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A good post-producer is hard to find. They have such a difficult job of managing budgets and clients, scheduling, finding talent for jobs and keeping everyone involved happy, fed, on track to finish and doing their best work. And to us editors they can and should be our main line of defense against clients overreaching, to deliver more than they agreed to or work more hours or whatever it may be.  My guest, Kate Aspel,l is one of these great producers who has the ability to stay on top of a project and clients while also protecting those of us in post. I’ve had the pleasure of working with her a number of times before when she was at Artclass; she’s currently Executive Producer at Scholar, and before both she was a commercial sales rep. She’s also able to talk at length about 90s New Jersey pop punk, which is equally as important as her illustrious career, to me at least.  She’d mentioned in passing to me a few things she wished editors knew and so I thought what a great opportunity for freelance editors to hear from the person that does the hiring- some tips and tricks for getting work. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cuttingclass/support

Hey everybody, welcome to the Bonus Round of Season 1 of Cutting Class. As I mentioned at the end of Jen Dean’s episode I’m doing something a little different with these bonus episodes and I’m hoping it proves to be interesting and of value to you: I’m speaking with non-editors about editing. People who work closely with editors and likely have never really expressed out loud some of their feelings about editing and editors. And first up is really top notch: Crystal Moselle is the celebrated director of The Wolfpack, Sophia, The Skate Kitchen and HBO’s Betty. And though she is a director she does have some editing experience. Also since we talk a good amount about it, a little refresher: The Wolfpack is the 2015 documentary about the Angulo family, whose seven children were confined to their lower east side apartment by their overbearing father. They learned about the outside world through watching films. On one of their few breakaways from they home Crystal ran into them and struck up a friendship then began filming them for many years. The result was Crystal’s debut film which ended up winning the Grand Jury prize at Sundance and was bought by Magnolia Pictures and the rest is history.  Stay tuned for more of these bonus episodes. HMU @cuttingclassediting on IG --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cuttingclass/support

Jen Dean is a NY-based commercial editor and mother with a sharp eye, a quick wit and a love for Texan psych rock. After studying under Stan Brakhage she got her start at Lost Planet as Hank Corwin’s assistant, eventually moving on to cut her own award-winning projects from fashion to comedy to docu style and everything in between. She’s an editor’s editor and has been in this edit world for long enough to be known and respected by anyone and everyone who’s also been around long enough to know anything.  When I began this podcast and the accompanying instagram I reposted an image of Thelma Schoonmaker on the IG and multiple people, including former guest Kimmy Dubé, quickly responded that the woman Thelma was with was also a legend herself, Jen Dean. So I swiftly got Jen’s contact and tried and failed to land an interview for many months and then the conversation drifted away; so Jen was my white whale for this season and I couldn’t close it out without her. And I’m so glad she was finally able to make time for me because we had a great chat.  For more information and supplemental video clips visit cuttingclass.fm Connect with us on IG @cuttingclassediting Questions, Comments, Criticism: [email protected] Cutting Class is produced, hosted & edited by John McSwain --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cuttingclass/support

Paul Rogers is an LA-based editor best known for his astonishing work on the breakout hit film Everything Everywhere All at Once. His wild resume also includes The Eric Andre Show, You Cannot Kill David Arquette, The Death of Dick Long, Dream Corp LLC, and a number of great music videos notably including DJ Snake & Lil Jon’s extremely viral “Turn Down For What”, Haim ft A$ap Ferg’s “My Song 5” and Lauv ft. Julia Michaels “There’s No Way.” He, along with his partners at Parallax Post, co-edited Sampha’s beautiful album film “Process” as well as “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A Bad Boy Story.” (As we get into later, who from Parallax worked on what is not entirely clear for me and I’m going off IMDB and I know there’s way more than what’s listed there so my apologies if any of that isn’t fully correct but it’s an interesting story to stay tuned). In this episode we discuss: -a life changing viewing of Flying Lotus' Until the Quiet Comes -Editing with "The Swarm" -Why all editors should be in therapy -Premiere Gang -The Rocks ************ For more information and supplemental video clips visit cuttingclass.fm  Connect with us on IG @cuttingclassediting Questions, Comments, Criticism: [email protected] Cutting Class is produced, hosted & edited by John McSwain --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cuttingclass/support

