Final Cut Named Editing Company of the Year
It’s been - as expected from the recognition - a banner year for Final Cut’s UK outpost. With twelve Final Cut-edited ads in this year’s APA Show, there was already buzz around Soho’s hot shop. At the 2014 Clio Awards, Final Cut’s edit for the Guinness ‘Sapeurs’ documentary, by Russ Clapham, took home the Grand Clio and another gold and bronze statue. The shorter formatted version of Guinness ‘Sapeurs’, edited by Rick Russell, was awarded a gold Clio for film, and two other edits by Final Cut, Russell’s Three ‘The Ride’ and Joe Guest’s St John ‘Save the Boy’ each took bronze in commercial categories.
It is impossible to discuss commercial awards without mentioning the Cannes Lion Awards. The short form version of Guinness 'Sapeurs' was awarded six Lions, and the documentary was awarded two Lions. Lurpak ‘Adventure Awaits’, edited by Joe Guest, garnered four Lions, and Unilever Cornetto ‘Cupidity’, edited by Ryan Beck, received a Lion, as well.
Recently, Russell and Guest took home gold in the editing category of the LIA Awards for Guinness ‘Sapeurs’ and Lurpak ‘Adventure Awaits’. Those two adverts, along with Russell’s Three ‘The Ride’, John Lewis ‘Things Matter’, edited by Joe Guest, and BITC ‘Second Chances’, edited by Ed Cheesman, were all awarded Campaign Big Awards. The One Show handed out the ‘Cinema Advertising Merit Award’ to the Guinness 'Sapeurs' documentary. Furthermore, the recent Ciclope Festival awarded the Grand Prix to Lurpak ‘Adventure Awaits’.
At the British Arrow Awards top honours were handed out to Guinness 'Sapeurs', John Lewis 'Things Matter', St John 'Save the Boy', BITC 'Second Chances', as well as Date Night 'Talk Talk' edited by Joe Guest and First Direct 'Platypus', edited by Struan Clay. All this, and the advertising awards season is not over. The upcoming British Arrows Craft Awards shortlisted Lurpak ‘Adventure Awaits’ in the editing category.
On the music video front, Dan Sherwen was honoured with ‘Best Edit’ at the UKMVA for Jon Hopkins ‘Collider’, and Best Urban Video went to Last Night in Paris ‘Pure’ edited by Ryan Beck and sound design/mix by Final Cut’s Patch Rowland. This year’s feature recognitions include official selections in various film festivals for ‘Dotty’, and a Venice Film Festival debut for ‘Blood Cells’, both edited by Darren Baldwin.
Founder/Editor Rick Russell
sums it up, “It is an honour to receive such a prestigious award from shots,
recognising the collective work of an editing company. It feels like an
extraordinary achievement, amongst such tough competition from all the
premier cutting rooms in the UK and US. It is above all an incredible
endorsement of not only the outstanding quality of the creative work, but
also the complete experience of production support, assisting and front of
house without which the editors could not concentrate on their craft.
I am immensely proud of Team Final Cut.”
