When David Baxter was a Ryerson Radio & Television Arts student, he spent a week shadowing Toronto commercial producer Bob Schulz for a school project, which ended up helping Baxter secure his first industry job as a projectionist screening rushes for Schulz Productions.

Almost 20 years later, Baxter’s outstanding career as an editor was recognized at this year’s Bessie Awards with the presentation of a Bob Mann Post Production Award honoring his contributions to commercial production.

‘I had no idea I wanted to be an editor,’ says Baxter, who after three months as a projectionist spent three years as an assistant to editor Mick Griffin, first at Shultz, then at The Partners’ Film Company in Toronto. ‘He had a great passion for it, which just rubbed right off on me,’ says Baxter. ‘I was about 26 when Don McLean [president and cofounder of Partners’], gave me a chance to cut and I’ve never looked back.’

Baxter says Griffin was one of his biggest editing influences, but he has also learned a great deal by observing all the players working on a project. ‘There have been a lot of directors who’ve opened my eyes to seeing things in a different light because they come in with a whole different outlook.’

Attention to detail and a keen sense of observation help Baxter sift through reams of footage to find the moments that really project a story. ‘Once you start looking carefully you can actually see an eye movement or a gesture that you know can be used to tell a certain part of the story,’ he says. Most of Baxter’s work focuses on dialogue and storytelling cutting.

After working as an editor at Partners’ for 11 years, Baxter, David Hicks and Andy Ames, also Partners’ players, and with financial support from McLean, started Toronto post house Panic & Bob Editing, where he remains a partner and owner.

Early in his editing career, Baxter got the chance to edit an Old Vienna beer commercial, which allowed him to demonstrate that he was not only a talented editor, but also had a knack for the business side of commercial production. ‘I had to sell it to the clients because at first they weren’t seeing it for what it was,’ says Baxter. He was able to convince the clients by explaining the motivation behind certain aspects of the spot, and from the get go demonstrated that as an editor he was an asset to the entire production process. ‘There’s more to editing than just the creative side,’ he explains. ‘There’s salesmanship, producing, organization. It takes a lot to make it click in this town.’

Baxter explains that working as an editor in advertising in Toronto is unique because the editor usually goes through the whole production process and oversees the whole project, whereas in most places the editor steps in to make cuts then somebody else takes it from there. Baxter thrives in an environment where he takes part in various aspects of production. ‘I prefer it that way because I’m a control freak,’ he says laughing, ‘but also I think it’s important.’

Although Baxter enjoys participating in the production and business side of his job as editor, he is equally comfortable and happy in a dark edit suite at three in the morning by himself playing and trying new things that might be interesting. Part people person, part edit-suite junky, Baxter’s personality is well suited to commercial post-production.

His career as a commercial editor has given Baxter opportunity to work in other mediums as well. In 1995, he worked with director Norman Jewison on an episode of Painted Word for Showcase, a series where famous directors worked on half-hour stories about famous paintings, which also led Baxter to work with Peter Bogdanovich on a Disney MOW for ABC. ‘I felt working on commercials and the discipline you establish by working on storytelling within the 30-second perimeter was a really useful tool for longer form.’

Baxter wants to continue working features into his commercial career, but at this point, he hopes he can find more spare time to spend with his wife of 18 years and his two daughters, 11 and 13. ‘I’ve worked a lot of hours over the years and it would be nice to be able to see some spare time,’ he says, adding that he isn’t quite sure what he would do with it. ‘When you haven’t had spare time, you have nothing to do with it, so I’ve got to find some hobbies.’

-www.panicandbob.com