Apple TV + 'Lucky', Editor Byron Smith

0:00Jawad MirBut boy, when I got to episode four and five, holy smoke

0:05Byron SmithI'm still frightened of Priscilla You know, definitely.

0:10Jawad MirYeah

0:10Byron SmithShe's terrifying. She's scary. She's got some of the most amazing lines. Or the way they introduce a character, I always love a great character introduction.

0:19Jawad MirYeah.

0:19Byron SmithAnd in episode one, when you meet Priscilla for the first time, it... I mean, I'm getting goosebumps right now

0:27Jawad MirThere is this reveal that happens between the two, you know, the leads, Lucky and her, special someone.

0:36Byron SmithYeah

0:36Jawad MirAnd the way that is cut between that and the FBI and Benedict's character, and the drama, and then how long you hold onto some of the performances, dude, it was amazing. What show are you working on? That's all I will say.

1:01Byron SmithRight. Yeah. It's, it's, it's great. It's wonderful to be working in Hollywood, and I'm on, I am working on a… another show called Safe Houses for Apple, eventually, w… w… with, Amy Demas and Jennifer Connelly. And so, we're in the heat of that and, as we're getting started and getting underway into network cuts. So but I'm, I'm so happy that you reached out again, you know, to ask me back. I really, have been loving the episodes and the little clips you put up. They're so thrilling. You've got such talented professionals on the show. It's like, I mean, I turned a few on this week while I was making my coffee to get my day started, and it kinda like, you know, gets me going and gets me to want to edit.

2:03Byron SmithYeah.

2:03Jawad MirOh, man. Thank you so much for the kind words. I appreciate it, buddy. But with your, with the show that you're working on, Lucky, so s… full disclaimer, before I found out that you were involved… ... I saw the preview, and I was like, "Eh, same old, same old," right?

2:22Jawad MirAnd then, and then I think I saw on Instagram that you were on it and you talked about it. I'm like, "Okay, you know what? You're working on it. You worked on these amazing shows. Let's give it a shot." So I was not too crazy about the first few episodes, and rightfully so, not because they're terrible, because they're great, but I just couldn't get into it because it takes time to build, right? That's just the nature of storytelling. But we are living in the timeframe where everything is, you need everything right away, right? They can, things move forward.

2:52Byron SmithYeah

2:52Jawad MirEven though we're in this field, as an audience member, sometimes you get a little impatient. But boy, when I got to episode four and five, holy Jesus, come over. Like, that's all I will say if that's, if there's a spoiler.

3:04Byron SmithReally?

3:04Jawad MirI…

3:05Byron SmithGood show

3:05Jawad Mir... Especially, and I'm not gonna reveal too much, but the convers… there is this reveal that happens between the two, you know, the leads, Lucky and her, special someone.

3:19Byron SmithYeah

3:19Jawad MirAnd the way that is cut between that and the FBI and Benedict's character, and the drama, and then how long you hold onto some of the performances, dude, it was, it was amazing. Like, I re… and I did not expect episode four to end the way it ended. That was like a complete explosion for me. And five was fantastic too. Really well done.

3:47Byron SmithAmazing. Fantastic. That is so great to hear. I really, I love hearing that because, yes, it, their relationship, it, there's an emotional connection there that you, y… y… y… you want that human connection, you want that human story to be at the, at the heart of it, you know? And rather than just fireworks, you know, for fireworks' sake. So it was like me trying to do as much as I can to remind the audience that this is a pair that's not reconciled, that Carrie, you know, stranded her, you know? You know, he, you know, he disappeared.

4:38Byron Smith... So yeah. It, you know, that, you know, she was really, left alone and, you know, then she tracks him down. And she's like, and he gets the full force of a woman scorned.

4:58Jawad MirWhich is, I'm glad you mentioned that because that scene is cut into two parts, right? And I, my memory doesn't serve, is not tethered or minding me properly what comes in between, but the first part of the scene is when she is questioning him, right? Like…

5:15Byron SmithYeah

5:16Jawad Mir... For lack of better word, interrogating him. Like, you know, she's not believing him that you're X, Y, Z, and this. And then there's a scene that comes between, I don't know if, I don't remember if it was the FBI scene or An… Annet Bening, they're both, and then the tables turn when he starts questioning her, right?

