NYT Profiles The Editor Who Makes Comedy Work
When comics improv in movies you need a kick ass editor to make the timing work. Paul Feig has one. The New York Times recently did a piece on film editor Brent White. He’s is now Hollywood’s go-to editor when it comes to comedies. He’s worked with Feig and directors Judd Apatow and Adam McKay on films including “Anchorman”, “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby”, “Step Brothers”, “Arthur”, “Knocked Up”, “The 40 Year Old Virgin” and “The Heat”. His latest project was collaborating with Paul Feig again on one of this Summer’s most anticipated comedies, “Spy” starring Melissa McCarthy.
White’s comedy editing career started with the Paul Feig created show, “Freaks and Geeks” where improvising was part of the creative process. As for how he edits, Brent White said “I cut right behind the director. The day after they start shooting is the day I start editing.” Called by Feig, “the most talented editor I’ve worked with”, Brent Wise was described by the New York Times as “a master rewriter, giving more felicitous form to Will Ferrell’s shaggy riffs, Steve Carell’s inspired non sequiturs and Melissa McCarthy’s profane runs — he manages to make the funniest people on the planet funnier.”
Brent White would have been working on Judd Apatow’s movie “Trainwreck” starring Amy Schumer which is out this Summer, but Paul Feig was able to get him first for “Spy”. According to Feig, “Judd and I fought over who’d get Brent, and I won.”
“Spy” starring Melissa McCarthy, directed by Paul Feig and edited by Brent White is out in theaters this Summer on Friday, June 5th.
