The Rough Cut

Matt Feury

The Rough Cut features in-depth interviews with the film and tv industry's top post production professionals on the topics of film editing, video editing, sound design and more. Hosted by @MattFeury.

  1. 17 Aug

    Spider-Man Brand New Day

    Spider-Man: Brand New Day Editors – Nat Sanders, ACE; Harry Yoon, ACE and Gina Sansom Spider-Man: Brand New Day editors Nat Sanders, ACE, Harry Yoon, ACE and Gina Sansom join The Rough Cut to discuss helping director Destin Daniel Cretton take Peter Parker into a deeper, more grounded chapter of his story. Nat and Gina began the film together during production, with Harry joining them for the director's cut, bringing together three editors who had each previously collaborated with Destin on projects ranging from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to Wonder Man. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Spider-Man: Brand New Day finds Peter Parker (Tom Holland) fighting crime full-time as Spider-Man in a world that no longer remembers him. As Peter watches MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon) continue their lives without him, the pressure of his isolation begins to trigger a transformation he may not be able to control. At the same time, a new threat emerges in New York, drawing Peter into a conflict that also brings him together with Frank Castle / The Punisher (Jon Bernthal), Bruce Banner / Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Jean Grey (Sadie Sink). The film also stars Tramell Tillman and Michael Mando. For Nat, Brand New Day continues a long creative relationship with Cretton that stretches back to Short Term 12 and includes The Glass Castle, Just Mercy and Shang-Chi. Harry previously worked with Cretton and Nat on Shang-Chi, while Gina came to the film following collaborations with Cretton on American Born Chinese and Wonder Man. Brand New Day also marks Gina's first feature as an editor. In our interview, Nat, Harry and Gina discuss dividing the film between three editors, working in close proximity to production at Pinewood Studios, shaping Peter Parker's darker and more emotionally complex story, and using previews to test radically different versions of the film. They also talk about finding the right balance between practical action and visual effects, managing the reveal and evolution of Jean Grey, preserving Peter's emotional point of view in his scenes with MJ and Ned, and collaborating with composer Michael Giacchino as the film developed through post. NAT SANDERS, ACE Nat Sanders, ACE is an Academy Award-nominated editor whose credits include Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk, Short Term 12, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, The Glass Castle and Just Mercy. A longtime collaborator of director Destin Daniel Cretton, Nat has worked with him from independent character dramas through large-scale studio filmmaking. Nat received an Academy Award nomination alongside Joi McMillon for editing Moonlight and has twice won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Editing. HARRY YOON, ACE Harry Yoon, ACE is an editor whose feature credits include Minari, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Thunderbolts*, The Fire Inside, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, First Man and Detroit. Harry's work spans intimate character dramas and large-scale action films, with a particular focus on maintaining performance and emotional point of view within complex visual storytelling. Spider-Man: Brand New Day reunites him with Destin Daniel Cretton and Nat Sanders following their work together on Shang-Chi. GINA SANSOM Gina Sansom is an Emmy-nominated editor whose television credits include Wonder Man, Our Flag Means Death, American Born Chinese, Reservation Dogs, Silicon Valley, Better Things, Love and Horace and Pete. She received an Emmy nomination for her work on Horace and Pete. After previously collaborating with Destin Daniel Cretton on American Born Chinese and Wonder Man, Gina makes her feature editing debut with Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Visit ExtremeMusic for all your production audio needs. Hear Nat and Harry discuss their first Marvel collaboration with Destin Daniel Cretton on SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS. Listen to Harry talk about cutting Lee Isaac Chung's Oscar®-nominated film MINARI. Hear Harry discuss his return to the MCU with THUNDERBOLTS*. Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode. Visit The Rough Cut on YouTube