5:32Jawad MirSo it w… it was like a really nice… ... And it's a very obvious thing, but believe me, like, when you're editing, and you know this too, is that sometimes you can get carried away with a scene, but you just broke it into separate too many chapters that first it's him, now it's her, and it gives audience the break to absorb whatever she was saying about him and be on her side, and then, boom, the tables turn, and like, oh, right? So I really appreciated that

6:01Byron SmithGood. Yeah, exactly, because how did they get in this predicament? How did these cr… these crime organizations, these crime bosses, you know, y… y… you're getting a little bit of their backstory, and it's kinda like how did they all get in this predicament of being chased down by the feds, by the FBI? And exactly, what does the FBI know? And because the Agent Rand is also herself, you know, a mother. And it's kinda funny that these crime, these crime, they're crime families, and, everybody's related and it's, it's almost like it had this Romeo and Juliet, you know, link as well, because it's almost like, y… you know, these two families whose conflicts, you know, shape their children's lives. And, you know, in unintended ways, and it's... And Romeo and Juliet's a different story altogether, but the same, you know, timeless, you know, sense of family bonds, you know, and loyalties, you know, make the episode resonate, and you really learn, how they got to this point.

7:20Byron SmithAnd there was a lot of intertwining in the edit, and there was some fidgeting when it comes from the page to the screen, and how do you wanna present the backstories. You know, originally in the script, the diner scene was somewhere in the middle of... When Carrie kind of, you know, puts her, calls her on the carpet and says, "You know, we're really here kinda because of you." And it reveals that she's been, she's been the m… the mole. She's been working with the feds, that she was cornered by Agent Rand. And she was... And she's working with the feds to protect her dad, to protect, to protect her father. And the, you know, John Armstrong, her dad played by Timothy Olyphant, and he's in prison.

8:26Byron SmithAnd, the... There was a... Jonathan Tropper one day just really blew me away when, he g… he just simply gave me the note to move that diner scene to the beginning of the episode, because the way... And then it was a perfect, beautiful handoff from episode three to episode four because episode three ends and she has tracked Carrie down.

8:50Byron SmithAnd so you th… you ex… you just want to know what is she gonna say, because this is a woman betrayed, and she is gonna, you know, tear right into him, as she does. And but then when we did this flashback, and we learn that Lucky was cornered in a diner, you know, some time ago, by the agent, it w… it really ex... It pulled that rubber band of suspense even tighter. And the... And then, but y… then we catch up and then it makes, it makes more sense when Carrie starts to tell his side, and how Carrie was a… y… I mean, like, actually, Carrie was actually trying to protect Lucky. The reason he disappeared on her, it was in a way to try to protect Lucky from her, you know, herself being killed. I mean, this...

9:50Byron SmithIf the series is about Lucky and her dad, if the... And, you know, and h… the relationship she has, it's funny how episode four has, is really the one that concentrates on Carrie and his mom, who's Priscilla, played by Annette Bening.

10:09Byron SmithAnd so that is when you really learn, and that's the only time Carrie and Priscilla are in the room together, and you see, you know, how Carrie was just trying to keep Lucky alive. So yeah, it's, it's, it's, it's... When you, when you start to break down the m… the story, when you break down the script, it, this, it's really genius. It's r… there's really a lot going on, more than just car chases and gunfights.

10:43Jawad MirYeah. And you talked about, I mean, the crime family. So I'm gonna try not to give away anything, but there was a scene in episode four…

10:55Byron SmithYeah

10:56Jawad Mir... A very powerful scene with, involving Annette Bening which very much reminded me of one of the scenes from the Godfather films. And, I wish I could tell you what it is because I don't wanna give it away to the audience. Maybe I'll text you, privately and say…

11:13Byron SmithOh, no, I think I... Well, I'm…

11:14Jawad Mir... What it was

11:14Byron Smith... I have an idea. Al…

11:16Jawad MirYeah

11:16Byron Smith... So let me see if I can... I don't know the Godfather... No, go ahead.

11:21Jawad MirSo, have, w… which, have you seen all Godfather threes, movies?

11:26Byron SmithOh, man. It's, they've... I cannot say. I think I've just seen them all just once and barely and a long time ago when, you know, only The Godfather Again I saw down at the New Beverly Theater. Yeah, you know, Tarantino's theater here in LA on film. That's the, and that's the only one that I kind of like know a little more. But II and III, I just have clips. I love it when... The great thing about social media reminding me some of the moments, but it's been a while. It has.

