The Rough Cut
Editor - Brian Philip Davis Hokum editor Brian Philip Davis teams up once more with director Damian McCarthy. Prior to this film the two joined forces to craft McCarthy's supernatural thriller, Oddity. This time out, they double down on the dread and jack up the jump scares to keep audiences on the edge of, and often a few feet above, their seats. Written and directed by Damian McCarthy, Hokum stars Adam Scott as novelist Ohm Bauman. When Bauman retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents' ashes, he's consumed by tales of a witch that haunts the honeymoon suite....
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Editor - Nena Erb ACE and Asst. Editor Gioia Caruso Wonder Man editor Nena Erb and her assistant Gioia Caruso first worked together on the R-rated road trip comedy, Joy Ride. A film that could not be more different than the grounded, character driven tv series, Wonder Man. Making the dramatic jump in tone and style from Joy Ride to Wonder Man might have been a daunting task for other editorial duos, but Nena's skills as a "digital quilter" and Gioia's talents as "keeper of the footage" helped them rise to the challenge. In the Marvel Spotlight series Wonder Man, superpowered...
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Editor - Joel Negron ACE, Sound Designers - Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn Project Hail Mary editor Joel Negron says that one of the first calls that he makes when he signs on to a new film is to his trusted colleagues in audio post, Erik and Ethan. And for more than fifteen years the trio has collaborated on a wide variety of films, including the Transformers franchise, Jungle Cruise and Cocaine Bear. But their latest film with directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller would prove to be one of their greatest challenges, but also one of their biggest hits! Based on the...
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Editor - Tim Squyres, ACE Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice editor Tim Squyres has over three decades of experience working with directors such as Ang Lee, Robert Altman and Jonathan Demme. But his latest film marks the first time collaborating with writer/director BenDavid Grabinski. Together the two navigated the tonal minefield of blending action, comedy, romance and a little time travel, to deliver a raucous romp that spans multiple years in one night. Set in a highly-stylized criminal underworld, Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice follows two (or three) gangsters and...
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Axel Geddes ACE, Tony Greenberg, Chloe Kloezeman, Geoff Sledge, Ayesha Johannes The Hoppers editing team of Axel, Tony, Chloe, Geoff and Ayesha understand better than anyone, that in the world of animation, creating a captivating film involves more than just drawing and animating characters. It requires a deep understanding of storytelling, editing, and collaboration. Not to mention the occasional party in the cutting room. Hoppers follows a young woman named Mabel Tanaka, an animal lover whose mind is transferred into a lifelike robotic beaver, allowing her to communicate with animals...
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Editor - Nigel Williams How to Get to Heaven From Belfast editor Nigel Williams once again finds himself cutting with showrunner Lisa McGee. Having first worked with McGee on her hit series, Derry Girls, the two are back together for a show that features Lisa's well-known witty dialogue and quirky characters, but this time all wrapped up in a mystery. How to Get to Heaven From Belfast is an eight-part series that follows three longtime friends. Now in their late 30s, but still as close as ever, the girls are about to embark on the most thrilling adventure of their lives. When an...
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Editors - Arthur Tarnowski ACE, CCE and Véronique Barbe CCE After years of working in different cutting rooms across Montreal, Heated Rivalry editors Arthur Tarnowski and Véronique Barbe are finally skating on the same line for showrunner Jacob Tierney. But bringing the “spicy” subject matter of Rachel Reid's book series to tv audiences would be no small feat. It required the editors to find the right balance of tension, chemistry and character within and around the steamy sexual encounters of the shows main characters. Heated Rivalry follows the lives of two budding hockey superstars,...
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Editor - Michael P. Shawver Sinners editor Michael Shawver has enjoyed a long and productive relationship with his former USC classmate, director Ryan Coogler. Together the two have collaborated on Fruitvale Station, Creed, Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and now Sinners. Their past experience on both VFX-heavy films like Black Panther, as well as socio-political dramas like Fruitvale Station, would prove invaluable as they worked to blend the real horror of racial injustice with the fantastical horror of a vampire onslaught. Taking place in 1932, Sinners follows...
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Editors - Skip Macdonald ACE, Chris McCaleb ACE and Joey Liew The PLUR1BUS editing team of Skip, Chris and Joey have worked together for 15 years on Vince Gilligan's Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul and now his new sci-fi hit for Apple TV+. With that kind of shared experience the three have established a creative "hive mind" of their own, while still demonstrating their individual talents as storytellers. Despite PLUR1BUS being such a departure from the stories he has told up to this point, it's easy to see why one thing Vince wouldn't change is the post crew that has helped make his...
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Editor - Stacey Schroeder ACE Editor Stacey Schroeder ACE admits she knows nothing about magic, but you wouldn't know it from the amazing slight of hand she demonstrates when cutting a movie. Coming into this film never having worked with director Ruben Fleischer before, and also being new to the franchise, Stacey had to rely upon her past experiences in comedy and action to hit all the right notes for this "magic-heist-action-comedy" tale. Now You See Me: Now You Don't is the third installment in the Now You See Me film series. Returning cast members include Jesse...
info_outlineEditors - Todd Downing ACE and Amelia Allwarden ACE
OVERCOMPENSATING editors Todd and Amelia often leaned on each other for perspective throughout the post process. As Todd recounted, "You lose perspective, but there are other jokes that you always, always laugh at, and then you know it’s a gem." Editing comedy, as Amelia noted, involves understanding the micro-timing of jokes — knowing precisely when to cut away or linger, to maximize comedic impact. Todd echoes this sentiment, explaining that edits can drastically influence the pacing and timing essential for landing a joke. Ultimately, the collaborative dynamic between the two allowed them to strike a balance between comedy and the series' more serious undertones.
OVERCOMPENSATING tells the story of Benny, a former high school football star and valedictorian from Idaho, as he begins his freshman year of college at the fictional Yates University, where his sister Grace is a junior. He is closeted and masks his true identity by aping the machismo of his male peers, particularly that of Peter, Grace's jock boyfriend. On his first day on campus, Benny befriends Carmen, a freshman from New Jersey who was an outsider in high school. Together, Benny and Carmen navigate their first year of college, which includes new relationships, pledging the college's secret society, and figuring out their true selves.
TODD DOWNING, ACE
AMELIA ALLWARDEN, ACE
Amelia Allwarden, ACE is a Los Angeles-based film and television editor. Originally from New Hampshire, she earned a highly coveted spot in the American Cinema Editors (ACE) internship program in 2015. She then spent a season and a half as an assistant editor on TNT’s Good Behavior, before being promoted to editor in season 2. Amelia worked as an assistant editor on season 2 of HBO’s Westworld under showrunners Jonathan Nolan & Lisa Joy. During this time, Amelia edited Evan Rachel Wood’s debut short film Queen. In 2021, she reunited with Nolan & Joy as an editor on Westworld season 4. She most recently edited Dune: Prophecy for HBO, and the Marvel Studios series Echo. Amelia edited six episodes across all seasons of the Emmy nominated Hulu series Pen15. She collaborated with writer/director Aubrey Plaza on Cinema Toast, a Duplass Brothers anthology series on Showtime.
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