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September/October 2025

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www.postmagazine.com 7 POST SEPT/OCT 2025 BITS & PIECES BLACK RABBIT: CUTTING THE NEW NETFLIX DRAMA LOS ANGELES — In Netflix's Black Rabbit, the owner of a hot New York restau- rant (Jude Law) allows his troubled brother (Jason Bateman) to return to the family business, opening the door to old traumas and new dangers. Emmy- winning editor Vikash Patel, who's worked with Bateman in the past, cut four of the series' eight episodes, including the pilot. "Jason and I met in 2016 on the first season of Ozark, and established a great working relationship throughout all four seasons of the show," says Patel. "The success of our collaboration over the years really stems from sharing similar tastes and sensibilities. Jason very much appreciates all the work that I do on the front end, both in terms of picture and sound. Knowing how well we work together, he trusted me to come on board Black Rabbit to edit four out of the eight episodes, including the pilot and the finale." The series was shot by director of photography Igor Martinovic using Sony Venice 2 and Burano cameras. Footage was captured in 8K/24fps at the 2:1 aspect ratio. The look is raw, dirty and messy at times in both framing and movement, often embracing a handheld style with in-camera zooms. "My editing approach was definitely fueled by the storytelling and those visual choices," shares Patel. "I was constantly evaluating ways to elevate the material, aiming to heighten the drama and anxiety the characters felt." Patel points to the robbery scene in the pilot and the scene outside the casi- no, where Vince runs over the burly guy in the parking lot. "My approach was to make these scenes feel messy by being frenetic in my cutting patterns, overlapping dialogue, using jump cuts, and adding subtle four to five frame digital snap zooms to complement the photography." The entire series was shot in New York City and Picture Shop handled the dai- lies, sending them to Los Angeles, where editorial was taking place. In addition to Patel, Black Rabbit was also edited by Cedric Nairn-Smith and Kyle Reiter. The entire show was cut using Avid Media Composer 2018 in Los Angeles. "In terms of our editing workflow, Jason prefers coming into the editing room," says Patel. "This way, we can feel and discuss the work at hand. His director's cuts took place over weekends, given his acting duties during the week. With the final two episodes, I worked remotely with (director) Justin Kurzel from Tasmania." XMP551 55" UHD QD-OLED HDR/SDR Reference Mastering Monitor FlandersScientific.com • +1.678.835.4934 • Sales@FlandersScientific.com

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