12:05Jawad MirYeah, no, so I don't wanna give it away for you, but what's was so great about it's like, you know, you have... You know, you take a film like my, I'm, I'm just kind of giving you a bad example, My Big Fat Greek Wedding or the Jennifer Lopez movie, Monster-in-Law. Like, these are, like, terrible examples, but the point, the reason, the reason is I'm telling you this is that there's already enough family dynamic in any kind of relationship. Like, you know, when two people get married, there's the mother-in-law, the brother-in-law, the sister-in-law, the father-in-law from both sides, right? Like, from both sides.

12:41Byron SmithRight.

12:41Jawad MirAnd that is al… there's al… that is alway… already very complex relationships. And you throw all this stuff in between and it just becomes completely crazy and, you know, violent for the lack of better word. Not actual physical violence, but the mental things. And that's, that's what I really appreciated, that the family dynamic kept the fi… series grounded, but at the same time it just took it to another level. And the writers, the creators did not shy away from doing things that, you know, a mainstream movie or TV show may not do.

13:20Byron SmithYeah. That's what's, gritty, you know, isn't it? I mean, yeah, they're not, they're not, it… these characters are scary and they're really dark. I mean, you... I'm still frightened of Priscilla. You know…

13:42Jawad MirShe's awesome

13:42Byron Smith... Definitely. She's terrifying. She's scary. She's got some of the most amazing lines. You know, the whole... And the cool thing, the way they created her, the way they introduce a character, I always love a great character introduction.

13:58Jawad MirYeah.

13:58Byron SmithAnd in episode one when you meet Priscilla for the first time, it... I mean, I'm getting goosebumps right now. It, that is a killer, beautiful introduction of a character. Also, the way they introduce Dutch, her enforcer…

14:17Byron Smith... Her right-hand man even. You know, her bodyguard, her lieutenant, Dutch, is terrifying. He... When Lucky runs into him, I mean, it gave me shivers. And when I saw that pilot I was, I was like, "Oh boy, here we go." I was... You know. And, but Priscilla is, yes, these, there's no sugarcoating these characters. These are not Disney characters.

14:49Jawad MirYeah.

14:49Byron SmithBut then, and then the way all the cool things that they did, you know, I mean, I've ta… I've gotten to talk to the camera department a little bit since the show's been coming out and been getting some attention. The steady cam operator found me and he said, "Boy, I really love all the choices you made," and I really felt like we were…

15:10Jawad MirOh, that's nice.

15:11Byron SmithYeah. It's amazing. Some people from camera department have reached out and said, "I feel like we were in sync and we never met. You know, that we were, that I, that I was there with you in the cutting room." So that felt wonderful. Then also when I was, we had this pretty large VFX department and, we've had some nice talks and shared a coffee, since the show. And, they've kinda just asked, you know, we've wanted to stay connected. You know, you usually don't do that. You come together, you meet people, you disappear. And the other things that other departments did, you know, wardrobe, hair, you know, Priscilla's glasses are, you know, really make her the character. Really…

16:02Byron Smith... Really enhance, really enhance her, really make her s… you know, the clothes she wears, her riding boots, you know, she's, she's an equestrian. Sh… her, props all are, you know, pieces of Priscilla and she becomes that character and she's terrifying. So, and she's not the only one. It's really interesting. Lucky, you know, Anya Taylor-Joy herself, you know, becomes Lucky and goes through transformations because even in the early episode the way she is trying to flee, she changes her clothes through the episodes. You know, even to ep… you know, she's like, she's dropping things, and that was something, that was something that was, the, th… that was part of...

17:03Byron SmithThey were in the script. They were, they were m… they were meant to be there. It's really fun to watch the Easter eggs or just see how… ... What was being done, and it's like, and how she changes in episode three. She changes a lot in episode one, then, you know, she changes again in episode three. You know, she's wearing, what she's wearing she wears it through episode four and then w… the result of it, then she's even, you know, Lucky has changed more. And, you know, because she's wearing... You know, I mean, like, it's, it, the before and after. I don't wanna give it away but it, but if you see how she looks at the beginning of episode five…

17:49Byron Smith... You can really feel how she's, what she has been through and how she's changing. I mean, even if you look at Anya Taylor-Joy's Instagram you can see they've done these really clever, you know, behind the scenes posts, you know, from, you know, from moments behind the scene. And one of the great producers who I got to work with, Cassie… Cassie Pappas, you know, she's like, she has these gems of behind the scenes of when they were filming, you know, when someone's getting their photograph taken, someone… when somebody's, you know, tearing up pillows.

