Continuing our series on getting to know our team, this week we are taking a deep dive into our wonderful editor, Martin Heron. Martin has been with Production Attic since 2018. Before joining us, he worked on commercial promotions, corporate communications, creative music videos, and award-winning feature documentaries. If Martin was an animated character, he would be Jack-Jack from the Incredibles. Often completing numerous tasks and following different briefs – Martin has to be adaptable, dependable, and always gets the job done.
Like many on our team, Martin is a naturally creative person, and growing up he expressed this through creative writing and playing music. In high school, creative careers weren’t highlighted as worth pursuing – or even requiring a high level of skill. However, while obtaining a Degree in Film & Television Studies from Glasgow University, Martin discovered how accessible student TV was. Up until that point, access to high-quality equipment had been limited. This is in the time before good quality phone cameras came on the scene and decking your own filming operation out was prohibitively expensive for up-and-coming creators. By having access to proper equipment, Martin was able to explore where his talents lay. After completing his first 48-hour film, Martin was the one to volunteer to be the editor. Sitting down with Final Cut, he was struck by how easy and fun he found it. This enjoyment steered Martin’s career towards video editing.
Because of the number and diversity of projects Production Attic takes on, our editors need to be self-sufficient. Handling projects from start to finish, following directions, and editing whatever is required – before jumping onto the next project. A large part of Martin’s job is to sift through all of the raw footage from interviews, shoots, slides, animation and work out how to piece it together to turn the projects into a coherent and compelling story. This means that he has to be actively thinking about how to cut footage while he is watching it. It is a job that requires a lot of raw talent and natural intuition with a clear sense of narrative structure.
Before joining the Production Attic team, Martin’s latest project was Cows, Cash and Coverups – a documentary on mad cow disease. Working as a producer, camera operator and editor – Martin handled sensitive and personal stories about those who had lost loved ones to the disease as well as interviewing several experts on the continuing threat of the disease in the future. It was a stressful project to work on, and one that has become oddly resonate during Covid. Tracking a disease, how it got out into the world, how it was handled by the authorities and its lasting impact are all still relevant to this day. It is a testament to Martin’s storytelling abilities that he was able to communicate a coherent message with such a serious and impactful subject matter. Available to watch on Amazon Prime.
When Martin started at Production Attic, the first project he worked with us on was finishing the edit on A Symphony in Stone – our first feature-length documentary. Bringing together voiceover, footage, music and making sure they all worked together in harmony. This, coupled with his own work, highlights Martin’s storytelling abilities and is further demonstrated by his ability to make even one-minute projects a fully fleshed-out story. Martin enjoys telling the stories of community members and talking to people who are making a difference. Hopefully, we will soon have another feature-length project so Martin’s talents can run riot!
When reflecting on his biggest personal achievement – apart from getting married and staying alive – it can be found in something that, to outsiders, may seem quite small. While he was studying, Martin achieved a National Student TV award for a music video he produced. Like many people in the creative industry, it’s the initial small success that serves as a driving force behind the pursuit of their career. Although Martin has gone on to achieve much more prestigious milestones and is now a well-regarded industry player, this first experience of explaining something that a lot of people didn’t understand, doing it anyway, and then having it recognised and rewarded was a defining moment in his career. It is important to remember that a milestone is a marker on a long journey and this one is at the very beginning of his.
Stay tuned for more updates on our terrific team!
