Editor Adrian Murray’s Transformative Skill

While frequently overlooked, the editor’s contributions to any film or video project are critically important. No one else on the production crew — star, writer, director — exercises such complete, intimate control of the finished product. That final cut reflects the editor’s technical skill, emotional involvement and creative passion, a triple threat stock of skills that define the viewer’s experience. Editor Adrian Murray’s innate possession of those qualities have made him one of the most successful and busiest cutters in the business, a fact that the British born craftsman’s roster of professional achievements makes amply clear.

Murray’s crisp evocative style and grasp of visual rhythm imparts a depth of understanding that enhances any project, particularly documentaries, a form at which he excels. Curiously enough, editing was the farthest thing from Murray’s mind as he came of age in Northern England

“I’m from Birkenhead, a town just outside of Liverpool,” Murray said. “At a young age I found a passion for music, began learning classical guitar and later took up the cello. I joined a string orchestra which went on tour across Europe performing film scores. I later studied Music Technology at the University of Huddersfield. Part of the course focused on sound design for film which I really enjoyed..”

Murray’s creative interests — music and film — intertwined steadily

“After I graduated, I got an opportunity to work at a post-production facility in London called Future Film Group,” Murray said. “They specialized in sound for film. Being in their offices in the heart of Soho meant I was surrounded by incredible talent in the film and TV world. I met the editor Sean Barton [“Star Wars” Return of the Jedi.” “Quadrophenia”] and assisted him on a number of projects. He taught me a lot about the art of editing. To help my development I set up a production company with some friends filming music videos and live concerts. This allowed me to explore and experiment with the craft. I went on to edit live concerts including Amy Winehouse and Robert Plant.”

After Murray fell in with cinema legend Walter Murch, the editor on such towering classics as “The Godfather” and “Apocalypse Now,” the course was ineradicably set.

“Editing became a real passion after I met him, “Murray said. “I was working at a post-production facility at the time and he was mixing ‘Cold Mountain’ there. I’d read his book ‘In the Blink of An Eye’ and he was an idol of mine. At that point I was hooked.”

Before long, Murray, based in New York, was editing constantly at such outlets as MSNBC, Discovery and the History Channel. But it’s his association with the ABC network that’s produced the most strikingly dramatic results, particularly recent 7 part documentary ‘The Last Defense,’ which was executive produced by Viola Davis. The series highlighted flaws in the American justice system through detailed explorations of the controversial cases of two convicted killers, Darlie Routier and Julius Jones, following the same path which led them to death row.

For Murray, it became much more than sitting at a moviola, sifting through footage.

“To be able to work on a documentary that shines a light on an important subject and that can potentially make a difference can always be an emotional prospect,” Murray said. “It’s one of the worst nightmares imaginable, being convicted of a crime you did not commit and believed by no one. Yet it happens all the time, victims of tampered evidence, over-zealous prosecutors, and a flawed justice system. We were taking a fresh look into how they became convicted and also unearthed new evidence that could potentially help them get a new trial.”

In this case, Murray assumed an almost custodial role, a position which, due to the subject, took on far greater significance than his usual assignments.

“The US remains in the minority of counties that support the death penalty. Every time there is an execution, there is a risk of executing an innocent person,” Murray said. “It’s believed 4.1% of people on death row are innocent. How can we execute people if 1 in 25 inmates are innocent?”

“My task was not just to tell the story but to find that story within the footage. It is a very organic process — there is no script and so it’s written in the edit. My role therefore goes beyond an editor, taking a more hands on role, essentially story-producing the overall arc of a project.”

Murray’s meticulous approach and soul-deep commitment to the subject had extraordinary impact.

“The most exciting thing I find about editing is the power it has to not only manipulate the rhythm and pace but also that it can transform a story and help implement a films moral tone,” Murray said. “So you have a lot of input to the final construction of the film.”

Murray’s dedication, insight and masterly technique never fail to elevate an assignment, but with ‘The Last Defense’ he really made a resonant, above-and-beyond, real-time impact: “the series succeeded in bringing national attention to both death row cases, putting pressure on Oklahoma and Texas authorities — Julius Jones was recently granted a new hearing.”

Part craftsman, part crusader, Murray’s unique skill set is unrivaled, taking a true visionary approach to the art and science of editing.

“I find the art of documentary filmmaking much like narrative cinema,” Murray said. “It’s not just based on a true story, it is a true story. In the documentary world there are no rules and the whole process can be very organic, and so a lot of the time you don’t know what the film is going to be like until it is finished. You can create your own grammar, and that makes the edit room an incredibly powerful place.”