Name: Matt Dunne
Company: Bindery
Can you describe your company?
Bindery is an indie film and content studio based in NYC. We model ourself after independent film studios, where we tackle every phase of a project from concept all the way through finishing. Our work varies from branded web content and national broadcast commercials to shorts and feature films.
What’s your job title?
Senior Editor
What does that entail?
I’m part of all things post at Bindery. I get involved early on in projects to help ensure we have a workflow set up, and if I’m the editor I’ll often get a chance to work with the director on conceptualizing the piece. When I get to go on set I’m able to become the hub of the production side. I’ll work with the director and DP to make sure the image is what they want and
I’ll start assembling the edit as they are shooting. Most of my time is spent in an edit suite with a director and clients working through their concept and really bringing their story to life. An advantage of working with Bindery is that I’m able to sit and work with directors before they shoot and sometimes even before a concept is locked. There’s a level of trust that’s developed and we get to work through ideas and plan for anything that may come up later on during the post process. Even though post is the last stage of a film project, it needs to be involved in the beginning. I’m a big believer in that. From the early stages to the very end, I get to touch a lot of projects.
What would surprise people the most about what falls under that title?
I’m a huge tech nerd and gear head, so with the help of two other colleagues I help maintain the post infrastructure of Bindery. When we expanded the office we had to rewire everything and I recently helped put a new server together. That’s something I never imagined myself doing.
Editors also become a sounding board for creatives. I think it’s partially because we are good listeners and partially because we have couches in our suites. People like to come in and riff an idea or work through something out loud, even if you aren’t the editor on that project. I think half of being a good editor is just being able to listen.
What’s your favorite part of the job?
Working in an open environment that nurtures ideas and creativity. I love working with people that want to push their product and encourage one another to do the same. It’s really special getting to play a role in it all.
What’s your least favorite?
I think anything that takes me away from the editing process. Any sort of hardware or software issue will completely kill your momentum and at times it can be difficult to get that back.
What’s your most productive time of the day?
Early in the morning. I’m usually walking around the post department checking the stations, double checking processes that took place overnight or maintaining the server. Opposite that I’ve always felt very productive late at night. If I’m not actively editing in the office, then I’m usually rolling the footage back in my head that I screened during the day to try and piece it together away from the computer.
If you didn’t have this Job, what would you be doing instead?
I would be running a dog sanctuary for senior and abused dogs.
How early on did you know this would be your path?
I first fell in love with post production when I was a kid. It was when Jurassic Park was in theaters and Fox would run these amazing behind-the-scene specials. There was this incredible in-depth coverage of how things in the film industry are done. I was too young to see the movie but I remember just devouring the content. That’s when I knew I wanted to be part of that scene.
Neurotica
Can you name some recent projects you have worked on?
I recently got to help finish a pilot for a series we released called Neurotica. We were lucky enough to premiere it at Tribeca this past season, and getting to see that on the big screen with the people who helped make it was a real thrill for me.
I also just finished cutting a JBL spot where we built soundscapes for Yankees player Aaron Judge and captured him as he listened and was taken on a journey through his career, past and present. The original concept was a bit different than the final deliverable, but because of the way it was shot we were able to re-conceptualize the piece in the edit. There was a lot of room to play and experiment with that one.
Do you put on a different hat when cutting for a specific genre? Can you elaborate?
Absolutely. With every job there comes a different approach and tools you need to use. If I’m cutting something more narrative focused I’ll make sure I have the script notes up, break my project out by scene and spend a lot of time auditioning different takes to make a scene work. Docu-style is a different approach entirely.
I’ll spend more time prepping that by location or subject and then break that down further. There’s even more back and forth when cutting doc. On a scripted project you have an idea of what the story flow is, but when you’re tasked with finding the edit you’re very much jumping around the story as it evolves. Whether it’s comedy, music or any type of genre, I’m always getting a chance to flex a different editing muscle.
1800 Tequila
What is the project you are most proud of?
There are a few, but one of my favorite collaborative experiences was when we worked with Billboard and 1800 Tequila to create a branded documentary series following Christian Scott aTunde Adjuh. It was five episodes shot in New York, Philadelphia and New Orleans, and the edit was happening simultaneously with production.
As the crew traveled and mapped out their days, I was able to screen footage, assemble and collaborate with the director on ideas that we thought could really enhance the piece. I was on the phone with him when they went back to NOLA for the last shoot and we were writing story beats that we needed to gather to make Episode 1 and 2 work more seamlessly now that the story had evolved. Being able to rework sections of earlier episodes before we were wrapped with production was an amazing opportunity.
What do you use to edit?
Software-wise I’m all in on the Adobe Creative Suite. I’ve been meaning to learn Resolve a bit more since I’ve been spending more and more time with it as a powerful tool in our workflow.
What is your favorite plugin?
Neat Video is a denoiser that’s really incredible. I’ve been able to work with low-light footage that would otherwise be unusable.
Are you often asked to do more than edit? If so, what else are you asked to do?
Since Bindery is involved in every stage of the process, I get this great opportunity to work with audio designers and colorists to see the project all the way through. I love learning by watching other people work.
Name three pieces of technology you can’t live without.
My phone. I think that’s a given at this point. A great pair of headphones, and a really comfortable chair that lets me recline as far back as possible for those really demanding edits.
What do you do to de-stress from it all?
I met my wife back in college and we’ve been best friends ever since, so spending any amount of time with her helps to wash away the stress. We also just bough our first house in February, so there’s plenty of projects for me to focus all of my stress into.
