Don’t Kill the Messenger welcomes Academy Award-winning editor William Goldenberg

William Goldenberg, Editor

William (Billy) Goldenberg is one of the great film editors working today. His numerous awards include the BAFTA and the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for Argo. Goldenberg also received Oscar nominations for his editing work on Seabiscuit, The Insider, Zero Dark Thirty, and The Imitation Game. He has worked closely with award-winning directors Michael Mann, Ben Affleck, and Kathryn Bigelow.

And the Oscar goes to…

Billy talks about what it was like being nominated for the Academy Award for Editing for two films in the same year, Zero Dark Thirty and Argo. Goldenberg recounts how it was the most nerve-wracking thing that has ever happened to him. He talks about winning for Argo and his acceptance speech, focusing on the microphone to blur out the stars in the front row and how he has not been able to re-watch the speech.

…it was an out-of-body experience for sure. I mean, when it’s happening. It just seems like you’re in a dream. You’re sort of floating, you know? I remember it, but I actually have never gone back and watched it.

– William Goldenberg

Learning to take criticism

Kevin asks Billy to talk about his mentor, Michael Kahn. Billy tells the story about how he took over for Kahn on the film Alive and the process of editing and re-editing on film. Kahn taught Billy a valuable lesson on how to take criticism and react positively.

Working with directors

Billy and Kevin discuss what it takes to be a successful editor in Hollywood, and they delve into the process of what it is like to be in the editing room with such award-winning directors as Michael Mann and Ben Affleck. Goldenberg relates a story about going back and forth with Michael Mann while working on the film Ali.

Length vs. Pace

Kevin brings up a vital concept in film editing, pace. The pair discuss the difference between the length of a film and the pace of the film and how it relates to how the audience reacts to a movie. Billy talks about being in the editing room with Ben Affleck for Gone Baby Gone and working on the pace and length of the film.

William Goldenberg on editing:

Don’t Kill the Messenger, hosted by movie and entertainment research expert Kevin Goetz, brings his book Audienceology to life. This bi-monthly podcast takes a peek behind the filmmaking curtain as Kevin talks with famous filmmakers, studio executives, stars, and other creatives about movies, filmmaking, audience test screenings, and much more.

Film school and early work

Billy talks about switching from medical school to film school and how he wanted to be an editor from early on. He talks about his first job as a PA and one of his first jobs as an assistant editor on Steven Spielberg’s film Always.

How Bradley Cooper changed Argo

Kevin asks Billy to talk about his most memorable audience testing experience. Billy recounts multiple test screenings for Argo and how feedback from Bradley Cooper led to a significant change in the film that resulted in fantastic testing results.

William Goldenberg on the test screening of Argo:

…it’s the end of the movie, and Ben and I are looking at each other like, uh oh, is this going to work? It was like you could feel the nervousness from both of us. And then the lights came up, and we had a really loud round of applause and all the cards, they fully filled out cards, and all the cards were amazing. And we were like, okay. I think we just clicked.

– William Goldenberg

Join Kevin and his guest, Billy Goldenberg, one of the great film editors working today, as they discuss what it was like to win an Oscar, how the editing process has changed over time, working with directors, and how effective editing can affect audience test scores. Check out the fascinating discussion, and enjoy some insider stories on Kevin’s podcast, Don’t Kill the Messenger!