Walking Dead Editor Hunter Via on Editing Stories with Shades of Gray

Hunter Via has been the editor on films and TV shows like The Shield, The Mist, Sons of Anarchy, Mob City, The 100, and Preacher, but he is probably best known as the editor for The Walking Dead, for which he edited the pilot and a number of iconic episodes. His work on the “Days Gone Bye” episode of  The Walking Dead  won him an Eddie from American Cinema Editors.

You know, sometimes leaving it up to the imagination is a lot more impactful than actually going in and seeing it all.” – Hunter Via

Hunter came on The nsavides Podcast to talk about his work and some of the specific editing decisions on The Mist, The Walking Dead pilot, and the season 1 finale of Preacher.

Some of the things we discuss include

• Breaking in as an assistant editor
• What happens when a big visual effects sequence is revised in the midst of a film shoot
• Tools that editors can use to increase the emotional impact of a story
• Why character-driven action sequences are more powerful
• The merits of telling stories with shades of gray

A number of the shows that Hunter has worked on involve morally ambiguous stories, and we also discuss the merits and challenges that come with that kind of storytelling.

Listen to the Episode