18:35Byron SmithYou know, it, you know, it, you really start to appreciate cinema again for what it is, and, just how much talent there was involved with this series.

18:49Jawad MirYeah. And, before I jump to episode five, you talked about her look in episode five. So Annette Bening's performance and her character was very similar to her character and performance in American Beauty. I don't know if you remember that.

19:04Jawad MirOr if ri… And sh… obviously she wasn't a, you know, criminal person, but the type of resentment that her character had, it took me back to that because... N… I'm not trying to say that she was emulating that, but it was just so bang on the way she performed. This is the same lady that was an American president, Rob Reiner's film with Michael Douglas, and…

19:26Jawad Mir... She plays, like, a very gentle soul, right?

19:29Byron SmithYeah.

19:29Jawad MirSo she's, she's, she's truly phenomenal. And the beginning of episode five, or somewhat of a beginning, I love the stranger ex… exchange that happens between, Lucky's character and, I forget the other guy, who, you know, when they have a little bit of drink. And I thought that was…

19:47Jawad Mir... Really cool because it kind of felt like an outsider, like an audience member sitting down with her because this guy, you know, is technically nobody, and she's just sharing her moment and her… ... Flaws and her problems with him.

20:06Byron SmithYeah, she really opens up out of nowhere. He, i… i… he's almost…

20:14Jawad MirWhich is…

20:14Byron Smith... Got a look on his face.

20:16Jawad MirThat's, which is…

20:16Byron SmithAt one point where he's stunned. Yeah.

20:19Jawad MirWhich is…

20:19Byron SmithSorry

20:19Jawad Mir... Which is true because, no, the reason she o… I mean, i… most of us open up with strangers more than we open up with our close ones, right?

20:27Byron SmithSure.

20:27Jawad MirLike, sometimes there's, because there's not, there's no strings attached, there's vulnerability. Like, no, it's a sign of judgment. So I really appreciated that. And talk to me about cutting that scene because it was, you know, it was kind of like, you know, not necessarily over the shoulder, but kind of like an angle over the shoulder this way and that way.

20:46Jawad MirAnd how, what was, what was the process of making sure that, and that drives home the emotion for the audience, where she's just trying to open up and be vulnerable?

20:58Byron SmithYeah. That was not, that was not an easy scene to cut in the ho… in a hotel bar when she runs into a stranger, after what she's been through. She's, she's going to just, kind of, and I don't, and I, and I don't wanna spoil anything either. You know…

21:23Jawad MirYeah

21:23Byron Smith... It's really funny how she goes to the bar. She has, she orders a drink. You know, she orders, I think a whiskey with an ice cube so that she can drink it. You know, it's this bitter cup that she has to drink, and she asks for, a sugar to maybe just a little bit of sweetness in her life because she hasn't experienced any for a minute. You know, it also could just because, you know, maybe a lady would like to just have a sh… a s… a sweeter drink than just some brown water. It, I love that kind of stuff. I love those little things that you can, that you can see, and I just feel like the writers, Jonathan Tropper had just really thought about those things. So then, here is also, you know, this stranger who kind of just, like, he's stuck and he's frustrated. He's, he's o… on a layover. He doesn't really wanna be there, and he kind of wants to go on and on.

22:26Byron SmithAnd they see some news story on TV where there's a guy who's won the lottery, and he's like, "Look at that."

22:34Jawad MirYeah.

22:34Byron Smith"Would you look at that?" "That lucky son of a bitch." You know? And then they come together. And then, she reveals that she's not how she looks. And it was, really interesting. It wasn't an easy scene. We went through a lot about shaping the moments. And like you mentioned, those camera angles, we have these friendship angles from behind, right? That it's like, what are you willing to reveal? And I love when you don't see both characters' eyes, and I, in my hope, that you, that I utilize those, that people aren't gonna share everything at once and not show their whole, their full hand immediately.

