Peer Review: Mark Edinoff

Who are three contemporaries that you admire, and why?

Which three contemporaries do I admire? That’s a difficult one!

I would have to say Gavin Cutler & Ian McKenzie (I know that’s two). Even though I hate being pigeonholed as a ‘comedy editor,’ it is my first love and I admire their ability to have carved out such great careers working predominantly in comedy. It’s a genre that never wins awards for editing, so to have had so much success and longevity and still be working on such great stuff gives me hope.

Secondly I’d have to say Rich Orrick, who when not spotted in an airport, can be seen through a wall of awards excelling at everything from ‘kicky bally’ sports ads to comedy and tear-jerky high jinx. I also admire anyone else who does this job, it can be pretty tough but like all tough things it can also be really rewarding. But to be clear, it can be really tough.

Above: Album Cover for Apple, edited by Gavin Cutler. 

Please share 3-4 pieces of work that exemplify great editing. 

Berries and Cream, directed by Randy Krallman and edited by Gavin Cutler. Specifically the one on Randy's reel. The on-air one is great but this one is so effortless and instinctual, from the 'thunk' of the briefcase to the high kick at the end. Perfect! I’d have given my right arm to cut this. Ok, maybe not my right arm but perhaps an appendix or a toenail. Yeah, definitely a toenail. Or maybe just a bad haircut, not too short so I could change it after a day or two.

I love sitting in my room on my own and putting one nothing next to another nothing and making a funny.

A Wrangler ad edited by Sam Sneade, shot by Tony Kaye. I remember as a 2nd assistant logging the hours and hours of 16mm that was shot for this. It was supposed to be a commercial but was basically a documentary following an African American rodeo rider. This was in the days when people just let Kaye do whatever he wanted. Anyway, Sneade got it down to a really amazing couple of minutes, even using a track by The Meteors and it never saw the light of day due to the agency losing the account. Not even sure where you would find it now unless you asked Sam really nicely.

Honda Everything by Rich Orrick. ‘Not his thing’ you might think? Truth be told, it isn’t! But when I watch this I can’t help but chuckle when I imagine the ripple effect on the edit every time the agency asked for a few frames on this or that.

Above: Directors Cut of Bus Station (Berries and Cream), edited by Gavin Cutler. 

What do you like most about the work that you do?

Without wanting to sound like a pretentious asshole (all assholes say this when they’re about to be pretentious) I love sitting in my room on my own and putting one nothing next to another nothing and making a funny (or a sad). It’s like alchemy, making something when there was nothing.

Much like a God, albeit a sad lonely God, laughing on his own in front of a screen in the dark.

It’s impossible to understand the trials and tribulations of what went into the edit except through anecdote or experience.

What was your journey to becoming an editor?

Down the Northern line to Soho.

What is one thing every editor needs?

Good footage, cash, lots of cash. And the occasional awkward hug.

Above: Honda Everything edited by Rich Orrick.

Who was the greatest editor of all time? 

I don’t think there is one. A lot of what makes a great editor is what’s left on the floor and that's unknowable. It’s impossible to understand the trials and tribulations of what went into the edit except through anecdote or experience.

One person who did influence me was Sam Sneade, he basically influenced a huge amount of people in the commercials editing world from the 90s onwards and they wouldn’t even know it.

That said, I love the work of Sam O’Steen. The Graduate is one of my favourite films and it was the first time I noticed editing (maybe along with Midnight Cowboy), especially the montage of Benjamin Braddock's summer, flopping in and out of bed with Mrs. Robinson and onto the inflatable in the pool. I remember watching this in my early teens and thinking 'What the fuck! How did they do that!' As it turns out, it was just editing. He also cut Cool Hand Luke as well as Chinatown and Rosemary's Baby!

Can I also say that I love the editing in the films of Jaques Tati and Roy Anderson? No? Ok I won’t.

Above: Official Trailer for The Graduate, directed by Sam O'Steen.