M3GAN

The Rough Cut

Editor - Jeff McEvoy

M3GAN editor Jeff McEvoy doesn't exactly spend his free time going down the rabbit hole that is TikTok. More often he can be found getting in some exercise in the cutting room or on the hiking trails. So he was just as surprised as anyone when the trailer for his Blumhouse horror movie about a "killer robot doll" blew up on the social media site most famous for showcasing lousy dancing and eating challenges. But what should be no surprise is that Jeff's considerable storytelling skills and years of experience as an editor helped make M3GAN the breakout hit that it's become.

M3GAN is a marvel of artificial intelligence, a lifelike doll that's programmed to be a child's greatest companion and a parent's greatest ally. Designed by Gemma (Allison Williams), a brilliant roboticist, M3GAN can listen, watch and learn as it plays the role of friend and teacher, playmate and protector. When Gemma becomes the unexpected caretaker of her 8-year-old niece, she decides to give the girl an M3GAN prototype, a decision that leads to unimaginable consequences.

Editing M3GAN

In our discussion with M3GAN editor Jeff McEvoy, we talk about:

• The importance of air squats in the cutting room
• Hiring comedians to bring the comedy
• Getting really good with the UNREAL engine
• Using Melodyne in Pro Tools for dialogue design
• Dynamic morphing your way from an R to a PG-13

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