23:35Byron SmithSo it was like we favor those French overs and, you know, choose wisely before we go to the other side. You know, and there have been, you know, there's a really neat scene in Heat, in… ... The Kate Mantilini. I think the Ka… the bar. It's, it's not, it's, it's one where he, where he picks up a g… you know, a lover, you know? And she's like, "What are you reading?" you know, "What are you into?" You know? And, like, 'cause she's... And he's like, "I'm a salesman." And, she's like, "Do I need to kill this woman?" You know? And then he turns, and the camera does this really cool, it crosses the plane… And then he's going to open up about himself. And because it, so it starts and you, and Michael Mann moved the camera across the bar, and then he's like, "Okay, you're safe, and I'm, you know, I'm interested in this woman." And the, I, you know, kind of just had s… that kind of inspiration in mind, you know, just knowing that those French overs, when you don't show both eyes, that maybe you're not gonna, you're gonna withhold. The characters are withholding, you know? And you try to do that in cinema language.

24:56Byron SmithSo it,.. And just some of the timing. And, because Anya is giving everything she is. I mean, she's giving these amazing perform… she's, she's, she's, she's just working really hard, and she's having to cry over and over, and I think she's worn out. You know, and so we did a lot and, we made a lot of, we did a lot of versions of that. And I mean, even episode five I wasn't the only editor. You know, I had... I got some help from Aika. And, you know, it was really funny how actually, because we were kind of like that particular scene, you know, more than anything, you know, as we were working, you know, Aika became just a real, a really great little, like, just a confident, you know, with me, a friend, you know? And Aika now and I, we text a lot and, but I leaned on her in that scene.

26:00Byron SmithYou know, I was just like, "Hey." And because she was kind of a really neat, devil's advocate, and we were just, we were taking every risk because, you know, we get a lot of, we get a lot of voices. No show has ever suffered from too few notes, or thoughts, you know, on a show this, of this size. And, so Aika was somebody that I would, I would, chat with about it. But we were, you know, everybody's really happy how it landed, you know? And I think it was, it was, you know... When they la… when they, the way they come together, is remar… is k… is kinda, is kinda remarkable. And, you know, you, 'cause it, she cracks a smile finally, so, you know.

27:04Byron SmithIt's really hard to talk without revealing too much.

27:10Jawad MirNo, you're…

27:11Byron SmithBut

27:11Jawad Mir... You're fine. I think one of the coolest thing is, right, so you t… you use the word cinema language, and I wish sometimes, you know, you and I can talk, we understand. Somebody else in the industry, we understand the cinema language, the camera language, the editing language. Audiences don't, which is great, because the audience shouldn't get it. But sometimes, you know, you're wa… sitting in a movie theater, or you're sitting with your family or friends and watching a movie at home, and you see these things and you're like, "Man, I wish I could just talk about this in this very moment." Right?

27:42Jawad MirBecause it's, it's such a cool thing. Like, people don't understand, audiences, which I don't blame them for that because they're there to entertain themselves. It's like, how much thought goes into a drink, a clothing outfit, the color of it, how that connects to the mood of the situation, of the scene, the character arc, and all that. It's... I just wish there was something like that where audiences can appreciate that. But, you know, it is one of those things, because I totally love that just as you do.

28:15Byron SmithYeah. That's what you are taught in school. And it's really amazing when a great screenwriter can think about every detail. The actors will as well, and every actor that will, they can rehearse how to go through a, open a door for half an hour or all day.

28:38Jawad MirYeah.

28:38Byron SmithAnd, because they're, they're trying to be invisible to that character. You know, they don't wanna be the star, they just wanna be the character. And so it, y… those, when I'm part of a project where those details are considered or thought about and they're written into the script, the way she orders the drink, yeah, it, I notice. And it means so much more. And right, we just want the audience, we wanna enhance the story, and we just wanna, we wanna, we wanna... What is the best way to tell the story? We all started telling stories around a campfire. And I had the, you know, luck of, you know, growing up in the Ozarks, where people tell stories in colorful ways. And then, you know, that's what I'm doing now. And, I'm, I'm, I'm, I am harnessing those things that I learned as a child.

