Editor Paul Norling Joins STITCH

Editor Paul Norling, whose work represents a veritable greatest hits reel of top agencies, brands and directors, has joined the talent roster at post-production shop STITCH. News of his arrival was announced by Dan Swietlik, editor and partner, and Mila Davis, executive producer. 

Joining STITCH reunites Norling with Swietlik, his old colleague and friend; the two worked together early in their careers and stayed in close contact as their accomplishments and reputations advanced. A Chicago-area native, Norling studied film at Columbia College and got his start in the industry at a small editing shop before joining Optimus, which was then owned by editor Jimmy Smyth. Assisting Smyth, Norling found he was given more and more leeway to handle jobs on his own. “It’s really where my career started,” he says of the experience, “and where I started building a client base.” 

A desire to explore feature films prompted his relocation to Los Angeles, where he landed at Red Car. This is where he first met Swietlik, who was working there as an editor, and their chemistry was instantaneous. The pair even shared a house together. Norling says joining Swietlik at STITCH has been a long time coming. “I watched Dan’s career grow after we left Red Car, and while we frequently talked about working together, we were never in sync until now,” he explains. 

Making the decision was an easy one, he adds. “I missed the camaraderie, the feeling you get when working at a place where there are other editors down the hall,” he comments. “There’s a strength in numbers you get from being in a collaborative environment like STITCH. And it’s great for clients too, as it offers them more in terms of creativity, capabilities and infrastructure. I’m happy to be here.”

After leaving Red Car, Norling landed at FilmCore, where he eventually became a partner before leaving to co-found Beast Editorial in 2005, which later merged with FilmCore and expanded its footprint nationally. He left Beast in 2017 and launched his own studio, Metro Pictures Editorial, where he’ll continue to handle personal projects, selected spot assignments and non-commercial work.

“Paul is a true heavyweight talent, with a longstanding and well-defined clientele,” says Swietlik. “There’s so much he’s going to add for us. I’m glad the time and place for us to work together finally arrived.”

A parade of award-winning ads have been edited by Norling over the course of his career, including the seminal Jonathan Glazer “Frozen Moments” Brand Jordan ad, in which time seems to stand still as people are glued to their TVs watching Michael Jordan drive to the net. His work spans genres, categories and techniques, from comedy to action to dramatic narrative, always imbued with a sense of timing, rhythm and style. 

Davis, who was an agency producer for many years before joining STITCH in 2015, says she always admired Norling’s work. “Spots like ‘Frozen Moments’ are the kind of ads I’d wish I’d done when I was producing,” she observes. “Paul has instantly become part of the family here, and he’s already sharing his perspective and experience with our younger editors. He loves what he does, and we’re all feeling that.”

Norling joins a lineup in Santa Monica that also includes editors Adam Svatek, Dan Bootzin, David Checel, Gabriel Britz, Jason Lewis, Leo King, Max Windows, Nicolas Larrouquere, Paul O’Reilly, Phil Currie, Tim Hardy and Weston Cadwell. 

To view Norling’s work, go here.