An Editor's Touch, Often Unseen, Never Unfelt, in the Spotlight by Halyce Naparstek 11 October, 2010
Exploring the footage, looking at how to best execute the creatives’ intent and the directors vision, editors are the unsung heroes of narrative. Our showreel shows why.
In the best of situations, the art and skill of an editor goes unnoticed, and it is supposed to be that way. Blending events that didn’t happen sequentially, seeming as they did. Images that were filmed worlds apart, in many cases coming together cohesively to tell a story. All of this is the stealthy handiwork of our “Art of Editing” sponsors and the editors, artists and staff who support them. Examples include London editorial house Work, which masterfully connects the similarity of the day to day in our daily lives for VW in “Enjoy The Everyday.” Foundation Content adds to the emotion of images in an artful piece for United Way titled “Clothesline.” Union Editorial matches people from all walks of life to punctuate the commonality and widespread affection for Pepsi in “One People.” Timing is everything in Beast’s spot for Old Spice, where comedy doesn’t miss a beat in “Raven.” Pictures in a Row’s craftwork intensifies the drama for Canon in the short film “Nocturne.” BlueRock helps to bring cute and adorable to a whole new level in this environmentally conscience spot for Dawn titled "Wash Away." Cutters pulls at the heartstrings with their interpretation of “Clydesdale Circus” for Anheuser Busch. Breathe Editing is brilliant at conveying the cool and frenetic world that is Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame, in the behind-the-scenes coverage of his “Rolling Stone” photo shoot. Click here to take a look and marvel at the artistry and the craft on display in our sponsors’ showreel below. We're also presenting short mini-profiles of our sponsor companies below.
Beast is one of the country’s top editorial houses for commercials, music videos and web virals. Managing Director Valerie Petrusson (pictured left) is based in Santa Monica, with facilities also in New York, Austin, Detroit, Chicago and San Francisco, Beast serves a global clientele with a roster of established, award-winning editors as well as up-and-coming talent. Since opening its doors in 2006, Beast has built an impressive and varied body of work for such clients as Harpo Films, Nike, Electronic Arts, Converse, AT&T, Reebok, Southwest Airlines, GM, Toyota, BMW, Mercedes, USAF, Linkin Park and Black Eyed Peas just to name a few.
BlueRock is a New York-based creative editorial company that’s an industry leader known for its artistic diversity and technological integration. The company is home to a group of talented editors, whose recent work includes TV commercials and longer-format pieces for such brands as Avon, American Express, ESPN, FedEx, Microsoft, Wendy’s, AT&T, Garnier and Toyota. Under the leadership of industry innovators John Palestrini and Ethel Rubinstein, the studio has established a reputation for providing both its clients and its staff with a supportive environment steeped in creative excellence. “Our goal is to continue to evolve, expanding our capabilities to match the creative demands of any project for any screen,” adds Roe Bressan, President/COO of BlueRock (pictured here). Recent achievements include work on stereoscopic 3D projects and feature entertainment for the likes of supergroupU2 and director DarrenAronofsky, in addition to an ongoing complement of TV spots, music videos and digital and interactive assignments. Together with its affiliate companies—design and visual effects studio Spontaneous, the audio post facility Blast and the finishing house Ballistic—BlueRock is uniquely equipped to offer clients and projects of all sizes a range of integrated solutions designed to meet any challenge.
Breathe Editing, established in 2001, is the vision of three advertising community veterans: Andy Jennison, Kenny Pedini (pictured left) and Michael Schwartz. Beginning in a small, three-room warehouse space in the Garment Center, they now enjoy a bright and open loft space in the Flatiron District. Executive Producer Kenny Pedini, along with editors Andy Jennison and Michael Schwartz and the Breathe staff, can be found cutting commercials and other types of content in a creatively nurturing environment. Most of their time is spent in three state of the art Avid Adrenaline HD rooms. There’s plenty of space to wander, plenty of laptops and quiet corners and guitars hanging on walls, along with electronic drums and keyboards ready to tempt even the most musically challenged. And for some physical recreation, there’s always the ping pong table—whatever it takes to make the experience of the edit the most creative and positive as possible. Their clients range from agencies like BBDO, Merkley, MRM, Draftfcb, Saatchi & Saatchi, Grey Worldwide, Della Femina, Wishbone and Arnold Worldwide, just to name a few while their projects have introduced them to people like Roger Waters, PetraNemkova, Michael Imperioli and Dave Brubeck.
