#322 - Cut/daily Meets... Editor Mike Sale, ACE

DC comics's latest action epic, Black Adam, sees Dwayne Johnson, a.k.a The Rock, dishing out anti-hero vengeance. It's also edited by the same editor as Bridesmaids and The Hangover Part II.

Editor Mike Sale, ACE's feature credits were firmly established with hit comedies but he's since racked up some action heavy gigs including Skyscraper and Red Notice.

Mike edited Black Adam alongside John Lee and was kind enough to take the time to answer my regular questions and a couple of bonus ones too.

My biggest take away from what Mike had to share?

Selecting a project is the first edit.

You've edited a lot of comedy movies and a fair few action movies.
Do you feel there is any crossover between landing a joke and landing a punch?

Yes, timing is timing.

After all, some jokes are actually “punch” lines. People love to pigeonhole editors and other artists, I believe a good editor can cut anything.

What unique challenges does working on such a VFX heavy movie present to you as an editor and how do you handle these?

When editing a VFX-heavy film, you have temp shots, drawings, and animations in the film for a long time. You must imagine what the finished shots will feel like and how they will impact the film.

I screen the movie weekly and learn as more and more shots come in. I also try to hang on to shots as long as possible, even under budgetary pressure.