Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1536017
27 S U M M E R Q 2 I S S U E F E A T U R E and what's happening and who's where. How much information do you need for the crime aspect of it so that we can get away with pumping in as many jokes as we can?" Although each editor worked on three episodes among the nine episodes that followed the pilot (which was edited by Libby Cuenin and Matt McBrayer), Dean, Erskine, and Viswanath developed an un- usually close collaborative approach. While they had never worked together before, they realized that to develop and sustain the show's unusual mix of elements, they would need to view and offer feedback on each other's work. "It was the most col- laborative experience so far in my career," Erskine said. CineMontage recently spoke with the trio about how their working methods helped make such an unlikely and unpre- dictable show into one of the brightest spots on streaming. CineMontage: How did you all get involved in the show? Varun Viswanath: I actually knew about the pilot maybe a year before they shot it. I was like, "Oh, this is what I've been waiting for — a South Asian comedy." I've worked on quickly cut, sharp comedies before. There was a personal connection because I'm South Asian, as well. I didn't get a chance to work on the pilot — I was busy on another show — but when it got picked up for series, I really chased it. I DM'd Abdullah on Instagram, but I don't think he ever saw it. I t h o u g h t , " I h o p e my agent can make this work." When I finally g o t t h e i n t e r v i e w, [executive producer] J e n n i K o n n e r s a i d , "Oh, we've been trying to work with you for s o l o n g , " a n d t h a t sealed the deal. I had also seen both our Deli B o y s — A s i f A l i a n d Saagar Shaikh — perform stand-up comedy and improv comedy before. I was familiar with their work as stage comedians. I was very excited coming in. Taichi Erskine: I heard about it from a friend of mine, [assistant editor] Michael Scotti, Jr. We were at a wedding, and he had worked on the pilot. He was raving about this show that he worked on called "Deli Boys" and how it was this weird dark com- edy featuring an all South Asian cast. And I had previously worked with Michelle Nader, one of the EPs, so I'm sure that helped se- cure my interview. David Dean: My involvement in the show originated with my relationship with the EPs, Jenni Konner and Nora Silver. We had previously done some projects togeth- er, and they had me look at the pilot to give my thoughts while they were working on it. When it got picked up and they asked me to join them on the series, I met the creator, Abdullah Saeed, who gave me the short pitch for the trajectory of the season. I thought it was so funny in a fresh way. Erskine: The three of us had not worked together before "Deli Boys." Dean: We had not even met each other, but when I saw that Tai and Varun were the other editors on board, I was super-excited because they had edited some of my favorite comedies of the past dozen years ["What We Do In the Shadows," "PEN15"]. I was stoked for what was ahead. CineMontage: David, what tonal possibilities did you see for the show coming out of the pilot? Dean: I ended up working on the episode that immediately followed the pilot. A lot of it was about setting up their father's death, so the initial challenge was: "All right — what is this show and what's the pace and how do we do it?" We established a lot of 'DELI' SECTION Varun Viswanath