    Spider-Man Brand New Day
  2. 13 Jul

    Avatar - The Last Airbender S2

    Editor – Payton Koch For Avatar: The Last Airbender editor Payton Koch, this job offered a very different kind of editorial challenge from his Emmy-nominated work on Only Murders in the Building. The series has to move between large-scale action, visual effects, martial arts, comedy, mythology and coming-of-age drama, often within the same sequence. It also has to satisfy a fanbase that knows this world extremely well while still making the story accessible to viewers coming to it for the first time. Based on the Nickelodeon series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, Avatar: The Last Airbender is set in a world divided into four nations — Water, Earth, Fire and Air — where certain people can "bend," or control, one of those elements. At the center of the story is Aang, the last surviving Air Nomad and the next Avatar, the one person capable of mastering all four elements and restoring balance to a world at war. Season Two takes Aang, Katara and Sokka deeper into the Earth Kingdom as they search for an earthbending teacher and make their way toward Ba Sing Se, the massive, heavily fortified capital of the Earth Kingdom. Along the way, the series expands its world with new allies, new enemies and a larger sense of the political and emotional cost of the Fire Nation's war. PAYTON KOCH Payton Koch is an Emmy-nominated picture editor with a diverse range of post-production credits on popular television series, including American Horror Story, Ratched and Only Murders in the Building. His work on the Hulu comedy series Only Murders in the Building earned him multiple ACE Eddie Award nominations, as well as his first Primetime Emmy nomination in 2024. His additional credits include American Crime Story, The Politician, Home Before Dark, Just Beyond and The Boys in the Band.   Visit ExtremeMusic for all your production audio needs. Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode. Visit The Rough Cut on YouTube.

    Avatar - The Last Airbender S2
  3. 22 Jun

    Backrooms

    Editor – Greg Ng BACKROOMS editor Greg Ng joins The Rough Cut to discuss cutting a film built around liminal spaces, analog horror, slow-burn tension and the challenge of turning an internet-born phenomenon into a feature-length cinematic experience. Directed by Kane Parsons, BACKROOMS expands on the world Parsons first created through his viral YouTube videos, where endless yellow corridors, fluorescent hums, distorted VHS textures and uncanny architecture became the foundation for a very specific kind of dread. The feature stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as Clark, a furniture store owner whose discovery of a strange passageway pulls him into the Backrooms.  Co-starring with Ejiofor is Renate Reinsve as Mary, his therapist, whose role in the story grows increasingly central as the film moves deeper into questions of memory, perception and psychological uncertainty. One of the biggest challenges was finding the right editorial language for a film where the space itself often functions as a main character. Greg discusses how the film's pacing intentionally allows characters to move through the Backrooms in near real time, preserving the hypnotic quality of Kane's original work. Rather than cutting quickly from one dramatic beat to the next, the edit often lets the audience remain inside the space long enough for the atmosphere, sound and uncertainty to take hold. GREG NG Based out of Vancouver, British Columbia. Greg tries to maintain a balanced diet of both narrative and documentary editing, and periodically writes about himself in the third person. He is an alumnus of the Canadian Film Centre and a member of the Canadian Cinema Editors, ACFC, IATSE, the VPA, and other organizations with acronyms. When his nephew asked him what editing movies was like, he said it's just like playing with Legos, but with videos and emotions instead. In addition to these biographical details, Greg has won several awards for editing, which have validated his professional insecurities and made him feel warm and fuzzy inside. Some recent credits include LONGLEGS, THE MONKEY, and KEEPER. Visit ExtremeMusic for all your production audio needs. Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode. Visit The Rough Cut on YouTube.

    Backrooms
  4. 15 Jun

    Tuner

    Editor – Greg O'Bryant Tuner editor Greg O'Bryant returns to the podcast to discuss cutting a film that is part crime thriller, part romance, part character study, part music movie and part very compelling argument for keeping your ears covered in New York City. Directed by Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Daniel Roher, Tuner stars Leo Woodall as Niki, a gifted piano tuner whose hypersensitive hearing makes every day sound almost unbearable. That same extraordinary hearing also gives Niki an unexpected talent for cracking safes, pulling him from a quiet life of tuning pianos into an increasingly dangerous criminal world. The film also stars Dustin Hoffman as Harry, Niki's mentor, Havana Rose Liu as Ruthie, a young composer, along with Lior Raz, Jean Reno and Tovah Feldshuh. One of the biggest challenges on Tuner was the sheer amount of footage. Roher shot a large volume of material over a short production schedule, giving Greg and his assistant a mountain of performances, musical material, safe-cracking details and improvisation to shape into the final film. Greg discusses how he approached that process by focusing on subjectivity — using the edit to put the audience inside Niki's experience rather than simply moving through the plot. Sound was another major topic of conversation. Because Niki experiences the world through hyper-sensitive hearing, the editorial and sound teams had to build a language for when the audience enters his point of view.  Which meant figuring out how much of that experience to hear, and how to make the effect clear without making it punishing. O'Bryant also talks about working with sound designer Johnnie Burn, composer Will Bates and executive music producer Marius de Vries to balance the film's sound design, live music and score. GREG O'BRYANT Greg O'Bryant is an editor whose credits include the feature film The Report, as well as the television series Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Extrapolations and Brand New Cherry Flavor. A frequent collaborator with filmmakers including Scott Z. Burns and Nick Antosca, Greg's work often explores stories with complex tone, subjective experience and ambitious sound and visual design. Visit ExtremeMusic for all your production audio needs. Hear Greg discuss his work on BRAND NEW CHERRY FLAVOR. Listen to Greg detail his experience cutting the Apple TV+ series EXTRAPOLATIONS. Hear Greg talk about cutting the Amazon Prime Video series MR. AND MRS. SMITH. Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode. Visit The Rough Cut on YouTube.

