Q: Where are you currently employed?
I currently work for Netflix.
Q: Current projects?
I ’m finishing up work on the “Man On Fire” series starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
Q: Describe your job.
I’m a storyteller. Part artist, part technician, part therapist. I collaborate and help to shape a narrative in the most cohesive, compelling, and emotionally impactful way. I am the director’s or showrunner’s closest partner and confidant as we work together to bring out the best version of the project at hand.
Q: How did you first become interested in this line of work?
My mother worked in the business, first as assistant to the art department head at CBS and ultimately as head of the research department at Western Costume, so I was surrounded by theater, television, and film my whole life. My focus growing up was music. I started singing in the school choir at a young age and later got accepted into the California Boys Choir. I also took a lot of piano lessons but ultimately centered on guitar throughout my teens and early 20’s, playing the local club circuit in Los Angeles. But in my early 20’s, I also started working in production and gravitated towards — and fell in love with the power of — cinematography and especially editing.
Q: Who gave you your first break?
For feature work, Sylvester Stallone gave me my first big break on “Rocky Balboa” in 2006.
Q: What was your first union job?
Believe it or not, my first union job was “Rocky Balboa,” which is pretty crazy. Working with someone like Sly on such a seminal character as Rocky as a first experience in features isn’t a typical path for feature editors. I was extremely fortunate. My very good friend Sean Albertson, who was hired as the main editor, really sold me to Stallone on what I could bring to the project. I had already been directing and editing short-form for years by this time, but this would be my first gig as a union picture editor. I was absolutely hooked after this job and started a purposeful transition from the work I had been doing as a music video/live event director and editor to longform narrative.
Q: What credits or projects are you proudest of, and why?
I’m proud of some of the music videos I directed and edited before I got into features — also some of the visuals I produced for some of my favorite music acts that I toured with back in the day. I was able to work with the artists and create visual interpretations of songs utilizing footage I would find from various sources. Some of this work is pretty deep on a psychological level. After shows, I’ve seen — and often been thanked for — the effect it had on people. That’s a satisfying feeling as an artist.
I’m really proud of “Rocky Balboa” and “Rambo.” On both of these projects, Sly was bringing back characters after many years. It could have been disastrous, but I think they both turned out well and audiences were very receptive. I’ve actually seen clips of Karen freedom fighters in a Thai movie theater giving “Rambo” a standing ovation and chanting the tag line from the movie, “Live for nothing, or die for something.” It
shows the power of story and cinema.
I’m proud of my work on an HBO show called “Lovecraft Country.” I edited an episode called “I Am” that revolved around Hippolyta Freeman, the character played by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. The reactions and feedback from women in particular made me feel as though I had worked on something timely and important that gave a voice to people who felt they hadn’t been heard enough. Creator Misha Green had a clear vision of what she wanted to say, and as a collaborator, I’d say that’s the best work to be part of.
Q: What was your biggest challenge in your job (or on a particular project) and how did you overcome/solve it?
In general, sometimes the politics that come up during higher profile projects can be a lot to deal with. People rarely talk about this stuff openly, but by contrast with my experience in live events and concerts where everyone is straight up about everything, this industry seems to run a lot on fear and power dynamics. There’s a lot of money at stake with a lot of personalities involved, and we deal with extremely subjective clashing viewpoints when we try to create the best “version” of a story. This can create some extremely stressful situations for all involved. As an editor, you can sometimes get caught in the middle.
I do my best to stay calm, to stay engaged, and to keep my ego in check. At the end of the day, everyone wants the same thing, and it’s my job to facilitate navigating it all in the best way I can for the project. Being frank and honest with everyone has always been my best tool to deal with these kinds of scenarios.
Q: What was the most fun you’ve had at work?
This is kind of impossible for me to nail down. I’ve had so many amazing experiences in my career: Getting to travel while touring with Lollapalooza or Metallica as a video director, working closely with music legends like producer Bob Ezrin, collaborating with iconic directors like Sly and helping to bring back these iconic characters I grew up with — and, quite frankly, working with some of the smartest, hardest-working, most talented craftspeople in the world. I feel blessed that I get to do all this for a living.
