Pop-Culturalist.com

Nick Pezzillo is a world-renowned storyteller whose versatility has made him one of the most sought-after editors in the industry. From documentaries to shorts, Nick’s undeniable talent immerses audiences in unforgettable viewing experiences. His work has been featured at the Tribeca Film Festival, Slamdance, and the Toronto International Film Festival.

His latest film, Your Lucky Day, is an exhilarating ride that will have you guessing until the very end. After a dispute over a winning lottery ticket turns into a deadly hostage situation, the witnesses must decide exactly how far they’ll go—and how much blood they’re willing to spill—for a cut of the $156 million.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Nick about Your Lucky Day, reuniting with writer-director Dan Brown, and more.

PC: How did you discover your passion for storytelling?
Nick: I discovered it at a young age, around high school. I had always dabbled in the arts, whether it was drawing, painting, or sculpting. Then I saw some behind-the-scenes footage of a Spielberg film and witnessed all these collaborators doing their thing. That triggered it. It lit a fuse that’s still burning. It was a culmination of all those different art forms coming together in one. It was this romantic idea of bringing all these different art forms together to make an end product.

PC: You’ve always used your platform to celebrate other filmmakers in your community. Who were the people in your own life who shaped the filmmaker that you are today, either personally or professionally?
Nick: That’s a good question. My dad was a big influence. He worked in construction, helping build buildings in Seattle where I grew up. I always loved the idea of shaping something and working with your hands until its completion. That was such a noble thing to watch growing up. I’ve always been someone who needs to complete things. I don’t like to start something and then see it decay over time or give it to somebody else. That’s a hard thing for me.

As far as editing, one of my biggest collaborators has been Dan Brown, the director of Your Lucky Day. We’re like brothers and creative arms. We went to film school together in 2000. We’ve always pushed each other. Many creatives have inspired me along the way, especially working in advertising. There’s no shortage of good creative people.

It’s hard to build work consistently over time. I appreciate all my long-term collaborators that I’ve been able to work with.

PC: Butcher’s Crossing was your first feature that made its way around the festival circuit. What was it like getting to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival?
Nick: That was so much fun. TIFF is incredible. I took so many photos with all these people. [laughs] I even got a photo of Taylor Swift in the crowd to show my daughter. Hopefully, she loves me more now. It was a great experience to be surrounded by these amazing artists. When we found out that we were going to premiere at TIFF, we were all so excited. But we were also like, “Now, we have to finish this movie.” [laughs] It wasn’t done yet, so it was all hands on deck to get it ready for that premiere. But it was awesome. I’ve never seen a film that I’ve worked on in a theater until then. It was nerve-wracking, and I felt all the feelings. But it was a great time. I can’t wait to go back at some point.

PC: In addition to editing, you’ve also directed. How have your experiences as an editor impacted the way that you approach your work as a director and vice versa?
Nick: I’ve directed small, shorter-form pieces and a couple of music videos here and there. I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s like editing on set. I’m able to make the decisions that I sometimes wish were made when I’m editing. The things that I have directed have been on a small scale. I’ve made all the mistakes that I wish weren’t made that I’ve come across when I’m editing other people’s stuff. Directing is very difficult. I enjoy it in the sense of being able to craft something. I hope that one day there’s another story that I want to tell. But until then, editing is serving all the creative things that I need in my life.

PC: Your Lucky Day finds you reuniting with Dan, and you both worked on the short film together. How soon after that project did he tell you that he wanted to make this full-length feature? What was it like getting to collaborate with him again and share in this milestone?
Nick: It only took eleven years, so it wasn’t very long. [laughs] We really enjoyed working together on the short. Dan was meeting with all these different people. He had all these ideas that weren’t in line with what people who had seen the short wanted to chat with him about. So we both went into advertising, and we made a career out of it to feed our families. During that time, we did a bunch of shorts and music videos together.

He had written that feature maybe a good five years later. But it took him a minute to tear that band-aid off. When he did, I was like, “Please, let’s do it together. Let’s make your first movie.” It’s a project that meant a lot to me, and I’m very excited for it to come out to the world.

PC: Trust is such a huge component of filmmaking. How different is that experience when you’ve worked with the director before?
Nick: Working with Dan was so easy. We trust each other. We have the best intentions for the film. We always made the best decision for the film. The one thing that I know about Dan is he’s going to make smart decisions and be thoughtful about them. We didn’t try to take any shortcuts. We just tried to make it better. If we ever had opposing ideas, I would leave it up to him because at the end of the day, it’s his film. At some point, he’s going to be the one who has to stand on a stage and explain the creative decisions that he made. But the great thing about Dan is if there were ever times that I didn’t agree with his decision at first, by the end, I always find myself agreeing. [laughs] Any decision that you make while making a film, you have weeks or sometimes even months to let it live that way, and then you can go back and reevaluate.

It was the same thing working with Gabe [Polsky] on Butcher’s Crossing. We didn’t know each other prior to working together. We definitely had a bit of a warming-up period and getting to know each other. After I’ve done an edit, we will sit on the couch and collaborate together to refine it. You get to know each other really well during that process. You instinctively come to know what they will like and what they won’t like. But first and foremost, you have to have respect for each other and that ends up building trust. You know that they’re coming in from a place of love and trying to make it as good as possible.

PC: What have you learned from the stories that you’ve helped tell?
Nick: I’ve learned everything. Editing is controlled filmmaking. Everything is a little problem that you have to solve throughout the process. For example, “This didn’t happen. That didn’t happen. How do I make this scene work?” Another example is, “I only have a certain amount of takes, or this line isn’t right here. How do I get the audience to understand what we need them to understand? How many questions do we want in the air for audiences when they’re watching a movie?” If it’s too many questions, people will check out. But if it’s the right amount of questions, then they’re engaged. You’re doing it with them in a Hitchcockian way. You’re feeding them morsels of information when they need to get them. But it’s a huge learning process in itself. How do audiences respond and react to the things that you’re putting on screen? There are so many times when I’m surprised by what they key into and what they don’t because that’s what I’m doing. I’m the conduit between the film and the audience. I always have to keep in mind how they’re going to react to what they know and don’t know.

To keep up with Nick, follow him on Instagram. Your Lucky Day is out in select theaters and on VOD on 11/14.

Photo Credit: Cinematic Red PR