Los Angeles-based editorial boutique Fix It In Post recently edited The Bannen Way, a series of 16, 5-7 minute-long webisodes created by filmmakers Mark Gantt and Jess Warren airing on Sony Digital’s Crackle.com. Editor Zack Arnold, owner of Fix It In Post, responded to a Craig’s List ad looking for an editor that would work next to nothing on a spec show. The result is a series that has had over eight million hits online.
Arnold was able to take a chance, work on a micro budget, and share the vision of the creators, offering something that the larger editorial houses could not do. Not only did Fix It In Post create the trailer, which helped sell the show, but the company also edited a 95-minute feature film in seven weeks, breaking it into 16 webisodes. And to complete the package, they provided their partner company, Sammy Sound Inc. who mixed the show in 5.1. Once final picture was delivered by Tunnel Post, Fix it In Post created the marketing promos, completed the deliverables for TV and foreign markets, and re-edited the feature into an 86-minute broadcast TV format.
“In the current climate of reduced budgets and dwindling ROI, this is smart filmmaking,” said Arnold. “As a boutique editorial house, we delivered a full package at a quarter of the cost that larger editorial houses can. It was a lot of hard work to meet Sony’s timetable, but it was a great experience working directly with the creators, director and lead actor all in one.”
“Finding a great editor was so important for the success of our show. When your tag line reads; a slick, sexy, fast paced web series with the humor and tone of Ocean’s 11 and Smoking Aces, a lot of editors would jump at the opportunity,” said Gantt. “But when they are told that it’s not only a web series but a full-length feature film, a clean version to air for television and, oh yeah, did we mention it’s a really, really tight budget, insane post schedule and you do trailers too, right? Most sane editors wouldn’t have returned the call.
“I couldn’t believe that Fix It In Post actually lived up to its name to such a degree,” said Warren. “Zack was able to problem-solve under incredible time constraints that, ultimately, saved the film.”
