A Peek Behind the Scenes of an Editor’s Career

Here at The Credits, we talk to film editors all the time. They give us a glimpse at their process of realizing a director’s dreams in terms of the pacing, montages, cuts, and music behind a particular film or series. But what about the nitty-gritty of their own careers? What goes on when the project at hand isn’t a major studio production? After all, anything that winds up on screen has gone through an edit process.

“She-Hulk” VFX Supervisor Josh Galbincea on Creating That Epic Incredible Hulk Callback

Ever since the final episode of season one, fans of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law have been reeling from the last show’s rollercoaster ride and celebrating their love for the season as a whole. Much of the praise has been for the edgy script that consistently centered on female empowerment without sacrificing the expected flamboyant action set-pieces Marvel fans know and love.  

Visual special effects are, of course, an essential contribution to that Marvel flair.

“Raymond & Ray” Writer/Director Rodrigo Garcia Digs Deep With Ewan McGregor & Ethan Hawke

Writer/director Rodrigo Garcia‘s initial idea for Raymond & Ray was simple—a trumpet player is digging his father’s grave—but something wasn’t quite working. “I can’t even remember if the digging of the grave was his idea or the father’s requirement,” Garcia admits, reflecting on the first draft of what would become his surprisingly funny, raw look at father/son relationships in his new Apple TV film. “The reverend was there, and a woman showed up with a child,

“The Midnight Club” Production Designer Laurin Kelsey on Creating a Haunting Hospice

Facing the end is not always the scariest part of a person’s story. The terminally ill teenagers in The Midnight Club meet to entertain each other with spooky tales, but the stories may actually be clues to a secret cure or even a glimpse at life after death. The Victorian mansion serving as a hospice facility for young people even harbors secrets of its own. Production designer Laurin Kelsey developed the dynamic location that serves as the core of the series. 

Let “Hellraiser” Production Designer Kathrin Eder Take You To Hell With The Cenobites

The Cenobites are back and seeking new victims for their blood-letting games. This time, they have the perfect playground for their sadistic mission. Hellraiser production designer Kathrin Eder created a lavish and indulgent new environment for the inter-dimensional pain-seekers to explore.

Time doesn’t bind The Priest (Jamie Clayton), more commonly known as Pinhead, and their mutilated crew. Thirty-five years after Frank played around with the puzzle box, new mega-worshiper Roland Voight (Goran Visnjic) has dedicated his life and fortune to calling the creatures back to Earth.

Sinéad O’Shea on her Unflinching & Award-Winning Documentary “Pray For Our Sinners”

Dublin-based filmmaker Sinéad O’Shea wasn’t sure what she’d find when she returned to her small hometown of Navan, north of Dublin, last year to interview Mary Randles, who’d been a local doctor alongside her late husband Patrick. O’Shea did not expect to discover that, in addition to the Randles, other residents in Navan years ago stood up to injustices inflicted by the Catholic Church, which then controlled all aspects of life in their tiny town. 

How “TILL” Costume Designer Marci Rodgers Captured the Racial Dynamics of 1955 America

Some of the most powerful stories are the most difficult to watch, but Mamie Till-Mobley (Danielle Deadwyler) knew there comes a time when we can’t afford to look away. When her son Emmett Till (Jalyn Hall) became one of the most tender and tragic victims of racial violence in America, she bravely shaped his legacy into a catalyst for the civil rights movement. TILL revisits the facts of the crime but focuses its lens on the heroic way Mamie made a statement from her suffering. 

“Black Bird” Cinematographer Natalie Kingston Breaks Down Her Technique on Apple’s Crime Thriller

There’s a symphony of visual subtlety threaded throughout creator Dennis Lehane’s psychological crime drama Black Bird (available now on Apple TV+) that harmoniously lifts the resonating performances and moody tenor of the story that can be easily overlooked. Series cinematographer Natalie Kingston (who alluringly photographed all six episodes) prefers it that way.

Based on the life of James Keene (Taron Egerton), a Chicago-area high school football star turned dope dealer and eventual prison inmate,

How “Werewolf By Night” Makeup Maestro Ellen Arden Made Marvel’s Monsters

Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino chose to plumb new depths of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for his directorial debut with Werewolf by Night. Inspired by the comic book released as Marvel Spotlight #2 in 1972, this special presentation is streaming as part of the Halloween season on Disney+. It features a group of monster hunters led by Jack Russell (Gael Garcia Bernal), a man afflicted with a curse that turns him into a werewolf.

“Reasonable Doubt” DP Robert E. Arnold on Lensing Hulu’s Legal Drama

Robert E. Arnold figured he’d paid his dues in Hollywood, working since 2008 as a grip, gaffer, and Steadicam operator on dozens of projects ranging from Big Little Lies and Grown-ish to The Walking Dead and Furious 7. But those credits, along with a degree from Los Angeles’ prestigious American Film Institute, failed to open doors to the coveted Director of Photography position he hankered for.

