The Rough Cut cover image

The Rough Cut

Latest episodes

undefined
Jan 9, 2023 • 47min

All Quiet on the Western Front

Editor - Sven Budelmann ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT editor Sven Budelmann knew he was in for a challenge in remaking the classic German anti-war novel.  Not only was the novel already brought to the big screen as a 1930 Oscar® winner for Best Picture, but adding to the task was that this film would be the first ever adaptation made by German filmmakers.  Fortunately Sven would be collaborating with a director with whom he was quiet familiar.  Prior to this project, Sven had worked with director Edward Berger on six episodes of the German TV series, DEUTSCHLAND 83, as well as a German made-for-TV movie.  In addition to his work with Berger, Sven also cut an episode of the highly-acclaimed Netflix series, DARK. Set in the closing days of World War I, ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (based on the 1929 novel of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque) follows the life of an idealistic young German soldier named Paul Bäumer.  After enlisting in the German Army with his friends, Bäumer finds himself exposed to the realities of war, shattering his early hopes of becoming a hero as he does his best to survive.  The film adds a parallel storyline not found in the book, which follows the armistice negotiations to end the war. Editing All Quiet on the Western Front In our discussion with ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT editor Sven Budelmann we talk about: Closing the door on snare drum hits Letting the audience finish their popcorn in the opening minutes of the film Using the Avid Artist | DNxID for Zoom reviews Marty Schenk's sizzling reels The psychological toll cutting a war movie takes on its editor The Credits Visit Extreme Music for all your production audio needs See the latest new features in Avid Media Composer Send me your feedback and questions here Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode Visit The Rough Cut on YouTube
undefined
Jan 2, 2023 • 51min

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody

Editor - Daysha Broadway, ACE I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY editor Daysha Broadway, ACE returns to The Rough Cut podcast with both an Emmy® in hand for her work on HBO'S A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW and her first feature film as an editor.  A Los Angeles native, Daysha began her career with a Master's Degree in Film Editing from Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University.  Prior to her feature editing debut, Daysha had spent most of her career editing documentary, scripted, and unscripted television.  In addition to A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW, her TV credits include numerous shows such as INSECURE, 9-1-1, TWENTIES and BOOMERANG. Daysha has also contributed her talents to documentaries such as LIGHT GIRLS and SURVIVING R. KELLY; the latter of which earned her a Peabody award. Directed by Kasi Lemmons (EVE'S BAYOU, HARRIET) from a screenplay by Anthony McCarten (BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY), WHITNEY HOUSTON: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY is based on the life and career of American pop singer and actress Whitney Houston. Discovered by record executive Clive Davis, Whitney rose from obscurity to international fame in the 1980s to become one of the greatest singers of her generation.  The film stars Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders, Tamara Tunie, Nafessa Williams, and Clarke Peters. Editing WHITNEY HOUSTON: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY In our discussion with editor Daysha Broadway, ACE we talk about: Making someone's favorite movie Driving a narrative through pop hits The intricacies of intercutting Bringing "The Voice" back to life with an Oscar®-winning sound team Daysha's New Year's resolution The Credits Visit Extreme Music for all your production audio needs See the latest with Avid Media Composer Hear Daysha and her Emmy®-winning co-editors discuss cutting A BLACK LADY SKECTH SHOW Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode Visit The Rough Cut on YouTube
undefined
Dec 26, 2022 • 29min

