Spot editor Dennis Kutchera has ‘worked all over.’ After 10 years honing his trade in Toronto, he moved to Halifax in the early ’90s There, in ’98, he opened his own editing shop, the aptly named Dennis Kutchera Post Production.

With spot clients including Greco Pizza and TIMBR-Mart (a lumber chain), Kutchera has no shortage of work. However, he is quick to point out Halifax ‘is a very small market; you really end up doing a mix of work.’ Besides commercial work, Kutchera also cuts tv series and documentaries as well as his ‘bread and butter,’ corporate video.

In terms of what makes spot editing in Halifax unique, Kutchera points out he does ‘a lot of work direct – without an agency involved – although sometimes it’s coming through a production company.’

Also, the editor explains that ‘some of the [East Coast] agencies have taken the position of going out and buying their own [editing] gear. I’ve had calls from agencies like, ‘Hey, we want you to come and do this spot but you’ve got to do it on our gear.’ And my line is, ‘When I need my car fixed I don’t ask my mechanic to come to my house and use my tools.’

Kutchera believes these ‘fixes’ are a real strength of his company. In-house agency edits may or may not be at fault, but Kutchera says he has ‘ended up having to do salvage jobs.’

In fact, the company logo reflects this service. ‘It’s a tv set being smashed by a hammer. And it says, ‘We fix it in post.’ ‘ No question, this East Coast cutter believes ‘a good editor can really save a production.’

Kutchera has always ‘looked at the editor as being almost the second director. It’s the objective set of eyes that isn’t going to sit there and bleed over some shot that took all day. You know it stinks and you don’t want to use it. Often, I’ll do a director’s cut and my own cut and show them [that]. And more often than not, they fall in love with my cut,’ he says.

Kutchera prefers working with natural elements to create ‘seamless, almost cinematic spots.’ He believes his real strength in spot editing is his ability to ‘funk it up [without spending his] time in After Effects.’

The memory of Toronto is not far from the editor’s brain. In fact, ‘in the new year, [he] probably will be doing work back and forth – Toronto and [Halifax].

‘I do miss Toronto,’ says Kutchera. ‘Everyone thinks, gosh, you’re real lucky being out there. It has its advantages, but sometimes it can be lonely too.’ *