WHO HE IS: Nadav Kurtz, editor at post-production house Cutters since January 2007. He’s working with Draft/FCB Chicago on 3 :30 commercial spots to air internationally and domestically in March.
HOW HE VIEWS HIS JOB: “It’s storytelling! I have the creative freedom to guide a project along a specific vision in a lot of different directions but end up with a unified piece.”
PROS: In commercial work: “Working in a lot of diverse styles in very quick succession.”
In feature film work: “Being a part of taking an audience on a journey for an hour and a half!”
CONS: “I’m envious of my friends who travel for work.”
KEY TO SUCCESS: Focusing on the now: “It’s easy in our business to get distracted by late hours, stresses on the job and what others are doing, but if you focus on the now, everything works itself out.”
ON THE SIDE: When not working on his own short films and feature films, Nadav is an artistic associate at the acting ensemble and studio “Artistic Home,” 1420 W. Irving Park Road.
He’s also part of an improv group that will perform a half hour set called “Stations” at the Annoyance Theater, 4802 N. Broadway, on Tuesdays at 10:30 p.m. With his acting troupe, “Melange,” Nadav has performed at Second City, ETC, 1608 N. Wells Street.
BACKSTORY: Nadav worked as an editor at Cutters fresh out of the University of Chicago where he graduated with honors with a BA in English Literature and film theory.
After one year he went on to edit at post-production house Outsider for five years. While at Outsider, he spent two years co-producing and editing the 90 minute feature film, “Street Thief” with Malik and Sam Bader.
“Street Thief” won “Best of Chicago” when it screened at the 2006 Chicago International Film Fest. After screening to appreciative festival audiences across the globe, “Street Thief” has been picked up by A&E IndieFilms and will air on A&E in April.
BIG BREAKS: Getting hired by Outsider by being in the right place at the right time. “I was barely 23-years old?I was definitely lucky, because it doesn’t always go that quickly.” He counts Outsider partner Michael LaBellarte among those who’ve been instrumental to his career path.
WORDS OF WISDOM: “Keep your eyes open to creative inspiration in all aspects of your life. Surround yourself with as much cool stuff as possible?whether it is art, music, books. There are a lot of connections that can be made between things.”
HIS ULTIMATE GOAL: “When I am an old man, to be able to look back and be proud of the projects on which I’ve worked!”
A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION: “The Conversations,” is a series of talks about editing and sound design between the book’s author, editor and sound designer Walter Murch and Michael Ondaatje, author of the 1992 book “The English Patient.”
“The fact that Murch was doing both sound design and editing expanded my view of the editor’s role. Using non-literal sounds and thinking of sound as being more emotional is something I try to do in my editing as well.”
Cutters is located at 515 N. State Street, 25th floor. Nadav Kurtz can be reached at: 312/644.2500, e-mail: charissa.ruess@cuttersinc.com. See www.cutters.com.
