NY-based postproduction shop Northern Lights has signed editor Ben Whitten. Whitten has nearly two decades of experience as an editor, with work spanning commercials, broadcast promos, co-branded initiatives, long-form content, PSAs and radio spots. He has worked with several ad agencies including Grey, JWT, Y&R, Draft FCB and cable networks such as USA Network, Food Network and WE.
“Ben’s editorial style clearly communicates a unique point of view,” said Northern Lights partner David Gioiella. “And his diverse background in commercials, network promos and longer form assignments is a perfect fit.”
Adds Whitten, “After meeting the team at Northern Lights I knew it would be a good fit,” said Whitten. “They have put together an incredibly talented group of people and the fact that they have production, design, audio and post, all under one roof is a direction that is exciting for me. I’m looking forward to being able to cross-pollinate with the other divisions and get the chance to work on a variety of projects.”
After studying Jazz performance at Philadelphia’s The University of the Arts, Whitten headed to NYC with his sights set on the recording industry. He balanced an evening internship at a record label with a day job at a boutique advertising agency, where he got the chance to cut a number of small projects. In addition to editorial work, he climbed ranks to director of broadcast production, overseeing both in-house and outside production including editing, sound design, recording, mixing and licensing. As Whitten gained more experience editing, he moved on to editorial shop Mad House, where he spent nearly 15 years working with ad agencies on notable campaigns including an Addy award-winning USPS 9/11 spot featuring Carly Simon‘s “Let the River Run” and a series of music-driven spots for Burger King. He also utilized his musical background on a wide range of projects for Atlantic Records artists for almost a decade. Prior to joining Northern Lights, Whitten cut campaigns for shows White Collar, Burn Notice, Complications and Suits.
