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I had the chance to sit down with editor Trevor Mirosh as he discussed his creative influences and his previous work. He most recently brought his expertise and professional insight to The Ravine, starring Eric Dane (Grey’s Anatomy, Euphoria) and Vendetta, starring Bruce Willis. Trevor brought us into his creative process and his journey into editing through personal anecdotes and professional experiences. In our interview, we touched on his first editing jobs, his most recent work, and his unique approach to editing.
Hi Trevor, I wanted to begin our conversation by asking about your journey into the film industry. How did you become interested in editing?
When I was growing up most of my friends were musicians and I really looked up to them, to their creative energy. I played piano, but didn’t feel playing music was my path, but I loved movies. I grew up very much a Steven Spielberg fan, loved “Jaws”, “Raiders”, and “E.T.” and of course inspired by “Star Wars” and Lawrence Kasdan’s writing. My dad took me to see “Empire Strikes Back” and the line went for miles – the amount of people that wanted to see this movie was amazing to me. Martin Scorsese films helped me tap into more of my darker side – “Raging Bull”, “The Departed”, “Shutter Island”, were films I was always in awe of because of the gritty editing that Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker created. It was this jarring approach that felt very realistic and it was this approach that captured my attention for editing.
After film school I got a job as a production assistant on a TV show and during filming it was very cold and often one of the editors would drive by, roll down his window, and ask me how I’m doing. So I told him the truth. That I was freezing and wanted to be warm, learning how to be an editor. So sure enough the next week I was asked to join the editing department as a trainee editor.
I continued as an assistant editor working on a television series called “Lonesome Dove’, then MGM’s “Poltergeist” “Scary Movie 3” followed by “Final Cut” starring Robin Williams where I was mentored by long time film editor Dede Allan who was known for films such as “Bonnie and Clyde”, “Dog Day Afternoon”, “The Breakfast Club”, “Wonder Boys” and many more.
Today I specialize in action/thriller films. I love them because of Michael Bay films and the John Wick franchise directed by Chad Stahelski and David Leitch and also David Leitch’s Atomic Blonde. Just so cool, energetic and creative work.
Your most recent project Ravine is based on true events. How did you navigate editing the film while maintaining the storyline?
The Ravine is a thriller based on a book that was inspired by true events. I was very fortunate to work on this with director Keoni Waxman who penned the script with the authors Robert and Kelly Pascuzzi. It has a great ensemble cast of Eric Dane, Teri Polo, Peter Facinelli, Byron Mann, Leslie Uggams, and Kyle Lowder. It’s about an unspeakable crime that rocks a peaceful community, family and friends are then left to wonder if they overlooked the murderer among them or if there might be more to the story.
It was shot in New Orleans, edited in Vancouver, Canada and posted in Los Angeles. It was important to the producers and director that we stay as close to the book as possible so that helped us navigate through it all. I’m an editor who likes to experiment. I’m always curious to try things. Sometimes films need to be more jarring, and claustrophobic than others. So I often like to make more irregular edits, something that can surprise the audience.
You also recently worked on an upcoming film titled Vendetta, do you have any collaborative moments that stood out to you while working on it?
What an honor it was to be part of a Bruce Willis project. I have watched his work from “Moonlighting”, to “Die Hard” to “Pulp Fiction” and “The Sixth Sense”. Vendetta was a project filmed in Georgia and edited and posted in Vancouver, Canada. It’s about a father, William Duncan, who takes the law into his own hands, setting out on a quest for retribution after his daughter was murdered.
It’s a dark film so controlling the tone and tempo within each scene was a contributing factor in editing with the director. Editing is about experimenting. We tried different things to open this film, different tones, and asked questions like, ‘do we set up our main characters’ world, their community, life with a softer tone rather than opening this film with a hard, dark tone centered around the antagonist’?
In the end it was important to cut for emotion first. To do that we needed to spend time with our hero’s family, get to know them so we can better understand William Duncan’s choices later in the film.
You’re a long-time fan of Steven Spielberg. How have you been influenced as a creative by others in the industry?
I’m always influenced and inspired by others in the industry. So much talent and Michael Bay is one of them. His films keep me giddy. His style and what his editors William Goldenberg (6 underground) or Pietro Scalia (Ambulance) do to contribute has me eager and excited to work on bigger budget films. Sharp cuts after dialogue followed by a few high energy establishing shots. Snappy, fast, fun! Not only do action/ thrillers excite me, but I also love the creepy thriller/horrors that Jordan Peele and Guillermo del Toro do. I feel the same about Warner Brothers’ The Batman. I think this always circles back to Steven Spielberg. He does action/ thrillers but his work would often have undertones of horror like “Jaws” or sci-fi like “E.T.” It’s this combination of undertones that has influenced me creatively. It’s what I seek and that’s what Peele and Guillermo also do.
What is one thing that you wish you would’ve known when first getting into your career?
Be part of your community. Get involved early. If you want to be an editor, join the American Cinema Editors (ACE). A fantastic organization that participates on a global scale. Editors from all over the world are part of this amazing network. You could also join the Canadian Cinema Editors (CCE). A national editing organization that brings awareness to Canadian editors. In Vancouver they have a non-profit organization called the Vancouver Post Alliance (VPA). This network has hundreds of talented people who work in post. Composers, editors, sound designers and post managers. It’s all here and each of these organizations are in place to help you get educated and connected.
And finally, where can we find more about you and your work, and stay connected?
If you’re interested to know more please follow me on my company’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Mindtoolfilms or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevormirosh
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Thank you for reading! Stay updated on Trevor Mirosh and his work through his IMDB and Website.
