What does it mean to edit a sports horror film that blurs the line between spectacle and nightmare? For Taylor Mason, the answer was finding the rhythm that carried HIM through its shifting tones.
This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Film Editor Taylor Mason to discuss her work on the Universal/Monkeypaw feature HIM, directed by Justin Tipping and starring Tyriq Withers and Marlon Wayans. Joining the conversation is Christopher Angel, a regular guest and co-host of the podcast, who adds his editorial perspective.
The conversation cuts across:
- Building Taylor’s creative partnership with director Justin Tipping, which began during their AFI collaborations
- Taylor’s career arc through high-end assistant editing (e.g. Blade Runner 2049, Dune) before making the jump to feature editing
- Shaping HIM’s hybrid genre — balancing horror, satire, and sports narrative in the edit room
- Sculpting tone shifts, from unnerving silence to explosive sequences, while keeping character central
- Using helmet POVs, flash cuts, and hallucinatory visuals to plunge the viewer into the chaos of football
- Integrating VFX and x-ray sequences to reflect Cam’s physical deterioration and internal collapse
- Bringing personal resonance to the material, informed by her father’s NFL legacy and her own complicated relationship with the sport
- Cutting the film’s finale — a climax that threads horror, absurdism, and social critique
In the end, it’s rhythm that defines Taylor’s edit — balancing precision and chaos in a story that’s both savage and deeply human.
🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on HIM. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.
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