The Fabelmans

Editors - Michael Kahn ACE and Sarah Broshar THE FABELMANS editors Michael Kahn ACE and Sarah Broshar have been working together for sixteen years, going back to the film 10 ITEMS OR LESS (2006), written and directed by Brad Silberling.  At that time, Sarah was in the cutting room as an apprentice.  It would be five more years before Sarah would work with both Michael Kahn AND Steven Spielberg on THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN (2011); this time as an assistant.  Six years later on Spielberg's THE POST (2017), Sarah would take on co-editorial duties with Mr. Kahn.  She would continue to do so on Spielberg’s subsequent films; READY PLAYER ONE (2018), WEST SIDE STORY (2021) and THE FABELMANS.  Veteran editor Michael Kahn ACE first worked with Spielberg on CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977).  Among his numerous notable films, Michael would go on to win Oscar® awards for editing Spielberg's RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981), SCHINDLER’S LIST (1993) and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998). THE FABELMANS is a coming-of-age drama film directed by Steven Spielberg and written and produced by Tony Kushner and Spielberg.  It is a semi-autobiographical story loosely based on Spielberg's adolescence and first years as a filmmaker. The tale is told as an original story of the fictional Sammy Fabelman, a young aspiring filmmaker who explores how the power of films can help him see the truth about his dysfunctional family. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Gabriel LaBelle as Sammy, with Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, and Judd Hirsch in supporting roles. The film is dedicated to the memories of Spielberg's real-life parents Leah Adler and Arnold Spielberg, who died in 2017 and 2020, respectively. Editing The Fabelmans In our discussion with THE FABLEMANS editors Michael Kahn ACE and Sarah Broshar, we talk about: Working with Steven Spielberg, of course! Sharing one big Avid Making up match cuts A close encounter on Hogan's Heroes Looking forward, never backward The Credits Visit Extreme Music for all your production audio needs See the latest features in Avid Media Composer Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode Visit The Rough Cut on YouTube
undefined
Dec 19, 2022 • 55min

Babylon

Editor - Tom Cross, ACE BABYLON editor Tom Cross, ACE first really made a name for himself working alongside director Damien Chazelle on their breakout film, WHIPLASH (2014).  Among the many accolades garnered by the film was Cross's Oscar® win for Best Film Editing.  Chazelle and Cross would follow that up with another hit movie, LA LA LAND (2016), for which Cross was again nominated for an Oscar®.  The two would team up yet again for FIRST MAN (2018), a biopic about astronaut Neil Armstrong.  Prior to rejoining Chazelle for BABYLON, Cross collaborated with editor Elliot Graham ACE to cut Daniel Craig's final turn as James Bond in, NO TIME TO DIE (2021). Written and directed by Damien Chazelle, BABYLON features an ensemble cast that includes Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, Tobey Maguire and Li Jun Li. Its plot chronicles the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in the late 1920's when Hollywood was transitioning from silent films to "talkies". Editing BABYLON In our discussion with BABYLON editor Tom Cross, ACE we talk about: The actual workload of oners The science of silence The tightly integrated process between Tom and composer Justin Hurwitz SuperGroups for mastering musicals Tom's taste in toppings The Credits Visit Extreme Music for all your production audio needs See the latest Special Offers for Avid Media Composer Hear Tom Cross discuss cutting NO TIME TO DIE Check out Tom's Rough Cut interview about Damien Chazelle's FIRST MAN Watch Tom give a guided Timeline Tour of his edit of FIRST MAN Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode Visit The Rough Cut on YouTube
undefined
Dec 12, 2022 • 53min

Spirited

Editor - Brad Wilhite SPIRITED editor Brad Wilhite had plenty of experience cutting for laughs, but when you put it to music, that's a whole different story.  Brad didn't even like musicals before he took the job of cutting SPIRITED.  But with a little research and a little help from editorial angels like Myron Kerstein ACE, Tom Cross ACE and Debra Neil-Fisher ACE, Brad soon found the Christmas spirit in the cutting room.  Brad also reunited on SPIRITED with the writing/directing team of Sean Anders and John Morris, with whom Brad has worked on films such as; HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 (2014), DADDY'S HOME (2015), DADDY'S HOME 2 (2017) and INSTANT FAMILY (2018). Starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds, SPIRITED is a modern retelling of Charles Dickens's 1843 novella A Christmas Carol and its various adaptations since. The Ghost of Christmas Present (Ferrell) is nearing retirement, which would mean a return to Earth. He sets his sights on an "unredeemable" man (Reynolds), a man who may end up helping the Ghost come to terms with his own past. Editing Spirited In our discussion with SPIRITED editor Brad Wilhite we talk about: The little "wins" you need to have when editing a musical Being comfortable "airing things out" in the cutting room Getting familiar with the other departments Editing video tap footage to kick things off The best gift you can give to an editor The Credits Visit Extreme Music for all your production audio needs See the latest Special Offers for Avid Media Composer Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode Visit The Rough Cut on YouTube
undefined
Dec 5, 2022 • 51min