Q: Jobwise, what do you hope to be doing five years from now?
I would like to continue working on projects that touch people. As I get older and further along in my career, quality over quantity becomes more of a focus.
Q: What are your outside activities, hobbies, passions?
I have quite a few hobbies. I still study and play multiple instruments, dabble in vocals when nobody is around, and record my own music just for my own sanity. I also love sampling and making beats on my MPC. [Ed. Note: MPC Beats is a free beat-making software designed to be a user-friendly DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) that provides a comprehensive set of tools for creating high-quality beats.]
I like to read a lot, particularly things having to do with philosophy, paradox, and the human condition.
Recently, I’ve been digging deeply into everything AI. That’s an exciting space to me as a creative.
I enjoy firearms, golf, and more than anything, loving on my dog, King. He’s a 95-pound German Shepherd who looks scary but is such a sensitive and loving soul. I got him about nine years ago from a breeder, which I wouldn’t normally do, but I saw a picture of him and I just knew. He is the best companion anyone could ask for.
Q: Favorite movie(s)? Why?
“Amadeus” is one of my favorite films of all time. I always thought Salieri was a tragically sympathetic antihero — an extremely talented musician who found no joy in his own art because he obsessively compared himself to someone he considered on a higher level. I think that’s very relatable for most creatives.
“Young Frankenstein” is also one of my all-time favorite movies. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve seen it; Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder in top form.
From a purely editorial perspective, “JFK” is one of my favorites. To this day, the editing still blows me away. “Goodfellas” and “The Wolf of Wall Street” are also editorially next-level for me. I can watch them over and over. Thelma Schoonmaker is a brilliant editor and, of course, Scorsese is definitely one of my favorite directors.
“Dr Strangelove” is probably my favorite Kubrick movie. Peter Sellers, playing three characters, is absolutely genius.
I’m a huge fan of John Carpenter’s work. His DIY style is just punk rock.
Love Hitchcock: The master in building tension and using the audience’s imagination against itself.
Some of my favorite action-specific directors are John Woo, Gareth Evans, and Chad Stahelski.
I’m also a huge fan of “hard R” comedies and satire: “Superbad,” “Tropic Thunder,” “Bridesmaids,” “The Hangover” — I’ll rewatch these films a lot. They are like comfort food to me.
Q: Favorite TV program(s)?
I loved “Game Of Thrones,” of course. “Breaking Bad” was an obsession for a while, one of the best TV shows ever. “Righteous Gemstones” is amazing!
When I interviewed with Simon Kinberg for a project, he turned me on to HBO’s comedy-drama “Succession,” which I proceeded to binge-watch to completion. I couldn’t get enough of it. So good!
I played “The Last Of Us” as a game, and I thought they did an amazing job bringing that to life.
There’s so much good television writing these days.
Q: Do you have an industry mentor?
There have been a few, but I would say Stallone has been my biggest mentor as an artist. I didn’t go to film school, but I’d been creative my whole life through music. More than anyone, Sly taught me about the artistic process: A process of iterations as you continue to mold, define, and bring out the best of something. How not to be afraid of doing things that don’t work in order to discover things that do work but aren’t always apparent on the surface. How it is only “finished” when they take it away from you. I will forever be indebted for his friendship
and support.
Also, I want to mention again my fellow editor Sean Albertson, who has been a constant champion of mine and has helped me enormously to navigate this industry.
Q: What advice would you offer to someone interested in pursuing your line of work?
I know there seems to be a lot of uncertainty in this industry right now, but ignore the noise and dive in head first! Work on anything you can get your hands on. Study work that speaks to you. Embrace the technical changes in tools and workflows. Surround yourself with people that are where you want to be.
Soak it all up as you learn to find your own artistic voice and style. There are no short cuts. It is a true craft, and it takes time and experience to find your footing. Lastly, never forget how fun and rewarding this work can be.
Q: Is there anything you’d like to say to your fellow Guild members, some words of encouragement?
Storytelling will never go away, no matter how the tools change.
Compiled by David Bruskin.
