Reality is subjective. Even this statement provokes heated discussion. Editor Liam Hooper deals with this concept in his job among a variety of situations. Scripted productions are reliant on artistic interpretation in terms of perspective but so called “Reality TV” and documentaries are easily subject to the leanings of those presenting them. In the search for clarity, Liam communicates, “You are still telling a story but you want as little editing as possible. No reality is true reality but the more ‘honest’ it seems, the better job you’ve done.
This concept is not restricted to unscripted productions; I can use this skillset even across scripted editing work to help the audience believe what they are seeing and to almost become immersed in what happens.” As his work confirms, Mr. Hooper’s continual pursuit of honesty in his editing has allowed him to work on a wide variety of subjects with the same extraordinary results. His brand of professional honesty resonates profoundly.
Fans of car shows on television are very familiar with Wheeler Dealers, the British series airing on the Discovery Channel. With almost twenty years in production, hosts Mike Brewer and Ant Anstead (who replaced previous cohost Edd China) scour the country looking for cars that can be resurrected and restored to their former glory, or at least something which resembles it. The heart of Wheeler Dealers is about unearthing overlooked potential, an idea which also applies to Liam Hooper’s role as editor for the show during seasons 16 and 17. There is a tone that is expected by the show and its viewers due to its long history.
The challenge for Liam was to adhere to this while perceiving opportunities to bring his own style and voice as an editor to each episode. An editor must communicate the intention of the director in their work but this doesn’t prohibit adding a personal statement. Mr. Hooper’s editing exhibits this clearly in scenes such as the hosts of the show enjoying the joyride (the final drive with the finished car) for a Jeep Renegade Levi Edition.
Liam crafted a montage comprised of slow motion shots over which he imposed a cheesy 80s pastiche that became one of the most enjoyable “guilty pleasure” moments of the season. Liam also conceived of and created scenes like the montage which featured all of the cars during the show’s six years of production in the US (Wheeler Dealers has moved back to production in the UK after spending some time here in America) is the very inverse of the Jeep Renegade scene. Featuring 106 cars and set to a classical violin concerto, the sincerity of this moment easily elicited tears from viewers.
The actual musicians who create such moving sounds was the subject of Liam’s work for Atlantic Records on a production which focused on Grammy Award Winning Artists Portugal. The Man. The goal was to present the band in a neat, beautiful video that summed up their career highs and showcased them at the peak of their success. Applying a bit of method editing, Liam notes that he immersed himself in the band’s music, listening to nothing else during his time on this project in order to connect with the essence of Portugal.
The Man. Using preexisting visuals, Hooper created a montage that elevated the band’s visual identity and took the viewer to soaring highs. In contrast to his work for shows like Wheeler Dealers, his editing for this Atlantic Records project required the ability to perceive a new story out of vast amounts of footage which had long been in existence in an edited form. The lesson here is evident, editing is storytelling and a great editor can reimagine a story to communicate the one he/she perceives.
The best confirmation of excellence in one’s work is the eagerness of others to return to work with you. Liam admits that he was quite happy that Wheeler Dealers show runner Jake Cardew asked him to join the team of Discovery Channel’s Radford Returns as co-lead editor. Hosted by Wheeler Dealers Ant Anstead and F1 World Champion Jenson Button, this documentary series follows the team as they design and build highly sought-after automobiles for the world’s most historic brands and cater to the modern Radford customer.
The editing team delivered a full edit within eight weeks; a herculean effort considering a full year’s footage was delivered to them to work with. While the subject matter constantly shifts and there can be a deluge of footage, Liam Hooper revels in the work. He communicates, “Ultimately, it’s all storytelling. No matter how different a show is, there is always some familiarity for you as an editor but finding that unique quality in each production is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have.”
Writer: Luigi Paglia