduring friendship and personal evolution lead by their band mate, childhood friend and spiritual leader, the late Adam "MCA" Yauch. Learn Avid for free with Media Composer | First! Subscribe to Media Composer | Ultimate and get the best Avid has to offer! Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode! Send me your feedback at matt@theroughcutpod.com or, even better, call and leave me a message at (781) 334-8369.

What We Do In The Shadows editor, Yana Gorskaya ACE joins us on this edition of The Rough Cut podcast to talk about her experience on the show, including directing two of this season's episodes. Yana tells us all about; the team effort of cutting the show, the invaluable role the assistant editors play in the process, how the cast reacted to her as a director and how she came to be a trusted creative consultant to writer/director Taika Waititi. Hear the full interview with Jojo Rabbit editor, Tom Eagles. Apply for the ACE Internship program here! Learn Avid for free with Media Composer | First! Subscribe to Media Composer | Ultimate and get the best Avid has to offer! Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode! Send me your feedback at matt@theroughcutpod.com or, even better, call and leave me a message at (781) 334-8369.  

Editors Emily E. Greene, Robert Komatsu and Todd Downing join The Rough Cut podcast to discuss their work on Hulu's 9 episode mini-series, Mrs. America.  Written by showrunner Dahvi Waller, this ambitious project is a factual, but fictionally-enhanced account of the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in the 70's.  Emily, Rob and Todd talk to us about; the cinematic similarities between modern tv dramas and feature film, the subtle (and not so subtle) elements of sound for story telling, the balancing act of educating and entertaining the audience, as well as advice for the next generation of pro editors. Apply for the ACE Internship program here! Learn Avid for free with Media Composer | First! Subscribe to Media Composer | Ultimate and get the best Avid has to offer! Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode! Send me your feedback at matt@theroughcutpod.com or, even better, call and leave me a message at (781) 334-8369.  

For the past two years, editors Iris Hershner, Nicole Brik and Liza Cardinale ACE have worked together to bring Netflix's Dead to Me to life.  With their collective experience in comedy (Curb Your Enthusiasm), drama (Queen of the South) and romance (Outlander) they're the perfect team to tell the story of widow, Jen Harding and artist, Judy Hale as they crack jokes (and skulls) on the mean streets of Laguna Beach, CA.  Iris, Nicole and Liza talk about; leveraging 6K shooting for reframing shots, "modulating" characters for better story telling, making markers for improv, and much, much more. Apply for the ACE Internship program here! Learn Avid for free with Media Composer | First! Subscribe to Media Composer | Ultimate and get the best Avid has to offer! Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode! Send me your feedback at matt@theroughcutpod.com or, even better, call and leave me a message at (781) 334-8369.

Of all the different types of projects to cut, comedy is notoriously the most challenging.  A few frames in either direction can be the difference between a joke falling flat or the audience falling out of their seats.  Editor Anthony Boys ACE has spent most of his career sharpening his skills on everything from slapstick to satire, and he gets to put them to good use on Hulu's new series The Great; a witty and wicked retelling of Catherine the Great's rise to power during the golden era of Russia.  Anthony has lots to share in this episode, such as... how you can learn a lot about pacing a comedy through watching stand-up specials, how to carefully craft a pilot episode to pull the audience in, and then how to tie it all up again in a satisfying finale.  Plus, lots of advice for those just starting on their editorial journey, including how best to make use of this global "down time". Download the free trial of Avid Media Composer. Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode! Send me your feedback at matt@theroughcutpod.com or, even better, call and leave me a message at (781) 334-8369.