#460 – Cut/daily Meets... Editor Robert Frost
One of the joys of Cut/daily Meets... is you get to hear from talented editors quietly cutting hit film and TV shows from around the world.
This week we get to learn from Editor Robert Frost, a bright talent for British editing, he's edited on shows such as Apple TV's Hijack and Slow Horses and has a feature film for Amazon under his belt too (My Fault, London).
Robert worked his way up as an Assistant Editor on The Alienist, Sex Education and HBO's The Landscapers so his advice to assistants wanting to find their way to ‘the chair’ is both astute and founded on real-world wisdom.
My favourite thing Robert had to share?
The importance of sharing work with others.
Watching assemblies or early cuts with others and hearing their feedback has helped me challenge my own decisions and refine my taste.
Screening assemblies with other editors has definitely upped my game.
So find someone you can share a cut with and see what happens when you get their feedback. Maybe we should all be sharing Louper sessions with our friends...
You can follow Robert on Instagram: @robertrobfrost and check out his personal site here.
What’s your daily work routine?
My morning starts with walking the dog - a rare opportunity as an editor to be outside and experience daylight!
During the assembly stage, my days are pretty structured.
My goal is to finish assembling all the scenes by the end of the day, so I don’t feel overwhelmed as the footage accumulates. I picked up this work ethic from editor David Webb, whom I assisted on several projects.
Coming from the commercials world, Dave is super efficient and meticulous, and it’s something I’ve carried with me. Even if a scene is roughly assembled, I still consider it a solid ‘first draft,’ which makes it less daunting to revisit the next day.
Eventually, I might hit a wall with a scene or feel burnt out.
When that happens, I switch gears and revisit earlier assemblies to lay in sound effects or music. I love this part of the process—switching my brain to “audio mode” really helps me reset.
In the cutting rooms, it’s also fun to share coffee/breakfast/lunch with other editors and assistants, meet people from other projects and generally enthuse and/or moan about the day!
Since Covid and the shift to working from home, this communal aspect and making sure you take a break, is something you have to really fight to maintain.
During the fine cut, the day is more unpredictable.
If we’re screening a cut, the day can be filled with prepping, watching, and discussion. Other days are more intense, focused on working through notes.
My main rule is: only two coffees a day and none after 3pm!