North Wake News

In the Apple Original series "Severance," Lumon Industries, a fictional biotech company, allows its employees to separate their work and personal lives through a surgical procedure. This concept is central to the show's narrative. In episode four of season two, titled “Woe’s Hollow,” viewers witness a humorous video editing attempt in a scene involving the Macrodata Refinement Department's Outdoor Retreat and Team Building Occurrence (ORTBO). Geoffrey Richman, one of the show's editors and a three-time Emmy Award nominee, comments on this scene: “It’s hilarious... it feels like Milchick [played by Tramell Tillman] cut the video together quickly with Miss Huang [Sarah Bock] in the back room behind his office.”

Richman works from his home edit bay in Park Slope, Brooklyn. He collaborates closely with colleagues such as executive producer and director Ben Stiller to produce the show. Richman's setup includes an iMac, Mac mini, and MacBook Pro. These devices were crucial during the editing of season two's finale, “Cold Harbor.” According to Richman, “For the finale, there was a lot of experimenting with structure and testing out different ideas about how to play out different scenes... my Mac setup allowed for such a smooth experience.”

Editing complex scenes like those involving a marching band required Richman to handle multiple angles simultaneously: “In cutting the marching band, there were about 70 angles and takes to choose from... Being able to play nine angles simultaneously in real time — and switch quickly between all the different options — made it a whole lot easier.”

Richman's work environment mirrors that of Mark Scout, played by Adam Scott in "Severance." Both descend levels daily for work. Within his apartment's lower floor, Richman uses an iMac connected remotely to a Mac mini running Avid software from Manhattan’s West Village.

Richman's preference for Macs is longstanding: “I like the interface on Mac a lot better than on a PC... I’m able to move between different applications very quickly on Mac.” His setup allows flexibility; he can work remotely or visit set locations where necessary.

While working on "Woe’s Hollow," Richman relied on his MacBook Pro's performance during filming near Minnewaska State Park Preserve in upstate New York. The device's multiple ports facilitate collaboration: “I was able to go... plugged my MacBook Pro into his TV... we were able to edit right off of my laptop.”

The editing process involves multitasking across various apps like Avid, Notes app, Slack among others. Collaboration with Stiller often happens early during scene assembly stages: “I would send Ben cuts of scenes as I finished them... That way we knew we were always climbing the same mountain.”

Music also plays an integral role alongside editing; Theodore Shapiro composes scores which sometimes reach Richman after hours but are eagerly reviewed using AirPods Pro 2: “Music is such big part enhancing show… shift scene darker tone based purely music.”

Season two culminates dramatically; coordinating footage took over week due its complexity yet proved rewarding for both audience experience as well editor satisfaction according rich man who states "So challenging but satisfying just fun."

Season two of "Severance" is now available for streaming on Apple TV+. Viewers can watch Geoffrey Richman discuss making-of details in Behind-the-Mac film available YouTube (note contains spoilers).