Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/990701
42 CINEMONTAGE / Q2 2018 Storm adds. "It's a large-scale primetime network extravaganza that's a year- round operation. We're constantly innovating. This season, we added a new graphic look, upgraded our music and continue to push the envelope with our hometown packages." Storm stresses that the editors this season are also tasked with integrating a new set design featuring massive LED screens into the show. "Our challenge is that when you turn on a new episode, you know right away that it's a new episode, that everything in Season 10 is clearly Season 10," he says. According to supervising producer Jon Provost, who is also a supervising editor, the show evolved, especially through Seasons 4 and 5, to become the "puzzle" it is today, mixing runs with home packages and cold opens. The team quickly learned to stagger when the editors started, as the production went to new cities and the footage piled up. Some of the editors — Provost, Nick Gagnon, Curtis Pierce, Corey Ziemniak — go back to Season 4, and their expertise is prized. With four day-shift assistant editors and four night-shift assistants for a total of 22 editors and assistant editors, Provost plays to each team member's strength. "We streamline who is best at what," he says. "But they do get to do other things, because we don't want people to burn out creatively or feel like they only do one thing over and over." If there are two runs in an act, for example, two editors cut those, while two others cut the hometown packages, another cuts the tease and a sixth cuts a "fast-forward" recap to show a montage of the runs that aren't covered in full. "Six people can put together a single act," Provost explains, "so communication is key." Communication as well as collaboration are strongly encouraged and practiced on American Ninja Warrior. Provost stays in close touch with the showrunners regarding how the video is grouped on the Avid system — a tricky challenge since the show has over 20 cameras, and Avid only supports 18 in a group. All day long, Provost says he walks in and out of editors' bays, watching what they are cutting; other editors and assistants do the same. "There are thousands of ways to cut the runs," he maintains. "Even though I have worked on the show for seven years, I still show Jon Provost. Curtis Pierce.