Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/832212
46 CINEMONTAGE / Q2 2017 this, but I studied her episodes and her other work and tried to emulate the elegance and intelligence of her cutting. And, when we were working together, I just tried to learn as much as I could from her, while pretending to know what I was doing... With Matthew, it's been a joy to watch him grow and blossom as an editor. After we had finished the pilot, and The Deuce had been picked up to go to series, Nina and I had a conversation and she told me she wanted to extend an offer to Matthew as a full-time editor. I just laughed with relief because I had been waiting for the chance to talk to her to make the same suggestion! It just felt right. And Matthew totally made the most of the opportunity. In this mercenary business, for the three of us to have the kind of close creative collaboration that we have had over such a long period of time is kind of amazing. It's a blessing. CM: Did you have a standard rotation of episodes? AH: Usually on a season of television, you get into a real rhythm. But because we had done the pilot and then came back for the series, it was a little different. I edited the pilot, which became the first episode, and also the second episode and the finale. The rotation got a little crazy because I also directed an episode of the show, so I wasn't around in the cutting room as much as I would have liked. Kate Sanford: I edited Episodes Three, Five and Seven, which would be a standard rotation with two editors alternating. Matthew Booras: Then I edited Episodes Four — which was the one Alex directed — and Six; plus I got the opportunity to cut the main title sequence. CM: As an editor, what is it like to work as a director with another editor? AH: Matthew and I had been working together forever and it felt like a good opportunity for him to start editing on the one I was directing. That way, I could be involved from a directorial standpoint, but also as an editor helping him start to take that full- time responsibility. As an editor, I'm so used to having my fingers on the keyboard, so it was a little frustrating at times to sit on the couch. MB: We often discussed Alex's experiences on set, because as an editor, you never really hear about that. AH: The edit room becomes a confessional in a lot of ways; it's a safe space. I always tell directors I work with that they're allowed to vent and speak freely, and that nothing will leave that room. So, when you get two people who have been collaborating for a long time, and you're on this new project with new dynamics and new politics, let's just say there was a lot of confessing. KS: All of us had a great advantage starting The Deuce because we knew what kind of world and what type of approach David tends to start with. In every project, there are The Deuce. HBO