“Painkiller” and Geofrey Hildrew – Images: Netflix / Impact24PR
Nearly a fortnight after its premiere on Netflix, “Painkiller” continues to dominate the global top 10 charts on Netflix, with millions of viewing hours accumulated so far.
For those who are not aware, “Painkiller” is a new limited series that aims to explore the origins of the opioid crisis through the perspective of a person hooked on pain medication, an investigator exploring the issue, and Richard Sackler’s point of view as the head of Purdue Pharma.
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We had the opportunity to interview the editor of the series, Geofrey Hildrew, who worked closely with Peter Berg to create the compelling final product that we watched. We discussed the importance of the story to him, the creative choices made throughout the series, how the different perspectives were woven together, and more about his career as an editor.
Hi Geofrey – thank you for taking the time. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you started your editing career?
I still remember the moment when I realized that there were artists behind the scenes who create movies. I was about six years old when my family visited the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. They had an exhibit showcasing Ray Harryhausen’s work, and it blew my young mind. That’s when I knew I wanted to make movies.
Both of my parents are medical professionals, so they emphasized the importance of education from an early age. When I decided to pursue a career in filmmaking, I knew I had to go to film school. As an undergraduate at Columbia University, I believed that a background in story and character was essential, so I majored in English Literature alongside my film studies. During my undergraduate years, I was fortunate to intern at high-profile production companies in Los Angeles and New York. These experiences provided me with incredible mentors. Interestingly, one of our executive producers, Patrick Radden Keefe, was in the same graduating class as me, although we didn’t know each other at the time.
I didn’t start studying editing until I began my graduate studies at the University of Southern California. Even though I was specializing in directing, I quickly discovered my passion for editing. It felt like a natural fit for me as it combined my love for directing with my background in storytelling and character development. It also allowed me to collaborate closely with other directors and writers, which was a wonderful way to learn from experienced professionals. I spent as much time as I could in the cutting room, honing my craft.
Thanks to the relationships I forged in the cutting room at USC, I secured my first professional job as an assistant editor shortly after graduating. I responded to an ad on an entertainment job board and was hired on the spot because the person who answered the ad knew me from USC. They recognized my passion for editing. My first job was on a reality show called “10 Things Every Guy Should Experience” for Spike TV. Through that job, I built connections that eventually led to my work on ABC’s “Bachelor” and “Bachelorette” franchises. After working on several different shows, I transitioned from assistant editor to editor.
Reality TV may not always receive the same level of respect, but I believe it’s an excellent training ground for editors. It involves working with vast amounts of material to shape the story and characters. It also requires collaboration with a variety of personalities in the cutting room, all while being responsible for creating the story itself. It’s challenging work. As I gained more confidence in my editing skills, I made the transition to scripted TV and feature editing, and eventually episodic directing.
WoN: Can you describe your role on the show? How do you collaborate with the director and writers to tell the story? How many episodes did you work on, and how large was the team of editors?
Before “Painkiller,” I worked with producer Eric Newman on the Netflix series “True Story.” Through my relationship with Eric, I was introduced to Peter Berg, who hired me for the project. Pete was involved in the cutting room throughout the process. He encouraged us to experiment and explore different editing styles. His mantra was always “be fearless.”
Pete is an incredibly talented filmmaker with experience in feature films, acting, and documentaries. He brought all these skills to bear in his approach to “Painkiller.” We had an abundance of amazing footage to work with, and Pete was not afraid to take risks and push boundaries. As we worked on the cuts, we realized that each scene needed to be an immersive experience. We had to consider what the characters were experiencing and what we wanted the audience to feel. As the editor, it was my job to align those ideas.
Our cutting room was relatively small, initially consisting of two editors and two assistants. I edited the odd-numbered episodes (1, 3, and 5), while my colleague Garret Donnelly edited the even-numbered episodes. We had a highly collaborative environment and eagerly shared new ideas with each other. My former assistant, Scott Pellet, was eventually promoted to VFX editor and became an invaluable part of the team.
