Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546034
28 C I N E M O N T A G E C O V E R S T O R Y By Kristin Marguerite Doidge F or most shows, editing begins after the writing is finished. But on Larry David's new historical sketch series for HBO, "Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Un- happiness: An Almost History of America," editing is the writing. On screen, David's comedy often feels spontaneous, messy, and gloriously unfiltered. Off screen, it 'LIFE' WITH LARRY LARRY DAVID'S EDITORS EXPLAIN HOW HIS NEW HBO COSTUME COMEDY CAME TOGETHER requires a highly organized post-produc- tion machine. According to veteran picture editors Steve Rasch, ACE, and Roger Nygard, ACE, the seven-episode limited series — de- scribed as "'Curb' in costume" by longtime collaborator and co-executive producer/ co-writer Jeff Schaffer — was built upon the foundation the team refined during "Curb Your Enthusiasm," their previous HBO hit series, and includes a three-stage creative process: outlines, improvisation, and a final rewrite in post-production. With overlapping dialogue, shifting performances, and dozens of standalone sketches set across different eras in Ameri- P H OT O : H B O COSPLAY: Larry David in "Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: An Almost History of America."