29:42Byron SmithAnd it was really funny because when, then, I mean, this kind of, these details are the kinds of things that David Fincher would do, that still does. And like, I... And he's not, and he's more than just, like, a filmmaker. It's, it's really warm and rewarding when you're in the cutting room with him. And he'll tell a story…

30:06Byron Smith... And, you know, he'll tell a story from his own life. Like, just about how he went to the dry cleaners on his way to the MTV, Awards a long time ago. You know, he told me a story with Carl Franklin We were working on an episode and David came in. He told a story about going to the dry cleaners, and when he left, Carl just said, "Man, he's a good storyteller."

30:38Jawad MirHe…

30:38Byron SmithYou know, it's e… so...

30:42Jawad MirYeah. No, that's, that's... A… and I think you talked about when a writer or screenwriter pays attention to detail, right? And I think it's like top-down approach, right? Like, when a actor or a producer, camera department sees a script and the detail, it kind of goes down to them. And then when they interpret that in their own way, then it goes to the e… you know, the costume on the set, and all the set, and then the editor, and the VFX, and the music, and the sound mixing. So as long as, you know, if it's great... You know, they say that the best scripts are, the best films are the, that have the best scripts, and they're casted properly.

31:21Byron SmithYeah.

31:21Jawad MirSo if it's a top-down approach, and if the script is great, then it automatically... Because it makes every department become responsible that, "Okay, we gotta…

31:30Byron SmithYeah

31:30Jawad Mir... Lift our game to A game because the writing is fantastic," right?

31:34Byron SmithYeah.

31:34Jawad MirIf the writing is terrible, then you're gonna be, "Eh," you know? Whatever.

31:38Byron SmithYeah.

31:38Jawad MirIt is what it is.

31:40Byron SmithIt, I mean, like, the script is the most important, you know, thing. It's, it's, it's where cinema begins, and e… the... And you mentioned, you know, and everything falls into place when you, the more great decisions you make, they... I mean, like, they, in acting, the, I forget who originally said it, but everybody s… says it now, and somebody mentioned it in Jocelyn Jones's classes when I was in her studio, when sh… and wh… where casting is 50%. And I wish that... I think I'm bo… butch… butchering the quote, or it's more than 50%. You know, casting is a certain percentage because then when they are the right choice, and that's why acting is so special, you know, then the, you just become the character, and these, and the characters just come to life. And I think we were, I mean, like, I think even when I, when I heard about it, I think they were talking about Dustin Hoffman.

32:46Jawad MirYeah.

32:46Byron SmithAnd I wish that I could really tie it together right now. And I think they were talking about Marathon Man because Ma… you know, Dustin Hoffman would show up, so they were almost like, peop… some directors would complain how he would show up with so many ideas. You know, he'd show up with a bag, you know, then, and, like, you know, have these clothes when, you know, when it's not the right fit. You know, maybe the director would be annoyed with it. But it's just like, that is a gift. Are you joking me? Come on. Just, like, man, just catch that wave and surf this. Surf this out. And I think they were talking about Marathon Man because, you know, he exhausted himself, and he showed up to set literally hadn't, he wouldn't have slept, or he had, you know, he would, he would show up exhausted and tired. And, there are two different kinds of directors, and some that can deal with that, and some, you know, that don't enjoy it as much. You know, or it's just kinda like when you've got this strong thing, it's just like, just, you know, you've caught lightning in a bottle, so just kinda like see how you can ride it.

33:56Jawad MirYeah. And I think, maybe it was Steven Spielberg who said it, maybe Robert Zemeckis, maybe no… none of those. 80% of your film is writing and casting. You know, if you've got those…

34:10Byron SmithIs that what it was?

34:11Jawad MirI…

34:11Byron SmithSo you might be... Oh, okay.

34:13Jawad MirI mean, there's many quotes…

34:13Byron SmithMaybe that's what I was thinking about

34:14Jawad Mir... But there's many quotes about casting. There was one about 50% too, but the point is that casting, I mean, screenwriting and s… casting is so important that if you spend a lot of time on that, the rest more or less kinda works out by itself, right? Because…

34:32Byron SmithYeah

34:33Jawad Mir... I… it… it's just a process. And I wanted to, we've touched upon a few scenes as we sort of wrap up. If you can talk about from a technical standpoint, right, working on Avid…

34:47Byron SmithRight

34:47Jawad Mir... Correct?

34:48Byron SmithYes.

34:49Jawad MirOkay.

34:49Byron SmithWorking on the Avid.

