VFX Editor PJ Harling, talks everything from American Beauty to Masters of the Air.

Film Editor PJ Harling has had an incredibly varied career in the entertainment industry although it nearly never happened. He started off as a restaurant manager but found it unfulfilling and decided it wasn’t for him, so he took the plunge and entered film school. 

PJ’s professional start was in commercials but then it all changed when he landed an editing job on the Oscar winning film American Beauty. Since then PJ has progressed into to the world of visual effects editing that has seen him work on many big budget blockbusters.  

Over the Shoulder was lucky enough to speak to PJ Harling about his career and what it is like being a film/ visual effects editor. 

Can you explain what a visual effects editor does?

A VFX editor is the primary link between editorial and the VFX department, working for both the editor and the VFX supervisor at the same time. The main role is to co-ordinate the needs of each of those departments; tracking the delivery and return of VFX – from all the various elements to be sent to vendors, to receiving and presenting the work as it comes in.

When did your passion start for visual effects?

As my role as an assistant editor developed, I gained an interest in VFX, and my passion was born as I worked on bigger VFX projects; seeing what was possible and how it could be achieved.

Your first job was as assistant editor on the film American Beauty. What did you learn from it that helped you for your rest of your career?

Working with a director like Sam Mendes afforded me the opportunity to learn from a truly talented filmmaker. You learn new things from every project, but it is rare to work on a project that you know has great promise, led by a visionary director such as Sam Mendes.

How did you transition from being an editor to specialising in visual effects?

I transitioned from an assistant editor to a VFX editor purely by chance. When I first started in VFX there was no such thing as a VFX editor, so my role was born out of necessity. It was only after I had experience did I begin to get offered roles as a dedicated VFX editor.

What is the difference between working in TV from film and which one do you prefer?

Films are much simpler in some respects, purely because they are a single piece compared to the multiple episodes of a TV project. With a film you can focus your attention on a single story, and a much shorter timeline. Both can be demanding in their own way. But for me feature films will always be my personal preference.

What do you do to remain up-to date with industry technologies and software?

The needs of any given project often force me to get up to date; as existing software is updated to adapt with the current technological advances. Other than that, I try to keep my finger on the pulse through social media and industry news.

With your TV mini-series Masters of the Air being released aired, can you explain what the process was like on the project?

Masters was an exceptional project, and one that I doubt will ever be repeated. A behemoth of a project that pushed boundaries in both storytelling and technology. I was on the project from pre-production through to final delivery and feel extremely fortunate to have played an integral part of the process. So many challenges that pushed the entire team to its limits.

Accuracy was an important concern, which meant that we had to look at some gruesome pictures of real injuries sustained by airman to ensure the action was authentic.

If you could have worked on any film, which one would it be?

Choosing a favourite film is, as anyone who loves films will tell you, an almost impossible task. However, I would have loved to have worked on any of the classics we all know and love; Jaws, Jurassic Park, The Godfather, to name a few…

Which of the directors that you have worked with, stand out?

Sam Mendes certainly stands out as the director I am most proud to have worked with, but there are so many incredible directors out there.

Who are your editing heroes? 

I have huge admiration for editors such as Thelma Schoonmaker, Anne Coates, and Michael Kahn.

What was the most challenging visual effects design that you have done?

Without a doubt Masters of the Air was the most challenging project I have ever been a part of. Being able to play a part in designing the aerial battles was an enormous privilege and an experience I shall never forget.

You have a film Christmas Karma coming soon, directed by Gurinder Chadha. What was it like working with her?

Every project gives you the opportunity to watch and learn. With Gurinder I find it fascinating to watch her as she delicately weaves a powerful message into a deceptively ‘light’ film.

We thank PJ for his insightful conversation on the sometimes-overlooked world of editing and visual effects and we hope to sit down with him in the future to hear about other projects that he has do

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