Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1546154
process who's going to take this in an unexpected direction.' "His taste is singular. He has an under- standing of performance and tone that I think is unlike any other editor. He also is a real actor's editor. I would argue that he has an appreciation of performance that is incredibly sensitive and patient, and he takes his time…I wanted someone to find the dynamism in a simple conversation, and 'Blackfish' — as he's known — is an incredible architect of conversations." Where was he working? Was he close to the production, or did he come on- board after shooting wrapped? "Once we wrapped, I moved over to London, and we did all post in London. Blackfish came to London and we cut there in Soho. "I was running in on my lunch breaks and after work to watch not only dailies, but assemblies that we were putting together. Blackfish had an assistant editor who was putting together the assembly slowly as we were filming. And Blackfish himself was kind of checking in, but it was really helpful because the way his team works is that they put in temp music and sound as they build the assembly, because he's so aware of what a difference that makes for the director to first see these scenes with a little bit of texture that comes from sound. "I think you can misunderstand a scene to lack tension or energy if you are for- getting this extra essential layer of sound design that ultimately makes such a huge difference. I was really grateful that they went out of their way to kind of build in some sound design while we were just purely putting together a simple assem- bly. And then of course, once we added our score, it took on a whole other level." There are a few interesting editing techniques that you employed. For example, the dialog coming from off-screen and the camera capturing the reaction. "It was shot that way, and a lot of that was a result of the ample use of improvi- sation on-set. We really had a very kind of fluid way of approaching the scenes where I wanted everyone to feel they could improvise at any moment and that's only because we had done real rehearsals, so everyone had had a clear idea of the intention of every scene and a real sharp sense of tone that we had kind of collectively created in prep. I think once you've defined those things, then you can really let your actors be very comfortable to be free with improv." Another technique was the use of cropping to create these sort of window frames. Was that part of your plan going in? "I would say I knew the end frame, be- cause I put a lot of energy into creating the end frame with our crew. We wanted it to have that kind of slow push in on the window that would create the negative space and really isolate Joe and Angela in that window. We have become now the observing neighbors, peeking in on them together. I knew that. But the discovery during the editing process was that we could begin the film with this same motif of 'windows' and windows that were kind of shifting in space. Kind of compressing so that there was an increasing sense of claustrophobia or being closed in, so that was a discovery." With three features under your belt as a director, what are you learning with each experience? "Well, I think if you can ever shoot anything in order, you should, because it makes everybody's performances even more organic. But I think that I also just really value the effect of rehearsal time, and I think (it's) something people often sacrifice because of the logistical complications of scheduling. On this film, rehearsing led to the result that we really hoped for. The other thing, in terms of post, I'm a big fan of sound design and really spending time in your sound mix. I always want more days. I think every time I do a film, I realize it is a part of the process I deeply love. "Editing this movie was a challenge because I was editing myself, which is its own sort of tricky feat. I don't think anyone should ever spend six months in a room looking at themselves. I think that's ill-advised. But it means that you need to have a team who you really trust to tell you whether you are underserving or over serving your own performance. "I think it's really a benefit to have some really smart people on-board and people like Blackfish often would tell me that I was avoiding my close-ups. He was like, 'I need to see how Angela's feeling.' And I would say, 'I don't know? I feel like we were on my face for a long time. I think we should get off.' And he's like, 'No, I don't think we should get off of it.' I think you have to allow for that. "So the lesson in every production — pre-production and post-production — is always hiring the best possible team and trusting them, and then allowing for as much time as possible." Where did the final mix take place? "In London, at Abbey Road." What is next for you? Directing, acting or a combination of both? "For me, the next gig is directing...It is another comedy, and I'm very excited to make another comedy, especially now spending time in theaters with audiences watching The Invite. That energy, in a crowded theater, watching a comedy, is unlike anything, and if I can be a part of making more of those theatrical come- dies, I want to!" www.postmagazine.com 11 POST JULY/AUG 2026 The final mix took place at Abbey Road. The feature was shot on a stage in LA. Yorgos Mavropsaridis served as editor.