34:52Jawad MirYou've done so many shows, and, you know, some shows you've been there throughout the episode. Sometimes you're kinda in and out, similar to this. The workflow that you have for something as specific as Lucky, because that's what we're talking about, how does that come into play? You know, three episodes are gone. You weren't involved with them other than a, as an audience member. How does that play in terms of Avid more technically than the storytelling itself?

35:27Byron SmithWhen, you're saying when the show is already…

35:32Jawad MirYeah, so you have first three episodes…

35:33Byron Smith... Has already found its place. Yeah.

35:34Jawad MirYeah. First three episodes are on Avid, right? I mean…

35:38Byron SmithRight

35:38Jawad Mir... Yes, th… they've already been logged. They're already finished. You may have…

35:41Byron SmithYeah

35:41Jawad Mir... A new team that'll do all the... But just making sure that flow technically continues. Is there some sort of…

35:48Byron SmithHow do you, how do you pick up where you left off?

35:50Jawad MirYeah.

35:51Byron SmithAnd how do you... Yeah, you want it to feel like you're in the same world. You want to feel like you're watching one complete movie. And there is, you,.. And even when you come on, even in episode four, you know, episode one wasn't fully f… fully finished. They were doing things. They were trying things. They, with the flashbacks, we were, there was a language that was being in, being developed. They were, they were being stylistic. You know, did they n… did, they were trying to decide do they still need that, so I, so I… I grabbed some of those items. I went into… I physically went in to Tyler's, you know, episode. I let him know, and I said, "I'm gonna borrow these elements you've been grabbing." You know, and my assistant and I used them to help with the flashbacks. And we were, we were actually, you know, helping them still decide, you know, the way it was looking and even in mine, people were kind of like, "Is this the right thing?

37:01Byron SmithShould we... Is this how we do it?" You... So you just wanna f… wanna reassure the producers, you wanna reassure the audience that you're still on, in the same, in the same world. Or if you're gonna make, a left-hand turn, you know that you're at the hands of a good artist. And, it luckily, you know, there is a lot of hours that take, and it's not just, like, something that happens even overnight. It's something that will develop over a week. Luckily, I had the benefit of... Sometimes you don't see the first episodes. I ha… I did.

37:39Jawad MirYeah.

37:39Byron SmithI get... I got to see, you know, you know, the first, the first director's cut of the pilot. You know, JVT and, you know, he was the director. The,.. We were... I was, I was... All I had to... You know, I was getting dailies up f… from the, from the car chase and it was... I had to ca… catch up and I had to keep up, so I just started with playing with that action. You know, luckily…

38:15Byron Smith... It's just like I'm just like, "Let me just track the action. Let me present this action sequence." It... You do want to be, you know, remain in the same, in the same world. But a lot of the time, the... You'll get this intuition a l… many times, you know, editorial language isn't something you impose on a project, it's something you uncover together.

38:45Byron SmithIt starts with the script and the filmmaker's intentions, but once the footage comes in, the performances are telling you what the piece actually wants it to be, you know.

38:54Jawad MirSure.

38:54Byron SmithAnd you use that i… intuition to find the emotional engine and, you know, for, with Lucky, you know, her need to find Kerry and understand why he abandoned her. You know, but yeah. The, a lot of the times you'll find performances and footage will lead you to the direction it wants to go when you listen.

39:17Jawad MirYeah. No, that's…

39:19Byron SmithYeah

39:19Jawad Mir... That's absol… absolutely true and I'm so excited for the rest of the series. I'm probably gonna wait until it's finished. Is it eight episodes or nine…

39:28Byron SmithYeah

39:28Jawad Mir... Or 10?

39:29Byron SmithEight.

39:30Jawad MirYeah, so…

39:31Byron SmithShort

39:31Jawad Mir... I think the one…

39:33Byron SmithYeah

39:33Jawad Mir... One episode comes on Wednesday. Not... Yeah, so that's the three weeks, so I'm probably gonna wait for that, but I'm excited. And I think I saw on your Instagram, are you working on a Zeta-Jones show as well?

39:45Byron SmithRight.

39:45Jawad MirIs it…

39:45Byron SmithYeah, Catherine Zeta-Jones.

39:46Jawad MirOkay.

39:47Byron SmithYeah. Yeah. So…

39:47Jawad MirSo is that the same one as Jennifer Connelly or different?