Cutters is a bicoastal creative editorial boutique whose editors, artists, assistants and producers bring experience and creativity to every project. Boasting 14 editors on staff, with offices in both Chicago and Santa Monica, their editors cut anywhere in the world, and have worked from Tokyo to South Africa. While cutting award-winning projects for film, entertainment, broadcast promotion and advertising, Cutters’ client roster includes brands such as Coke, Volvo, Capital One, Miller Coors (pictured right), Cadillac, State Farm, Anheuser Busch, Diners Club and Toyota. Affiliated companies include Another Country, with its state-of-the-art sound studios, as well as visual effects and design shop SOL Design.
Foundation Content is a hybrid production/post and graphics company capable of providing clients with work across all media landscapes, including advertising, entertainment and branding. The Co-Owner, Samantha Hart (as seen on the left), heads the production team that consists of a number of skilled and proven producers, writers, directors, camera operators and film editors. It's graphic division includes 3D artists as well as 2D motion design, and they have the state of the art DaVinci Resolve for high-end color correction, as well as an audio suite. The members of the Foundation team, which works out of studios in Chicago and Santa Monica, have combined to form a company that approaches projects differently than a traditional production/post house or marketing services company.
Pictures in a Row was started in 1995 by Peter and Electra Lang as a commercial production company. With the addition of editor Gregory Nussbaum, it expanded into post production. Fifteen years later, they find themselves in a beautiful building in Hollywood with a talented group of 24 editors, directors and producers. They all work together, wearing many hats and taking advantage of seven edit suites, production space and a stage. Some of Pictures in a Row’s commercial clients include Acura, Holland America, Union 76, Puerto Rico Board of Tourism, University of Michigan Health Systems, USAA Insurance and Bristol Meyers Squibb. Feature film work includes Frank Miller’s “The Spirit” and Lexi Alexander’s upcoming film “Lifted,” as well as the opening title sequence to the documentary “I.O.U.S.A.” Picrow has edited music videos for The Wombats, Kid Cudi, Chris Shiflett, Fruit Bats, David Guetta, Alan Jackson, Dwight Yoakam and INXS, as well as a web video for Amnesty International featuring Morgan Freeman, a video message for Bono’s charity “One,” a multi-spot TV campaign for Mercy Healthcare (shot, edited, color corrected and mixed all in house) and an EPK for the feature doc “Little Town of Bethlehem.”
BicoastalUnion Editorial was founded in 2003 in Los Angeles and quickly became one of the premiere editorial shops on the West Coast, cutting high-profile and award-winning work for top agencies and clients. Union opened its New York studio in 2008 and, despite its growth, has maintained its "family-owned" atmosphere. Presided over by Partner/President Michael Raimondi, Partner/Executive Producer CarynMacLean (both pictured on the left) and Executive Producer Megan Dahlman, Union Editorial continues to deliver an array of iconic advertising, music video and feature work, including TV spots and other content for Pepsi, Kia, JCPenney, Volkswagen and Nissan, as well as for the recording artists Radiohead and the upcoming stereoscopic 3D Disney blockbuster, “Tron: Legacy.” The Union roster includes Partner/Editors Jim Haygood, Einar, Jay Friedkin, SloaneKlevin and Geordie Anderson. In May 2009, the company announced a reciprocal arrangement with London's Marshall Street Editors, representing its roster of talents in the US, while Marshall Street represents the Union roster in the UK.
Jane Dilworth (pictured on the right), Bill Smedley, Neil Smith and Rich Orrick launched the boutique editing company Work in 2006, opening with a small yet strong roster boating three of London’s top editors. Smedley, Smith and Orrick began their careers in London during the mid-nineties, all three have gone on to win various awards in commercial and promo editing, working on major projects and campaigns with production companies and advertising agencies globally. In 2009, Editor Art Jones, with ten years editing experience and two feature films under his belt, joined Work. He has also been awarded for his commercials and music promo work. This year, Editor Ben Jordan was promoted from assistant after executing what Dilworth calls "great work" and being requested by agency clients. "We're proud to have him alongside," she says. Work has a tie-in with Los Angeles and New York editorial company Spot Welders for US representation.
Beast
Chapter 1: Breathe Editorial...
