Ask the Artist with David Fisher, Editor

David Fisher is a UK-based award-winning editor and member of both ACE (American Cinema Editors) and BFE (British Film Editors). His credits include His Dark Materials (HBO/BBC), Pennyworth (HBO Max), Doctor Who (BBC), The Devils Hour (Amazon Prime), and recently the feature film Jackdaw. 

He edits inside Avid Media Composer and uses Boris FX Continuum and Sapphire plugins. Follow him on Twitter.

Where are you from? How did you get your start in the industry?

I grew up in the northeast of England with a love for television and film from a young age. I knew that was a world that I wanted to be a part of. I studied a media production course at Newcastle College/Northumbria University and that’s where I knew my passion for storytelling lay in editing. I moved to London on a production that was shot in the northeast and fine cut in London, and this opened up more work opportunities.

After years of working as an assistant editor learning the craft, I got my break editing an episode of Mr. Selfridge (ITV/Masterpiece). 

Editor David Fisher attending HBO's His Dark Materials premiere

What Boris FX tools do you use? Which effects/features do you rely on most?

Continuum and Sapphire are tools that I have used a lot in the past and still use. 

On shows that I have worked on that aren’t big VFX shows, I use Continuum or Sapphire sharpen tools to do cosmetic touch-ups to shots and BCC Camera Shake to give static shots some movements. These things are so helpful in giving the “finishing touches” to an offline cut.

On Pennyworth (HBO Max) I used BCC Smoke & Fog and Lightning for a climactic battle scene at a power station with two characters who have enhancements, Gulliver Troy (stormcloud powers) and Darren Thompson (the ability to fire lightning from his hands).

It was a joy to cut this scene as I had Continuum effects to temp shots to get the timing correct. I used lightning effects for the bolts and smoke to create atmosphere in their location as an aftermath of the destruction they were causing in the power station.

What project are you most proud of — and why?

I’m proud of all projects I have been a part of. As a freelance editor, I have been fortunate to edit different genres, different durations, and for different distributors. This brings a lot of variety and challenges each time. It keeps things fresh and rewarding.

I have been a fan of Doctor Who since I was a child, and when the show came back in 2005, I dreamed of working on it. In 2018, I edited four episodes of season 11 and the first full episode featuring Jodie Whittaker as The Doctor. This was a proud moment in my career and also one that was really helped by using Boris FX Sapphire and Continuum. Having first-hand access to the plugins in Avid, I could do temp VFX to get a sense of timings before handing the shots to the VFX editor to be sent to the vendor.

How do you prepare for a big project?

The first thing is to read the script and get immersed in the world. I take notes on possible sound effects and ideas for the temp score. If there is a level of VFX, I’ll prep what I can do in Avid with the plugins available. Then I’ll look into the process of getting these shots to the VFX editor.

What's a keyboard shortcut you can't live without?

Ctrl + S (or Apple+S) to make sure that sequence is saved and backed up. I also use match frame/find bin to speed things up while looking for alt takes or matching back when recutting a scene.

How do you keep yourself fueled/your favorite snack when you're in a long session?

I try and be as healthy as possible on a long session editing, but still can’t resist M&M’s (any variety) or giant stuff Reese’s Big Cup with pieces.

Where do you turn for artistic inspiration?

The cinema…the feeling of seeing a film on the big screen with full surround sound…it’s immersive. I may not directly learn an edit style from a film, but I will feel inspired and feel an emotion that will then help me in some way when I come to edit a project.

What do you do when you start feeling creative burnout?

I take a break away from the Avid, go for a walk, take a look at my DVD/Blu-ray collection, look at old film posters, and feel inspired to get going again.

What's your favorite film and/or TV series?

Point Break (1991) — I was 9 years old and probably too young to be watching it, but I loved everything about it: the action, the score, and the atmosphere. I still have it on VHS.

If you could collaborate with any artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?

There are so many people out there I would love to collaborate with including directors Ridley Scott, Quentin Tarantino, Kathryn Bigelow, Steven Spielberg, Ryan Coogler, David Lynch, Sofia Coppola, Jordan Peele, and Christopher Nolan. I grew up watching a lot of these directors. They inspired me in so many ways to be a part of this industry. I want to continue editing feature films — and they excel at directing feature films.

What career and/or life advice would you give your younger self?

Just keep going. I would say that to anyone who has a goal of achieving something. When I got into the industry as an assistant editor, editing was where I wanted to be. I edited short films, music videos, recaps/teaser trailers, sizzle reels, showreels, and pitch videos before getting my first episode of a television drama. There were a lot of times where I thought it wasn’t going to happen and the work I was doing wasn’t going to get me there.

But it was all character-building and experience and it paid off, so I would say keep going.

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