39:50Byron SmithThat's different. We... That's something that's done. That's all in the can. It's all passed.

39:54Jawad MirAwesome.

39:55Byron SmithIt's ready to go. It was really exciting. It, something that came from overseas. She speaks, you know, with a, her Welsh accent, her native accent, and it's a really colorful, lush show. It's as if the Coen brothers did a series about Atomic Blonde. It, you know, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, you know, in some cases it's, plays this, you know, you know, larger than life character, this... She's, someone who's, who's tried to, you know, still run from her past. It's, it's exciting…

40:35Jawad MirYeah

40:35Byron Smith... And I'm so glad it got sold to AMC Plus. So this fall, it's gonna be global. It's, it's, it's... If you're in France, then you'll have it on HBO. If you're in, if you're in Britain, you'll, it's on Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video. But here in the States, I'm so glad that, AMC Plus, you know, is welcomed it home so that everyone can see that. I mean, it's colorful. It's, it's, it's funny. It's, it's, it's, it's, it's really neat.

41:10Jawad MirThat's awesome, and I'm excited about that, as well as the other show with Jennifer Connelly that you worked on. What is it called again? Remind me.

41:18Byron SmithThat one is Safe Houses. That one…

41:20Jawad MirAnd there…

41:20Byron Smith... Is Ana de Armas. Is that right? Am I saying her name right? Let me see. I gotta make sure.

41:34Jawad MirHold on. I'll just look it up. Safe Houses a… no, that's a British online…

41:38Byron SmithAna de…

41:38Jawad Mir... TV show

41:39Byron Smith... Ana de Armas.

41:41Jawad MirOkay.

41:41Byron SmithWho was in Ballerina y… and, who was in Knives Out, and, y… she plays a Spanish, you know, actress. You know, sh… she's,.. It's a, it's a, it's a one-two punch between her and Jennifer Connelly.

42:04Jawad MirYeah

42:04Byron Smith... It's a really exciting…

42:05Jawad MirI'm just…

42:06Byron Smith... Show

42:06Jawad Mir... I'm just reading it. It's, by the creator of Homeland, so that would be exciting. Looking forward to that.

42:10Byron SmithYeah. Gideon Raff. Yeah. I'm just... I th… yeah. I think it's…

42:15Jawad MirAmazing, man

42:16Byron Smith... I think, yeah.

42:18Jawad MirLet's, let's chat…

42:19Byron SmithI'm cutting that pilot

42:19Jawad Mir... Or are you…

42:21Byron SmithYeah

42:21Jawad Mir... The pilot? Awesome.

42:22Byron SmithYes.

42:23Jawad MirI would love to chat with you, about Safe House, as well as the Catherine Zeta-Jones show whenever they're out.

42:29Byron SmithYeah.

42:29Jawad MirLet's, let's do that. Do you have anything else coming before that, or those are the next two ones?

42:32Byron SmithI love that. Those are the next. Yeah, that's what's up next.

42:36Jawad MirAmazing, man.

42:39Byron SmithSo…

42:39Jawad MirWell, congratulations, buddy

42:39Byron Smith... Thank you so much for watching. Thank you. Thanks for watching Lucky, man, and having me back. You know, I'm proud of it.

42:47Jawad MirYou're always welcome, man. I'm, I'm, I'm astounded by your work. I really enjoy anything that I've seen. I haven't seen everything that you have done, but yeah. I mean…

43:00Byron SmithYeah

43:00Jawad Mir... Especially 1923, you know, you can't get better than that. And… ... And, looking forward to many more of your work, so excited.

43:08Byron SmithHey, thank you. Yeah. It's, it's really fun. Yeah, we'll… ... We'll, we'll have another chat. It's great checking in with you every once in a while, you know?

43:17Jawad MirLikewise, buddy. Likewise.

43:18Byron SmithIt's exciting.

43:19Jawad MirThat's it.

43:19Byron SmithIt's exciting.

43:21Jawad MirYes.

43:21Byron SmithMovies are fun. Good luck with your work.

43:23Jawad MirThank you, sir. You too. We'll be in ch… touch.

43:26Byron SmithOkay, I'll see you.

43:27Jawad MirTake care.

43:27Byron SmithBye.

43:28Jawad MirBye. Bye.