Andre “Dre” Jones is a Los Angeles-based editor with a flair for dynamic, stylish music videos, commercials and films. Notably among these is “Pop Star” by DJ Khaled ft. Drake (which was nominated for a VMA video of the year), Rosalia’s “A Palé,” Rosalia and The Weekend’s “La Fama,” Ariana Grande’s “34+35,” Summer Walker, Cardi B and SZA’s “No Love,’ and Bella Poarch’s viral video for “Build a B.” There’s more actually. Like Beam - “Planet Beam”, Nicky Minaj ft. Lil Baby - “Do We Have a Problem?”, Orville Peck - “No Glory in the Wild,” Megan Thee Stallion ft. Norman - “Diamonds,” Rick Ross ft. Young Jeezy - “War Ready,” Swizz Beats ft. Asap Rocky - “Street Knock,” Pusha T - “Feeling Myself,” Wale’s “Lotus Flower Bomb” and many many others. We get into those last three a bit in this episode. Also in this episode: -Cutting for Cool -Basketball and Editing -Directors who know their VFX -Letting Cuts Breathe For more information and supplemental video clips visit cuttingclass.fm . Connect with us on IG @cuttingclassediting Questions, Comments, Criticism: [email protected] To Support this podcast visit anchor.fm/cuttingclass/support Cutting Class is produced, hosted & edited by John McSwain --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cuttingclass/support

Aaron I. Butler, ACE is a Los Angeles-based multi-disciplinary editor best known for his work on the second season of HBO’s wildly popular TV show Euphoria. He’s responsible for the most intense hour of television I’ve seen in a very long time, Season 2 Episode 5 “Stand Still Like the Hummingbird,” also known as the Rue running for her life episode. He’s also previously cut Kanye’s “Jesus is King” Imax film, the films JT Leroy and I Am Michael, a number of documentaries including HBO’s Cries From Syria and then there’s the juicy stuff, Laguna Beach and Taxi Cab Confessions. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cuttingclass/support

Eileen Meyer and Aaron Wickenden are two outstanding editors who have collaborated on three major documentaries: Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Television Event and Best of Enemies: Buckley vs. Vidal. They’re also prolific individually: Eileen previously co-edited the Oscar-nominated/Sundance Audience award winning doc, Crip Camp, and cut on the Netflix doc series The Devil Next Door; while Aaron has also cut or collaborated on such very notable docs as Becoming, Feels Good Man, They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead, Finding Vivian Maier and a personal favorite of mine: Won’t You Be My Neighbor. Together, they’ve been nominated for this year’s CinemaEye Honors award for best editing. In this episode we discuss: -Collaboration and ownership -Layering emotion and humor -Doc narrative structure -Utilizing silence --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cuttingclass/support

Evan Schrodek is a Los Angeles-based TV, film and documentary editor best known for his work on the zombie-apocalypse smash hit The Walking Dead. After assisting on season four he moved up to editor on season five and continued cutting for seasons six, eight and nine.  He also recently edited the thriller series Panic and he’s soon to be known even more for his work on the upcoming Resident Evil series on Netflix. ********* On this episode we get into: - The Pleasure of Horror and cutting for the audience - Horror sound design - Alienating the viewer aka brutally murdering a lead character - Our mutual love for Hereditary ******** For more information and supplemental video clips visit cuttingclass.fm Connect with us on IG @cuttingclassediting Find Evan on IG at @evanschrodek Questions, Comments, Criticism: [email protected] To Support this podcast visit anchor.fm/cuttingclass/support Cutting Class is produced, hosted & edited by John McSwain --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cuttingclass/support

