The Work That Made Me: Spencer Ferszt
Spencer Ferszt is editor and partner of Marshall Street Editors. Over the years he has collaborated with some of the industry’s prestigious directors such as Henry-Alex Rubin, Peter Lydon, Sean Thompson, Andy Morahan amongst others. Spencer has edited numerous music videos including Biffy Clyro “Captain” which won an NME and Kerrang award for Best Video.
He has edited some of the biggest global campaigns over the years for Sky Broadband, Volvo, Amazon, Carlsberg to name a small few. His editing skills for T-Mobile 'Welcome Home' won him Best Editor at London International Awards and also received a deluge of awards that same year at British Arrows.
Spencer can turn his hand in all directions but his niche lies in comedy dialogue and documentaries. Here he talks to LBB about the work that made him…
The ad from my childhood that stays with me…
Spencer> I think it was something like Bird’s Eye Beef Burgers or Cadbury’s Fruit n’ Nut. It was a different time where advertising was all about jingles and strap lines. I think it was because licensing on music tracks was incredibly expensive back then, but you’d always remember the product for its unique jingle or voice over! There was a lot more comedy and dialogue back then, probably my favourite genre especially for editing. Were the ads better? Not so sure looking at them in 2023, but they certainly made me laugh at the time.
The ad/music video/game/web platform that made me want to get into the industry…
Spencer> The reason I wanted to get into the industry was because my brother-in-law is a DOP and in all honesty, I really wanted to be a cameraman. I used to go on shoots with him now and again as a kid and I found it thrilling! That was my route into the industry but it was super tricky to be a cameraman back then as it was all unionised. However, I ended up working at Rushes as a runner and assistant and then I was suddenly an editor! Who’d have thought?
The creative work that I keep revisiting…
Spencer> It has to be Radiohead’s OK Computer which I still listen to a lot. Some of the music videos that were made for their singles on the album were excellent! That whole mid- late 90’s scene was so fun and wildly creative. People were really experimenting with music videos, they had healthy budgets and bags of ingenuity. It really was a golden era for both music and advertising.
The piece of work that still makes me jealous…
Spencer> Guinness 'Swimmer’ directed by Jonathan Glazer, written by Tom Carty & Walter Campbell at AMV BBDO. It was shot in Monopoli, Italy and they used local talent for the cast. It’s really clever, it’s got a strong track, great voiceover as well as being beautifully shot. It’s superb! I do think Jonathan Glazer may be one of the best commercial/music video directors ever.
I also love Honda 'The Impossible Dream' directed by Ivan Zacharias, created by Chris Groom & Sean Thompson at W&K. It stands out as a stunning piece of work and won a ton of awards at the time.
On the other end of the scale there’s a comedy ad by director Zach Math for K Mart. It’s silly and puerile but a really memorable piece of work. I love the comedy dialogue, they do it right in the States, we need more of that here!
The creative project that changed my career…
Spencer> I have to say it has to be T-Mobile’s 'Welcome Home' directed by Henry-Alex Rubin. It’s a fantastic ad and the whole process was a joy at a time where flash mobs were very popular. It was the second in the campaign series for T Mobile and filmed at the newly opened Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport. It was such an epic production and shrouded in mystery as the press couldn’t get wind of it. There were over 30 cameras including broadcast cameras, digital stills cameras, miniature hidden cameras… you name it! Timing played a big factor in the production as it had to be completed really quickly. We had a huge team - all the assistants at Marshall Street were brought on board and we had around one hundred hours of rushes to sift through. The director and agency came and camped at MSE for two days; we worked for 48 hours straight to get everything to The Mill so they could conform it to air that Friday night!
It was super collaborative and such a fantastic experience despite the long hours. To this day it's one of my favourites. I find music really emotional and it still brings a tear to my eye!
The work that I’m proudest of…
Spencer> It has to be again, T-Mobile. It won many awards that year including Best Commercial of the Year 2011 at The British Arrows. I also personally won a couple of editing awards including Best Editor. The spot has since had over 16 million views on YouTube! It was a phenomenal effort from all the team. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…
Spencer> There’s a short 10 minute documentary I’ve been working on called 'Diables' or 'Devils' directed by Tom Sweetland. The film is set in Girona, Spain, about a troupe of pyromaniacs/drummers on the streets for the Correfoc festival. They go through the streets chasing people with homemade fireworks and fire in a sense of chaos. It’s a great piece of work, beautifully shot and very visually exciting. It’s already kicking off at many short film festivals so I’m excited to see how it's received.
