SPOTLIGHT ON… NICK SAUNDERS

So, Nick – hello! Tell us what initially brought you to The Edge?

Hello! I wanted to learn to be a professional editor, and I saw The Edge as the perfect place to learn. I had been self-teaching my whole life and wanted to learn how to do it properly and start from scratch, so I started as the Outpost (our post-production facility) Runner. Through doing casting edits, minor tweaks and spending as much time as I could in edit suites with professionals, I started to edit more and more, learning how the technology works.

Tell us a bit about your role – what does a typical day look like for you?

My role now mostly involves editing every day in one of our five suites. When I’m not doing that I ensure all of our edit facilities are running smoothly and effectively. I also spend a lot of time researching new technology and approaches to post-production in order to keep The Edge as up to date and efficient as possible.

You’ve been part of The Edge for a while now – what’s the most exciting project you’ve worked on to date?

In terms of editing, my favourite film was about the protection of African Elephants. The footage was so incredible and made me very jealous of the production aspect of film-making. Beyond that, I’ve had a hand in a few of our VR projects. Getting to grips with the tech for 360° films has also been really exciting and there are lots more of these projects on the horizon.

Tell us about the latest piece of tech you’ve been using in the edit suite – how’s it made an impact on your work?

We’re actually in the middle of an exciting technical overhaul at The Edge. Our edit suites are about to become quicker, safer and completely 4K enabled. This update to our tech is also going to broaden our VR capabilities as our machines will be able to handle higher quality images and really complex data.

As a major part of our 360-filming / VR team, what excites you about this new tech?

Getting hands-on and seeing what can be done in VR and 360 is incredibly exciting, especially when it comes to learning. Allowing people to learn by doing, is something film has not really been able to offer before. That is all about to change as VR develops more and more in the coming years.

Do you have any major influences that have helped develop your editing style?

I’ve recently been inspired by the editing work on Adam McKays recent films, ‘Vice’ and ‘The Big Short’. Hank Corwin has such a slick and fast-paced style, I think it’s a really engaging way to tell a story and it is definitely a style of storytelling I want to explore more.

What’s your favourite film(s)?

I find this really hard to answer. I constantly change my mind, there is just so much choice. I really did enjoy ‘Vice’ recently.

Do you have any creative inspirations outside of film?

I go to the theatre a lot. I watch musicals, plays and VR storytelling experiences. I’ve done some work with augmented reality theatre myself and I’m always on the lookout for interesting and exciting ways of telling stories through technology.

And finally – what advice would you give to someone starting out in the world of post-production?

Start from scratch and learn everything. Always ask questions. Always try and do better. Do what is right for you. You don’t always have to listen to everyone else. Find your own way that works. Be nice.