Glass Onion - a Knives Out mystery

Editor - Bob Ducsay, ACE GLASS ONION editor Bob Ducsay ACE has forged a tight collaborative bond with director Rian Johnson, going back to their first film, LOOPER (2012).  And although GLASS ONION is only their fourth feature together, the quality of their work has been recognized by audiences, critics and the industry at large.  The pair were recently honored with the inaugural Variety Creative Collaborators Award at the 10th annual Middleburg Film Festival. [Purloined from the good folks at ROTTEN TOMATOES]  Benoit Blanc returns to peel back the layers in a new Rian Johnson whodunit. This fresh adventure finds the intrepid detective at a lavish private estate on a Greek island, but how and why he comes to be there is only the first of many puzzles. Blanc soon meets a distinctly disparate group of friends gathering at the invitation of billionaire Miles Bron for their yearly reunion. Among those on the guest list are Miles' former business partner Andi Brand, current Connecticut governor Claire Debella, cutting-edge scientist Lionel Toussaint, fashion designer and former model Birdie Jay and her conscientious assistant Peg, and influencer Duke Cody and his sidekick girlfriend Whiskey. As in all the best murder mysteries, each character harbors their own secrets, lies and motivations. When someone turns up dead, everyone is a suspect. Editing Glass Onion - a Knives Out mystery In our discussion with GLASS ONION editor Bob Ducsay ACE we talk about: Making mysteries with Rian Johnson Connecting with the details to make a better movie Winding the audience clock Dealing in double narratives Zooming with Sondheim The Credits Visit Extreme Music for all your production audio needs See the latest Special Offers for Avid Media Composer Hear Bob's interview about his work on KNIVES OUT Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode Visit The Rough Cut on YouTube
undefined
Nov 28, 2022 • 49min

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio

Editors - Ken Schretzmann ACE and Holly Klein PINOCCHIO editors Ken Schretzmann ACE and Holly Klein each have a background rich with experience in animation.  But while Ken's is in editing CGI-animated features like TOY STORY 3 (2010) and CARS (2006), Holly's earlier work was actually as an animator for TV shows such as BLUES CLUES and WONDER PETS!  Together they took on the roles of Animatic Editor (Ken) and Production Editor (Holly) to help tame the massive challenge of crafting a contemporary stop motion classic. Academy Award-winning director Guillermo del Toro’s lifelong love of animation and the art of stop motion began when he was a child growing up in Guadalajara, Mexico.  By the age of eight, he had started shooting his own amateur stop motion films using his toys and a Super 8 camera that belonged to his father.  As a teenager, he began teaching Claymation classes and, in the process, came upon an idea that would find its way to fruition four decades later; a cinematic adaptation based on Gris Grimly's design from his 2002 edition of Carlo Collodi's 1883 Italian novel, The Adventures of Pinocchio.  Co-directed by del Toro and stop motion vet Mark Gustafson (in his feature directorial debut), the film stars the voices of Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Gregory Mann, Burn Gorman, John Turturro, Ron Perlman, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, Tim Blake Nelson, Christoph Waltz, and Tilda Swinton. Editing Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio In our discussion with Ken and Holly, we talk about: Bringing leftovers into work Animating in the mistakes How you can’t rehearse fighting with a balloon Using green screen to buy the animators some time Table reads for scratch dialogue The Credits Visit Extreme Music for all your production audio needs See the latest Special Offers for Avid Media Composer Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode Visit The Rough Cut on YouTube
undefined
Nov 21, 2022 • 49min

