Principals Buy Company From Former Corporate Parent

New York-based full service editorial and post-production powerhouse Cutting Room Films, formerly known as Cut+Run NY, announces its recent evolution. The award winning shop is now independently owned by artists and editors. The recent change in ownership following the buyout places top editors in charge of the company led by Editors Chuck Willis and Mike Douglas, as well as EP Susan Willis. Cutting Room Films was founded as a creatively run company that emphasizes its work with extreme attention to every detail of the post process in an uncompromised effort to deliver highly-personalized, unique client experiences. The shop maintains the same talent, location, infrastructure, and approach that have generated a long line of awards and significant success with major advertising campaigns for brands such as Bank of America, Mastercard, Adidas, Lipton, Pizza Hut, Verizon, New York Lottery, Subaru, GMC, Continental Airlines, Sharp, Mercedes, Ford, and Saturday Night Live. In addition to Chuck Willis and Mike Douglas, Cutting Room Films’ editors include: Jon Grover, Joel Miller, Chris Hellman, Merritt Duff, and TG Herrington.
Editor Chuck Willis notes, "Cutting Room Films is the latest in the evolution of our work, our growth, and our identity. We worked really hard to build up a shop that offers meticulous, highly-personalized service and that approach allowed us to grow into a standalone creative team that is able to handle any project." As part of the shift, Mike Douglas will be joining the company as a partner with founders Chuck and Susan. He explains, "I am very excited to be partnering with Chuck and Susan Willis. Chuck and I have a great history and collaborate really well together. The transition to a company of our own was a natural progression and we all are really excited for what is to come."

Commenting on the Cut+Run NY to Cutting Room Films evolution, EP Susan Willis adds, "We’re thrilled to continue to build on the success we created over the last few years with all of our editors here in New York as well as the talent we’ve added from the London office." The impressive roster at Cutting Room Films includes these two recent additions from London, Joel Miller, who just finished two major international Sharp campaigns, and John Grover, who edited Mastercard’s Elephant and is slated to work on an upcoming project for Honda.

Together, Chuck, Mike and the rest of the Cutting Room Films team have developed a reputation as one of the most talented editorial shops in the industry, uniting a positive, client-focused approach with a comprehensive, detailed process that focuses on every frame of film. Chuck adds, "As a company, we strive to keep our minds open to innovation and visual discovery. Film is an organic, evolutionary medium that must always be explored creatively and with client collaboration to really find and create the best cut." While the core of their business is offline editorial with a significant focus on advertising, the editors works across all forms and formats including traditional broadcast, features, documentaries, virals, and webisodes.

Cutting Room Films also delivers VFX, sound design, and online services to support their core editorial efforts. Their artists’ most recent editorial work includes groundbreaking campaigns launching Bank of America’s new identity, a Sharpie spot featuring David Beckham, projects for Sharp and Mercedes, a music video for Sophie Delila and the documentary Alicia in Africa, a non-traditional project for Alicia Keys’ charity Keep a Child Alive. In addition to earning highest honors at the New York AIDS Film Festival for Alicia in Africa, Cutting Room Films artists have been honored with nearly every award in the industry including Clios, Gold Lions, Addys, Andys, AICPs, London International Awards, and even an Emmy nomination.