Avid: What did you enjoy the most about working on 100 Foot Wave?

Quin O’Brien: This project was special for many reasons, but the one thing I loved most was the vast, limitless mountains of docu/verité footage. Camera crews were embedded in the lives of this ensemble over such a long period of time that our lead AE Jon Leiner at one point informed us the show had easily blown past a “petabyte” of data, which is a word I’d never heard before. Digesting and working through all that material as a team was our own 100 Foot Wave in many ways but also a creative luxury.

Avid: Why did you choose to submit this episode for a nomination?

Quin O’Brien: In this episode we’re largely focused on surfer Justine Dupont’s relationship with this one angry wave in Hawaii that nearly killed her years earlier. As the episode develops, we get a chance to follow her comeback attempt at this same wave, watching how she works past her own trauma and limitations in the process. I think there’s something powerful and universal there that everybody can relate to in some way.

Avid: How did you find out about the nomination and what was your reaction?

Quin O’Brien: It was so fantastic getting messages from editors and producers I’d worked with in the past! I don’t think I was able to get anything done for the rest of the day. It’s truly an honor to be in such great company as the other nominees.

Avid: What tools of Media Composer helped you craft this episode?

Quin O’Brien: Our interviews on this show were deeply involved and often four hours long so ScriptSync was essential when it came to sculpting our story and building cuts. We also made liberal use of TimeWarp to get our slow-mo surf footage playing back in real-time.

Avid: How has knowing Media Composer helped your career?

Quin O’Brien: Media Composer is the ultimate NLE and the best sandbox in the game. I should probably get an Avid tattoo!

Avid: Would you recommend editing to someone interested in a career in TV?

Quin O’Brien: Non-fiction editing is an endlessly fascinating craft. Sometimes you get to work in your pajamas for one of your favorite filmmakers, cutting an epic surf documentary that airs Sunday nights on HBO. What could be cooler than that?