Today’s guest is award winning editor, Mikkel E.G. Nielsen. Mikkel is an editor and director known for films such as Sound of Metal, Beasts of No Nation, and most recently, The Banshees of Inisherin. Mikkel shares what he appreciates most about being a film editor.

In this episode, we discuss…

What Mikkel appreciates the most from his time in film school in Denmark

Realizing you can treat material in many different ways

Remaining as objective and open as possible, especially in the initial stages of the process

Loving and honoring the collaborative process of editing a film 

Why “less is more” sometimes

How finding balance and simplicity lends to a more powerful film

Helping the director make the best possible version of their intention



Memorable Quotes

“Editing has always been about experimenting and trying to see if there’s new ways to do certain things and to treat material in different ways.” [5:12]

“On a first pass you never ever touch anything from the script.” [15:15]

“There are so many things that are possible with so little material.” [18:14]

“We have a tendency in editing especially, to make things complicated.” [35:17]

“The film is not my baby. I’m helping someone and I always see it like that.” [41:43]



Resources:
Aqua Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQPS5J9_GNw
Walter Murch https://nofilmschool.com/podcast-legendary-walter-murch-editing
Alison O’Daniel and the Tuba Thieves https://nofilmschool.com/the-tuba-thieves
2023 Sundance Post Round Table https://nofilmschool.com/editors-and-post-sound-have-crush-each-others-work

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