RRR

Editor - A. Sreekar Prasad RRR editor A. Sreekar Prasad not only knows how to cut a great movie, he knows how to do it quickly when required.  But despite having a massive fourteen film credits to his name in 2022 alone, Sreekar's time on RRR was actually spread out over three years, with a constant cycle of cutting scenes and turning them over to VFX to accommodate for the huge role CGI played in bringing RRR to life.  In addition to RRR, A. Sreekar Prasad is known for his work on TALVAR (2015), DIL CHAHTA HAI (2001) and SHERSHAAH (2021). RRR is a "Tollywood" (Telugu-language) film directed by S. S. Rajamouli, who co-wrote the film with V. Vijayendra Prasad. The film stars Ram Charan and N. T. Rama Rao Jr. as the real-life Indian revolutionaries, Alluri Sitarama Raju (Charan) and Komaram Bheem (Rama Rao).  The film imagines their friendship and fight against the British Raj in the 1920s, exploring the undocumented period in their lives when both revolutionaries chose to go into obscurity before they began the fight for their country. Editing RRR In our discussion with RRR editor A. Sreekar Prasad, we talk about: Cutting in seventeen different languages Infusing the story into the songs Constantly turning over to VFX Keeping the target audience in mind Homebrew ADR The Credits Visit Extreme Music for all your production audio needs See the latest Special Offers for Avid Media Composer Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode Visit The Rough Cut on YouTube
undefined
Nov 14, 2022 • 42min

The Banshees of Inisherin

Editor - Mikkel E.G. Nielsen, ACE THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN editor Mikkel E.G. Nielsen, ACE makes his return to The Rough Cut, having previously appeared on the show to talk about the film that would land him an Oscar® for Best Film Editing, SOUND OF METAL (2020).  In addition to the delicate challenge of filling the void left by the passing of editor Jon Gregory, director Martin McDonagh's frequent collaborator in the cutting room, Mikkel was also tasked with a crafting a film that walked a fine line between comedy and drama in a way that only an Irish film could. THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN takes place in 1923, on the small fictional Irish isle of Inisherin during the Irish Civil War. Folk musician Colm Doherty abruptly begins ignoring his long-time friend and drinking buddy Pádraic Súilleabháin. Pádraic, though nice and well liked by the islanders, is too dull for Colm who wishes to spend the remainder of his life composing music and doing things that he will be remembered for. Pádraic's life is destabilized by the loss of one of his few friends; as Pádraic grows increasingly distressed at the rejection, Colm becomes more resistant to his old friend's attempts to speak to him. Colm eventually gives Pádraic an ultimatum: every time he bothers him or tries to talk with him, he will cut off one of his own left fingers with a pair of sheep shears. Editing THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN In our discussion with THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN editor Mikkel E.G. Nielsen, ACE we talk about: Barely talking to the director How less is more The award-worthy performance of Jenny the Donkey Adopting Barry Keoghan Going from Barbie Girl to Banshees The Credits Visit Extreme Music for all your production audio needs See the latest Special Offers for Avid Media Composer Hear Mikkel's interview about his work on SOUND OF METAL Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode Visit The Rough Cut on YouTube
undefined
Nov 7, 2022 • 51min

Black Adam

Black Adam - Editor, Mike Sale ACE BLACK ADAM editor, Mike Sale ACE is no stranger to the action comedy genre - emphasis on comedy.  With films to his credit such as; FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL (2008), BRIDESMAIDS (2011), THE HANGOVER II (2011), WE’RE THE MILLERS (2013), CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE (2016), SKYSCRAPER (2018), SPENCER CONFIDENTIAL (2020) and RED NOTICE (2021), it should be obvious to anyone that Mike knows how to edit movies about cracking jokes and breaking bones.  But the latest entry in the DCEU marks Sale's first venture into comic book cinema.  Reunited for the fourth time with megastar Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Mike brought his signature editorial enthusiasm and aesthetic to BLACK ADAM. The story of BLACK ADAM begins in ancient Kahndaq, where a man named Teth Adam was bestowed the almighty powers of the gods. After using these powers for vengeance, he was imprisoned, becoming Black Adam. Nearly 5,000 years have passed, and Black Adam has gone from man to myth to legend. Now free, his unique form of justice, born out of rage, is challenged by modern-day heroes who form the Justice Society: Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher and Cyclone. In our discussion with BLACK ADAM editor, Mike Sale ACE, we talk about: How size matters in the editing suite Taking acting classes but staying away from actors Comedy, comedy, comedy, exposition, comedy Stephen King's secret weapon for editors Using "yacht rock" to make violence fun The Credits Visit Extreme Music for all your production audio needs LEAVE YOUR QUESTIONS FOR PRO EDITORS HERE See which model of Avid Media Composer is right for you Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode Visit The Rough Cut on YouTube

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode