by Rob Feld
Maura Corey grew up a theater kid convinced she’d be an actor. But after attending Indiana University—English major, film-crit minor—she remained unsure of what should next. Chicago was the answer. At Columbia College Chicago, an introductory film class handed her a first editing assignment and a light bulb went off; the visual language she’d absorbed from a lifetime of movies and TV suddenly clicked, and editing became the obsession.
She landed an internship at a commercial post house, worked in the vault, moved up to assistant editor, then took the leap to Los Angeles. There, a junior-editor stint led to cutting charity “rolling packages” for events like the Fire & Ice Ball. This eventually led to working with her mentor on an Oscars tribute package about Dino De Laurentiis. Corey continued from that entry point into unscripted work, all while eyeing comedy, the improv roots from Chicago tugging her toward shows like “Key & Peele.”
A satirical superhero series, “Gen V” is a spinoff of “The Boys” set at Godolkin University, America’s only college for superheroes run by Vought International. Ambitious freshmen compete for top rankings and a shot at joining The Seven, but a shocking campus tragedy pulls blood-bending newcomer Marie Moreau and classmates Jordan Li, Emma Shaw, Andre Anderson, and Cate Dunlap into a conspiracy beneath the school’s glossy veneer. They uncover a secret lab where young supes are imprisoned and experimented on, and learn hard truths about what kind of heroes they want to be. The series blends college drama, satire, and ultra-violent action as this first generation of superheroes raised on the knowledge of Compound V discovers Godolkin’s darkest secrets.
A key challenge for Corey on “Gen V” was balancing propulsion with character—the show barrels through action and VFX spectacle even as it pauses for emotional beats. It’s the big, fun challenge on a series where blood lassos and exploding goats are all in a day’s work.
CineMontage: You moved from a commercial house to unscripted television, to comedy. Tell me about that early transition.
Corey: Unscripted was a natural transition from working on the commercial packages I started on, and the field was booming—there were a lot of chairs to fill—so I was lucky with the timing and took advantage of it. What I love is that you can make any footage funny or dramatic depending on rhythm, scoring, and how you play it. There’s no structural prison: if a scene doesn’t work at the top, move it; restructure it; re-edit it to be funny or sad. You can cheat cutaways within the same location—even from the next day—to build an emotional journey. As an unscripted editor, I tried not to impose who I thought the characters were, but to express who they were trying to be. They’re real people, and you want to respect their journey. It’s still entertainment, but honoring their intent is integral to documentary and unscripted work. Translating that to scripted work, it’s invaluable. A script is a plan, but what plays on screen may not match what reads on the page. You have to stay open to restructuring so the intended drama or comedy comes through—even if it isn’t written that way.
CineMontage: How do you articulate for yourself that fine line between comedy and drama?
Corey: People cut from the gut—that’s how it should be. I’m the first viewer; if I’m crying, hopefully the audience is. If I’m not laughing or crying at work, I’m doing something wrong. Drama breathes: longer holds and closeups so the audience can attach emotion. Comedy is rhythm. It isn’t only about cutting fast; sometimes the laugh comes from an interrupted rhythm—fast then slow—or from a slow burn you milk. The trick is finding the exact breaking point where it stops being funny; sometimes it’s a matter of three frames. If eight frames is a beat, that extra half-beat can be the difference between flat and funny.
CineMontage: “Gen V” is a blend of many things, including comedy and drama. How did you find yourself on it?
Corey: I was lucky to interview with producers Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters years ago for ABC’s “Kevin (Probably) Saves the World.” They were specifically looking for comedy editors. I walked in thinking, “There’s no way I’m getting this; I don’t have drama experience,” which made me relaxed. I even asked, “Why interview a comedy editor?” They said they could navigate someone through drama, but comedy can be elusive, and they wanted to protect the lighter touches in their scenes. It felt like they were taking a chance on me, and it clicked. That show opened the door to more drama, led to another project with them, and eventually to “Gen V.” I’ve worked with others in the genre since, and it’s been amazing. I’m so glad they took that chance—and “Gen V” was no exception.
CineMontage: This did you discover how to cut this show, with such a blend of things?
Corey: One thing about “Gen V” is that it’s a spinoff, so “The Boys” had already established a visual language. This show has a slightly different voice—its point of view skews toward young women—but that foundation was there from people like Nona Kodi and Dave Kaldor. Cutting a satire is a delicate balance: stay true to each scene’s purpose. Some beats are deeply dramatic—you want to feel the sadness or anxiety—then you pivot into action or a pithy joke. Those turns have to feel character-motivated or you get emotional whiplash. A great example is Emma, who grows and shrinks. Her funny lines often work as armor, carrying a subtext of pain. As the writers leaned into each character’s voice—especially in Season 2—and the actors delivered, it became easier to layer story so the gags land harder, rather than just “here’s a scene, here’s a gag.” There’s the gag in on one of my episodes: Emma’s in a dire situation, shrunken and swimming inside a toilet as someone is about to sit down. That POV becomes the comic release. If you watch the scene, the music plays it straight—she’s trying to climb up the toilet, “Is she going to make it?”—then a lighting gag darkens over her head, she notices the big body in front of her, the music shifts, and it turns into a lighter moment as she escapes. As an audience, you think, “Oh my God, that is hilarious.”
CineMontage: What’s the key to this show for you?
Corey: The challenge on any show—especially one with action and drama—is making sure the dramatic moments don’t slow the action. In the finale, a lot of fighting is coming, but we also have to wrap up storylines. Jordan and Marie break up in the middle of an urgent moment, so we wanted to keep the pace and anxiety high while still dropping into that breakup and feeling how it affects our characters, then springboarding back into “We’ve got to go save the world” without losing tension. That’s the big, fun challenge. Same in Episode 4, where Emma’s running through the pipes while a fight is happening in the arena—we restructured a lot so her action and the fight felt like they were happening at once.
CineMontage: There’s so much VFX work. What is that workflow like for you?
Corey: This is the biggest VFX show I’ve done with purposeful VFX. I’ve done shows with invisible VFX—that’s a different conversation. For this show they set it up super smart: all the odd episodes get one VFX editor and all the evens get another. I did 204 and 208, so I had my VFX editor. As soon as I’d get footage—say, Marie pulling blood up from the floor and flinging blood lassos—I’d time it as best I could on the raw plates of her reaching back and putting her hands out. Then I’d hand it to my VFX editor; he’d temp it in After Effects, send it back, we’d adjust, and pass it back and forth. It’s almost like previs, but “invis.” We get the timing right so that by the time it goes to final VFX we know it to the frame. When it goes to producers, the cut is full of temps so everyone can feel the beats. There’s a scene in 204 where a goat explodes—I grabbed a freeze frame of a goat and put a little explosion on it—and seeing the final at the mix I thought, “Oh my God, that looks so good.”
CineMontage: What stands out for you about the series?
Corey: For me—especially with “Gen V”—it’s such a collaborative piece. We have VFX, and our composer is amazing; he gets the cut after picture and creates scores that really accentuate it. I don’t think a show like this could be done without all the departments working harmoniously. I feel showcased as an editor because of the action and the drama I get to cut, but I’m supported by the VFX team and the set design. You look at the richness of the show and how they do it without a $200 million feature budget—it’s beyond me. It looks so good and it sounds so good, and our sound team is amazing. It’s a joy to be part of a team that talented.