    Tuner
  5. 18 May

    BEEF - Season 2

    Editors - Laura Zempel, ACE and Lauren Connelly, ACE Although BEEF - Season 2 editors Laura Zempel and Lauren Connelly are working together for the first time, this is Laura's second season working on the series.  But despite being new to one another, Laura's and Lauren's talents seamlessly combined to tackle a complex, character-driven "slow burn" with multiple storylines that required a delicate balancing of tone, including both dark comedy and psychological drama. Created by Korean director Lee Sung Jin (Sonny Lee) for Netflix, Season 2 of BEEF stars Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan as Joshua Martin and Lindsay Crane-Martin, and Cailee Spaeny and Charles Melton as Ashley and Austin, two couples; the poor latter two blackmailing the rich former two, using footage Ashley shot of a heated argument which would threaten their image.  Similar to Season 1, this incident escalates into a prolonged feud and a game of cat-and-mouse...minus one dog. LAURA ZEMPEL In addition to her Emmy®-winning work on BEEF - Season 1, Laura's skills as an editor can be seen in another Netflix series, SIRENS (2025).  She has also worked on EUPHORIA (2019-22), DISPATCHES FROM ELSEWHERE (2020) and ROOM 104 (2017-19).  Prior to that, she assisted on HOUSE OF CARDS (2014), DEXTER (2011-13) and IF I CAN DREAM (2010). LAUREN CONNELLY, ACE Originally from Chantilly, Virginia, Lauren graduated from The University of Southern California with a B.A. in Cinema-Television Production.  Past credits include television shows such as MO on Netflix, GASLIT on Starz, MASTERS OF SEX on Showtime, THE STRAIN on FX, and THE SON on AMC.  Recent feature films include SITTING IN BARS WITH CAKE for Amazon Studios, A TOURIST'S GUIDE TO LOVE on Netflix, and Rodrigo Garcia's FOUR GOOD DAYS, which premiered at Sundance.   Visit ExtremeMusic for all your production audio needs Hear Laura discuss her work on BEEF - Season 1 and SIRENS. Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode Visit The Rough Cut on YouTube

    BEEF - Season 2
  6. 4 May

    Hokum

    Editor - Brian Philip Davis Hokum editor Brian Philip Davis teams up once more with director Damian McCarthy.  Prior to this film the two joined forces to craft McCarthy's supernatural thriller, Oddity.  This time out, they double down on the dread and jack up the jump scares to keep audiences on the edge of, and often a few feet above, their seats. Written and directed by Damian McCarthy, Hokum stars Adam Scott as novelist Ohm Bauman.  When Bauman retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents' ashes, he's consumed by tales of a witch that haunts the honeymoon suite. Soon, disturbing visions and a shocking disappearance force him to confront dark corners of his past. BRIAN PHILIP DAVIS Brian Philip Davis is known for his work in genre cinema, with films showcased at major festivals including Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca, TIFF, FrightFest, and Fantastic Fest. He has a strong ability to work across multiple genres—from horror to comedy—bringing a confident balance of tone that allows each project to feel cohesive, engaging, and distinctive. In addition to Damian McCarthy's Hokum, Brian's upcoming working also includes The Incomer, a folk comedy (starring Domhnall Gleeson), written and directed by Louis Paxton and winner of the Sundance Film Festival NEXT Innovator Award 2026. Additional titles include Oddity, Bad Day for the Cut, Boys from County Hell, The Occupant, Here Before, and The Devil's Doorway. He is a member of Irish Screen Editors, British Film Editors, and BAFTA, and is represented by UTA.   Visit Extreme Music for the new Extreme Music extension for Avid Media Composer See which Avid Media Composer is right for you Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode Visit The Rough Cut on YouTube

