John Dingfield is an editor at Cutters Studios, an international collection of post studios that also offers production via with Dictionary Films; finish, color, animation and design courtesy of Flavor; and sound design and mixing provided by Another Country.
John Dingfield’s edit setup.
Since launching his career with Cutters back in 2000, Dingfield has established himself as a go-to editor for comedic and storytelling campaigns. After nine years with Cutters, he joined Beast in 2009 to anchor the firm’s new Chicago operation. In 2018, he moved on to Whitehouse Post Chicago before returning home to Cutters in May.
Let’s find out more about Dingfield…
Can you talk about what it’s like being an offline editor?
Aside from the mechanics of it — looking at the footage, pulling selects, assembling the scenes — the most important thing is being a storyteller. I tend to edit comedy, so for me it’s about putting the elements together in the funniest and most surprising way possible: getting the structure right, finding the rhythm of the story and dialing in the performances that support the whole thing.
Oreo
What would surprise people the most about what falls under that title?
Hmmm. Maybe that editing can be so surprisingly collaborative. I genuinely love playing with the footage and trying new things with my clients in the room. Comedy is subjective, and I’ve been asked to put together edits that I was convinced wouldn’t work. Then somehow, they do, and they are funnier than the scripted spot. Being in the edit room and bouncing ideas off each other is one of my favorite things.
Are you often asked to do more than edit? If so, what else are you asked to do?
Aside from editing, I’m also asked to be a diplomat, a psychologist and a bartender — all of which I enjoy doing. You didn’t ask, but the biggest job for me is to figure out who I’m supposed to be listening to. It’s not always the loudest person in the room, or the most senior. Sometimes it’s the person who hasn’t said anything at all. Maybe that person is perfectly happy, but you have to ask — and then be prepared to deal with the answer.
Oreo
What’s your favorite part of the job?
See above. Also, making things. I love the fact that I can start the day with a pile of footage and end the day with a story that evokes a strong emotion.
What’s your least favorite?
Keeping track of my hours.
What is your most productive time of the day?
When I’m in the shower: I’m half-awake, I’m not thinking about the project, and my guard is down. My best ideas always come flooding in (along with childhood regrets, the desire to be a better person and remembering that I need to buy milk).
If you didn’t have this job, what would you be doing instead?
I’d probably be an architect or an actor or making coffee at Starbucks. Most likely two out of those three.
Oreo
How early on did you know this would be your path?
I started editing my own stuff back in film school and fell in love with it. I also spent enough time on film sets to know that unless you’re the director, being on production is a deeply boring process. It became clear that I could stay in a windowless room and still put my own creative stamp on a project, which was irresistible. So I interned at an editing house in Chicago while I was still in school. I worked my way up from fetching coffee as a runner to fetching coffee as an editor.
Can you name some recent projects you have worked on?
I’ve been super-busy! I just wrapped a bunch of Oreo holiday spots for Martin Agency with director Noah Harris from Agile Films. It was a global effort. Noah is based in London, the shoot was in Kiev, the VFX artists were in Buenos Aires, the creatives were in New York, and I was editing in Chicago.
Oreo
Before that, I cut some great comedy spots for Ragu with the directing team MAMA out of World War Seven for Digitas. Plus, there’s been work for the Amazon Kindle with director Miki Magasiva at Dictionary Films and Sunoco with Steve Miller at RadicalMedia.
Do you put on a different hat when cutting for a specific genre?
I do. While I cut a lot of comedy, I also work on a number of automotive and visual spots. Sometimes there’s a crossover between automotive and comedy — like the Fiat Italian Invasion spot or the Ford Mustang Electrivacation spot I cut with Chevy Chase. But if I’m editing something that’s strictly visual, I’ll approach the dailies in a much different way. I’m much more inclusive and intuitive when it comes to the footage, and I edit more loosely. With comedy, it’s as if I’m constructing the spot the way you would build a house. With visual storytelling, it’s more like I’m throwing paint on a canvas.
Oreo
What is the project that you are most proud of and why?
One of my earliest projects as an editor was for Rice Krispies Treats, and I think it was the first time that creatives requested me specifically. The creative team was young, the director was unknown, and the project was flying under the radar. I was so lucky because everyone was so good. The concept was genius, the art direction and scripts were so ridiculous and off-kilter — the whole time, it was like we were getting away with something.
We just laughed the entire time and made the spots as funny as they possibly could be. Anyway, the spots broke and went to Cannes, getting a lot of attention. They made my career and spoiled me for every job after that. All I can say is thanks again to Jim Tozzi, Lisa Leone and Desmond Lavelle.
What do you use to edit?
I use Avid Media Composer.
What is your favorite plugin?
I can’t say that I really have one, although I use FluidMotion a lot. When I’m editing dialogue and trying to get everything into 30 seconds, sometimes I have to speed up the moments of silence in a take. If I’m doing it right, no one ever notices.
Name three pieces of technology you can’t live without.
My laptop. My turntable. My coffeemaker.
What do you do to de-stress from it all?
My laptop. My turntable. My cocktail shaker.