WoN: Looking at your body of work, it seems you have mostly worked on fictional stories compared to “Painkiller,” which is based on real events. Did this change your mindset when approaching the project, as you were telling stories on behalf of others?
I actually started my career in reality television, which is also based on true stories. So, I didn’t feel out of my comfort zone when working on “Painkiller.” Although the series is based on real events, it is still a dramatic interpretation of those events. What makes this project unique is our ability to play with different styles as we shift between characters and timelines.
I had personal reasons for wanting to be involved in this project. Four years ago, my 3-year-old son passed away, and my family connected with a support group for parents who have lost children to drugs and opioids. I got to know many people who had experienced similar tragedies. When Eric and Pete approached me with “Painkiller,” I understood the tremendous responsibility of telling this story.
WoN: Each episode presents multiple perspectives on the opioid epidemic, from the addict’s viewpoint to the sales representatives, investigators, and top-level executives. How did you determine the amount of screen time given to each perspective? Was it easier to map out some perspectives than others?
It all started with the scripts and Pete’s brilliant direction. Once we had all the footage assembled, we began to explore creative ways to present the story to the audience. We constantly evaluated our cuts, asking ourselves questions like, “What is the character experiencing at this moment?” and “What do we want the audience to feel?” As the editor, my job was to align those ideas.
Each character has a different entry point into the opioid epidemic story, and at that entry point, each character has a unique perspective on what is happening to them and around them. As the story progresses, these relationships evolve, and that influenced the cutting style and tempo. We considered where each character was in their journey, what was happening in their surroundings, and their perspective on those events. These questions guided our decision-making process.
We created a giant storyboard in our offices, mapping out every scene from all six episodes on two full walls. As our cuts evolved, we spent a lot of time rearranging the storyboards and exploring different narrative options. Due to the multiple perspectives and timelines, we needed a comprehensive view of the entire series to maintain balance. This helped us determine how much time we were spending on each story, when to introduce new ideas, when to transition away from a storyline, and how the different storylines interconnected.
Episode one posed the biggest challenge because everything was new. We had to introduce numerous characters, navigate multiple timelines, and present a lot of facts and information. It was a lot to digest. We had to ensure that we provided proper service to each element while keeping the storytelling entertaining. Since we took risks with editing style and tone, and the narrative wasn’t always linear, we had to find a way to teach the audience the visual language of the show. Overcoming these obstacles was an exciting part of the process.
WoN: In episode five’s party scenes, the subtitles accompanying the song being sung on stage were quite joyful. Additionally, many scenes featuring Richard Sackler were presented in an upbeat manner. Can you shed light on the decision to depict these moments in this way?
This decision ties back to my previous response. We had to consider Richard Sackler’s entry point into the story and his attitude toward the events. One could argue that he is the story itself. His attitude is complex, and the editing techniques we employed convey that complexity. His character is like a P.T. Barnum figure, at the center of a circus. The pinnacle of his power is depicted in Miami, where he is the focal point of everything happening. The world is crumbling around him, yet he dances to the Macarena!
The Miami convention, which we depicted in the episode, actually happened. Some footage from the real event is featured in the fantastic documentary by Alex Gibney. While reviewing that footage for inspiration, I wanted to capture the atmosphere of the convention. It had a circus-like vibe, with speeches, a band singing joyous (and cheesy) songs to the audience, and a series of strange corporate synergy and career-building videos. It was tone-deaf and wild, but it truly happened. In the limited confines of our episode, we couldn’t show everything, so we needed a shorthand to capture the essence of the real event. That was the basis for the bouncing ball idea.
I was initially apprehensive about proposing the bouncing ball concept, but Pete consistently encouraged us to be fearless, which gave me the confidence to try it. Everyone embraced the idea, and it became an unexpected and somewhat grotesque element in the series. It may evoke mixed feelings from viewers, but that’s part of the point. Hopefully, it effectively captures the essence of the Miami convention.
“Painkiller” is currently streaming on Netflix worldwide.
Original article published on What’s on Netflix
