Peer Review: Kelly Lyon ACE

Who are three contemporaries that you admire?

Joanna Naugle, ACE and Adam Epstein, ACE, Editors of The Bear. Naugle developed an editing style and pacing for The Bear that gives the viewer a visceral, physical reaction. You don't just watch the show. You feel it. That's incredibly impressive on its own, but she also works incredibly quickly and comes close to a final cut on her first pass. 

Epstein is always researching and utilising the latest technology. He knows about every new feature in each software update and is eager to test them all out. But despite his love for tech, he edits comedy with his heart. His episode forks in season 2 of The Bear is one of the most memorable episodes of television I've ever seen because the character arc is so beautifully crafted.

Anytime a docu-series leaves me on the edge of my seat, I know it's because of the editor. 

Tommy Harden is a true artist, especially with visual storytelling.  He is able to take seemingly disparate images, connect them through sound design, music, pacing, and shot choice, and make the viewer experience something deeply in 60 seconds or less.  His Go Forth campaign for Levi's in 2012 was absolute magic.  

Catherine Gionfriddo has an incredibly elevated taste level.  She works on huge fashion campaigns for brands like Prada and Tom Ford. Through her edits, she's able to capture the mood and vibe of her clients, often through use of unexpected shot choice and sound design. 

Please share 3-4 pieces of work that exemplify great editing.

I Think You Should Leave; this show makes me cry laughing every time I watch it. The way each sketch heightens so far beyond reason is so intoxicating to watch. Why am I crying? I'm crying. That's perfect comedy editing.

Making a Murderer; documentary editing is so challenging. There is so much information to distill down, and the story must be crafted in the edit. Anytime a docu-series leaves me on the edge of my seat, I know it's because of the editor. 

Nike Split Screen - The patience and perfection of each shot choice coupled with the emotional build and impact this ad had during the pandemic makes this one of the best edited commercials of all time.

I completely fell in love with the challenge of putting the puzzle together to tell a story. 

SNL, Zach Galifinakis - Darrell's House, Parts I and II; Editor Oz Rodriguez had 18 minutes during the live SNL show to cut together part two of this sketch, based on whatever Zach Galifinakis said in part one.  The sheer fact that SNL takes risks like this where a joke hinges entirely on the editing puts it in my top lists.

Severance - This show was so gripping to me.  My expectations were completely subverted.  The stark contrast in pacing, sound, camerawork and emotional feel between the working world and the outside world left me speechless. I'm so excited for season 2.

The contrast in pacing, sound, camerawork in Severance left Lyon speechless.

What do you like most about the work that you do?

I love working with funny people. There are always serious and intense moments in the edit, but when the cut starts working and you feel the room loosening up, there is no better feeling. When my sense of humour is aligned with my collaborators, it stops being work and becomes pure joy. 

Sometimes someone suggests an idea, and you think it won't work, but you must entertain the idea.  I have been wrong so many times.

What was your journey to becoming an editor?

I was so lucky to have a public access TV station at my high school.  I took an independent study my senior year and learned to edit by creating a senior class video yearbook. I completely fell in love with the challenge of putting the puzzle together to tell a story. My high school teacher Mr. Cobb encouraged me to become an editor and I never stopped pursuing that dream.  

Lyon admires the craftsmanship involved in editing a documentary like Netflix's Making A Murderer.

What is the most valuable skill you’ve learned in your career, and why?

The best thing you can do as an editor is make sure your collaborators feel heard. Sometimes someone suggests an idea, and you think it won't work, but you must entertain the idea.  I have been wrong so many times. I've learned to give anything a try.  Once you build a strong rapport with your colleagues, you might be able to push back more, but the most genius things I've been a part of came from a push and pull between different people's ideas.

The fact that people still binge watch this show 20 years later and find it just as funny makes him the best editor of all time, in my opinion.

What is one thing every editor needs?

A Wacom tablet! I can't edit without mine.

Lyon praises the comedic editing of I Think You Should Leave.

Who was the greatest editor of all time? Why?

David Rogers (editor of The Office). The Office was hugely inspirational to me and so many comedy filmmakers because of the pacing. The patience, the lack of music, the awkward silences and cringe moments - it's defined so much of what comedy has become. 

I think we have a long way to go before A.I. truly understands comedy, documentary distillation, or visual storytelling, so as long as we keep pushing the medium, we should still have jobs.

Rogers was the lead editor on the series and eventually became a producer and director because he had so much input on the show's comedic tone and timing. The fact that people still binge watch this show 20 years later and find it just as funny makes him the best editor of all time, in my opinion.

The Office was hugely inspirational to Lyon and many other comedy filmmakers because of the pacing.

Did you have a mentor? Who was it?

I've been so lucky to have many mentors over my career. Debbie McMurtrey is the Saturday Night Live editor who not only taught me how to edit comedy, but also taught me how to keep my composure with clients, even under the insane stress and time constraints of a live show like SNL. I also consider Tommy Harden, Peter Weidensmith, and Oz Rodriguez to be hugely influential on my career. I'm so grateful for their generosity and I always trust their opinions when it comes to my cuts. 

As AI gets better and begins to do rough cuts and assemblies, we as editors need to keep pushing our creativity and humour...