    Hokum
  7. 20 Apr

    Wonder Man

    Editor - Nena Erb ACE and Asst. Editor Gioia Caruso Wonder Man editor Nena Erb and her assistant Gioia Caruso first worked together on the R-rated road trip comedy, Joy Ride. A film that could not be more different than the grounded, character driven tv series, Wonder Man.  Making the dramatic jump in tone and style from Joy Ride to Wonder Man might have been a daunting task for other editorial duos, but Nena's skills as a "digital quilter" and Gioia's talents as "keeper of the footage" helped them rise to the challenge. In the Marvel Spotlight series Wonder Man, superpowered individuals are banned from working in Hollywood by something known as the Doorman Clause.  This is a challenge faced by struggling actor Simon Williams, who secretly has such powers.  While out on auditions, Simon forms an unlikely friendship with fellow actor, Trevor Slattery.  Together the pair attempt to land roles in a remake of the in-universe superhero film "Wonder Man". NENA ERB ACE Nena Erb ACE is an Emmy-winning film and television editor whose career reflects a steady climb to some of today's most high-profile projects. She began her journey in the industry as a production assistant in the art department on MADtv. From there, Nena transitioned into editorial, building a reputation through her work on acclaimed series such as Insecure, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and Little America.  For each, her sharp comedic timing and character-driven sensibilities became defining strengths. Nena's work on Insecure earned her a Primetime Emmy Award in 2020, cementing her status as one of the most respected editors working in television today. Her transition into feature filmmaking further expanded her range, with credits including the 2023 film Joy Ride. GIOIA CARUSO In addition to her work with Nena on Joy Ride and Wonder Man, Gioia has assisted on such projects as Scream VI, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Chicago Fire and Mr. Mercedes.   Visit Extreme Music for all your production audio needs Hear Nena talk about her work on Insecure and Joy Ride Check out what's new with Avid Media Composer Leave your comments on The Rough Cut website Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode Visit The Rough Cut on YouTube

    Wonder Man
  8. 6 Apr

    Project Hail Mary

    Editor - Joel Negron ACE, Sound Designers - Erik Aadahl and Ethan Van der Ryn Project Hail Mary editor Joel Negron says that one of the first calls that he makes when he signs on to a new film is to his trusted colleagues in audio post, Erik and Ethan.  And for more than fifteen years the trio has collaborated on a wide variety of films, including the Transformers franchise, Jungle Cruise and Cocaine Bear.  But their latest film with directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller would prove to be one of their greatest challenges, but also one of their biggest hits! Based on the bestselling novel by Andy Weir, Project Hail Mary is a high-stakes sci-fi thriller centered on Ryland Grace, a scientist who wakes up aboard a spacecraft with no memory of who he is or how he got there. He soon discovers he is humanity's sole hope for survival, tasked with solving a cosmic mystery to save Earth from an extinction-level threat. As his memories slowly return, Grace must utilize his scientific ingenuity and form an unlikely alliance in the vast loneliness of deep space to complete his desperate mission. JOEL NEGRON, ACE Joel Negron is a highly accomplished film editor known for his versatile work across high-octane action blockbusters and visually inventive features. He has a long-standing reputation for managing large-scale productions, with notable credits including Thor: Ragnarok, The Nice Guys, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Negron's ability to balance complex visual effects with rhythmic storytelling has made him a frequent collaborator for top-tier directors, consistently delivering polished, high-energy cinematic experiences. ERIK AADAHL Erik Aadahl is a premier sound designer and supervising sound editor whose innovative approach to sonic world-building has earned him multiple Academy Award nominations. He is perhaps best known for creating the distinct mechanical "voices" of the Transformers franchise and for his evocative work on films like Argo, A Quiet Place, and Godzilla. Aadahl's philosophy centers on using sound as a narrative tool to evoke emotion and tension, often blending organic and synthetic textures to create immersive, award-winning soundscapes. ETHAN VAN DER RYN Ethan Van der Ryn is a titan in the world of sound design, boasting two Academy Awards for his contributions to The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and King Kong. Throughout his prolific career, he has played a pivotal role in defining the auditory identity of major cinematic universes, frequently partnering with Erik Aadahl through their post-production house, E² Sound. From the roaring intensity of Godzilla to the intricate details of the Kung Fu Panda series, Van der Ryn is celebrated for his technical mastery and his ability to elevate storytelling through sophisticated sound editorial. Visit Extreme Music for all your production audio needs Check out what's new with Avid Media Composer Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode Visit The Rough Cut on YouTube

    Project Hail Mary

About

The Rough Cut features in-depth interviews with the film and tv industry's top post production professionals on the topics of film editing, video editing, sound design and more. Hosted by @MattFeury.

You Might Also Like