Filmmaker & TV Creator Mann Robinson on Getting it Done in Georgia

Mann Robinson gets it done. The former rapped-turned-filmmaker and television creator can do it all—write, direct, produce, edit—with a tirelessness that would seem inhuman if he wasn’t so even-keeled about how he approaches his work.

“What’s allowing me to have so many things coming up?” he says when we spoke toward the end of summer, as he took a rare break to chat about his career. “First thing I do in the morning is write whatever project I may be on at the time,

“She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” Director Kat Coiro on Taking on The Trolls Head-On

For fans of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, everyone can agree the last episode was quite a wild ride and something never seen before in the extended MCU. As per the comic book series, breaking the 4th wall is part of the She-Hulk tradition, and so it makes sense the filmmakers behind the show would go all out and incorporate that into creating a satisfying ending for Jen Walters. Embraced by critics,

“House of the Dragon” Costume Designer Jany Temime’s Deadly Elegance

French costume designer Jany Temime has outfitted plenty of iconic characters, including Harry Potter (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), James Bond (Spectre), and Marvel’s Black Widow. But in terms of sheer scale, none of those feature-length films can match the ten-hour introduction to House of the Dragon, which just had its season finale on HBO Max. In this Game of Thrones prequel,

“House of the Dragon” Co-Creator & Co-Showrunner Ryan Condal on Season One & Beyond

The first season of House of the Dragon has come to a close as an unqualified success. The premiere saw the largest single-day viewership for a series debut in HBO’s history and continued to land consistently in the top five titles streamed across all platforms through its last episode. The show was renewed before the second episode of the series even aired. 

House of the Dragon is a prequel to Game of Thrones—created by George R.R.

HBO Reveals Closer Look at “The Last of Us” in New Video

In a new promo, HBO has given us some of their most hotly-anticipated series, perhaps none more so than Craig Mazin’s adaptation of The Last of Us. Based on the popular video game series, the Chernobyl creator has teamed with the video game’s writer and creative director, Neil Druckmann, to give us a 10-episode season centered on the dangerous journey of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across a devastated American landscape in a post-apocalyptic world.

“Ramy” Costume Designer Nicky Smith on Season 3’s Style Evolution

Ramy Youssef’s consistently excellent self-titled Hulu series Ramy centers on his titular character, a young Muslim trying to reconcile his elastic identity. He’s the son of Egyptian immigrants living in New Jersey stretched in multiple directions, between his Muslim community, God, his friends, and his still murky future. The series was a critical hit when it premiered, and Ramy didn’t lose any of its intellectual heft, hilarity, or bite in season 2.

“Los Espookys” Co-Creator/Writer/Director/Star Ana Fabrega Does it All (Literally)

Los Espookys, the surreal HBO comedy, has returned for a second season. Unlike anything currently on television, the series, created by Julio Torres, Ana Fabrega, and Fred Armisen, follows four horror-loving friends who run Los Espookys — a business that stages supernatural scenes and tricks people into thinking they are real. 

Renaldo (Bernardo Velasco), Los Espookys’ leader, is also its heart and soul. Ursula (Cassandra Ciangherotti) is its makeup master.

“Coco” and “Encanto” Composer Germaine Franco on Finding Musical Inspiration at its Source

In 2016, composer and multi-instrumentalist Germaine Franco was the first Latina and first woman of color invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences music branch. With 2021’s Encanto, she was the first woman to score a Disney animated feature and the first Latina to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score. In a world where female composers still make up only a fraction of those hired for studio projects,

“She-Hulk” Composer Amie Doherty on Blending Megan Thee Stallion With Marvel’s Orchestral Bombast

With 2021’s Spirit Untamed, composer Amie Doherty became the first woman to score a DreamWorks animated feature film. Known for her work on The High Note and Happiest Season, she has also made a name for herself as an orchestrator. Her most recent project is as the composer for the Marvel series She-Hulk, where she has combined the bombastic, orchestral Marvel style with a very modern and beat-driven aesthetic that gives the show its unique sound. 

“Blonde” Director Andrew Dominik on Painting a Different Kind of Portrait of Marilyn Monroe

Visually, writer-director Andrew Dominik wanted to surface the iconic imagery of Marilyn Monroe for his fictional adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates’s Blonde (now streaming on Netflix.) What found its way to the screen is a nearly three-hour collection of novellas that poetically paint Norma Jean’s life from childhood to stardom.

“The big visual idea of the movie was to have it almost look like a Google search of Marilyn Monroe,” Dominik shares with The Credits.