Jake Burghart is a prolific editor, cinematographer and director known for his work at VICE media over the past 15 years. As one of the company’s first video hires during its transition from free magazine to behemoth news and entertainment network, Jake set the look and tone of the videos as both camera person and editor. He got his first big break in the early 2000s shooting and editing the Against Me! documentary, "We're Never Going Home," then after joining Vice cut The Vice Guide to Travel DVD, True Norwegian Black Metal, The Vice Guide to Congo, and his own surfing shows High Shredability and School of Surf. He spent many years as Cinematographer for the Emmy Award-Winning show VICE on HBO. Our interview took place in Fall of 2020 after he’d recently completed directing, shooting and co-editing The Vice Guide to Iran and was working on a new mid-pandemic news show, Shelter in Place, with Shane Smith. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cuttingclass/support

Stephanie Filo is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning editor best known for her work on HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show and Supervillain: The Making of Tekashi 69, among many many others. Now based in Los Angeles but having grown up in Colorado and Sierra Leone, Stephanie also cuts many social impact docs, including her own PSA “End Ebola Now” which was viewed widely, spawning dance videos from celebrities to bring awareness, and helped lead to the eradication of Ebola in Sierra Leone. She’s also cut specials like Kim Kardashian West: The Justice Project, following Kim K as she works to help incarcerated people be released from prison, and finally, Separated, a short doc for which she won an Emmy, about ICE deportations and their effects on families. *********** On this episode we get into: -Getting the editing bug from watching the Se7en intro titles -Dancing's relationship to Editing -The imposter syndrome -Reality vs Documentary -Keeping your career diverse and keeping diversity in Post -Cutting from the heart (and winning awards for it) *********** For more information and supplemental video clips visit cuttingclass.fm Connect with us on IG @cuttingclassediting Questions, Comments, Criticism: [email protected] To Support this podcast visit anchor.fm/cuttingclass/support Cutting Class is produced, hosted & edited by John McSwain --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cuttingclass/support

Jason Goldwatch is a Los Angeles-based Director and Editor best known for his music videos for some of hip hop’s finest rappers. A brief collection would include Nas, Jay-Z, Kid Kudi, Common, Schoolboy Q, Pusha T, Alchemist, Evidence, Conway the Machine, Atmosphere, The Roots, Action Bronson and Kool Keith.  In this episode we trace his career, from making Beastie Boys tribute videos in high school to being the youngest signee to Spike Jonze’s production company to starting his own company and record label to now returning to being a one-man show, culminating in his recent album length video for Atmosphere, The Day Before Halloween. A few topics covered in this episode: Jason’s thoughts on why you should absolutely not go to film school. But maybe. But definitely not. digging in the YouTube crates editing in the pocket creating a visual language spirituality in the edit For more information and supplemental video clips visit cuttingclass.fm Find Goldwatch online @goldwatch or goldwatching.com Connect with CC on IG @cuttingclassediting Questions, Comments, Criticism: [email protected] To Support this podcast visit anchor.fm/cuttingclass/support Cutting Class is produced, hosted & edited by John McSwain --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cuttingclass/support

Mikkel E.G. Nielsen is the Oscar-nominated [edit: Oscar WINNING!] editor of Sound of Metal and a recent BAFTA and Critics Choice Awards winner for Best Editing. He’s a Copenhagen-based feature and commercial editor, previously known for his work on Beasts of No Nation, Madame Bovary and A Royal Affair.  In this episode we discuss: -how he approached the edit in Sound of Metal -creating empathy for an aggressive character -maintaining a toolkit of skills for use on any project -the joy of collaboration -Why there are never mistakes in the editing room For more information and supplemental video clips visit cuttingclass.fm . Connect with us on IG @cuttingclassediting Questions, Comments, Criticism: [email protected] To Support this podcast visit anchor.fm/cuttingclass/support Cutting Class is produced, hosted & edited by John McSwain --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cuttingclass/support