March 26, 2025
UPDATE
Bringing the Mind-Bending Universe of Severance to Life on Mac
Geoffrey Richman, the supervising editor behind the acclaimed Apple Original workplace thriller, discusses his creative approach, the vital role of Mac in his editing process, and insights into the editing team at Lumon Industries.
In the intriguing world of Lumon Industries, the biotech powerhouse featured in Severance, a surgical procedure enables individuals to compartmentalize their work and personal lives. However, video editing presents unique challenges for some employees. In the fourth episode of season two, “Woe’s Hollow,” viewers are treated to a low-fi attempt at editing showcased in a video that welcomes the Macrodata Refinement Department to the Outdoor Retreat and Team Building Occurrence (ORTBO).
“It’s hilarious,” remarks Geoffrey Richman, one of the series’ editors and a three-time Emmy Award nominee. “The jump cuts and glitchy edits in the ORTBO video suggest Milchick [played by Tramell Tillman] hastily pieced it together, possibly with Miss Huang [Sarah Bock] in a back room.”
Richman has a different experience. From his home editing suite in Park Slope, Brooklyn, he collaborates closely with his team, including executive producer and director Ben Stiller, to craft a visually stunning, genre-defying hit series.
Unlike Milchick, who might have an abundance of paper clips and celebratory fruit platters, Richman utilizes a Mac-powered setup for his sophisticated editing work. His suite of Macs, which includes an iMac, Mac mini, and MacBook Pro, became even more critical during the filming of the challenging season two finale, “Cold Harbor.”
“The finale involved much experimentation with structure and different scene renditions,” Richman explains. “The seamless operation of my Mac setup facilitated this creative flow.”
“While editing the marching band scenes, I had around 70 angles and takes to work with. Syncing them into a single multicam clip using a 3×3 grid made it much more manageable to quickly toggle through options,” he adds.
Similar to Mark Scout, the show’s protagonist played by Adam Scott, Richman heads down a level to work each day. He edits on an iMac connected to a separate Mac mini that runs Avid, the industry’s standard video editing software, from a post-production facility in Manhattan’s West Village.
Richman notes, “Most of my editing experience is on Mac. I prefer its interface over PCs; the operating system feels much more intuitive, allowing me to switch applications quickly.”
This setup is particularly effective for a job that requires mobility. Although Richman and his fellow editors work remotely, they occasionally visit the set, where they have access to an iMac for editing, and he often brings his MacBook Pro along for quick access to cuts.
“Whether I’m on my laptop or an iMac, my work is synchronized through my account. If I jot down an idea on my iPhone, it appears in the Notes app on my desktop the next day. This seamless integration is incredibly convenient,” Richman points out, highlighting how iCloud and Continuity enhance his workflow.
During the production of “Woe’s Hollow,” Richman relied on the power, portability, and impressive battery life of the MacBook Pro while collaborating with Stiller at the snowy Minnewaska State Park Preserve in upstate New York. He values the multi-port features of the MacBook Pro, particularly the HDMI connection, which supports collaborative editing sessions.
“I was able to connect my MacBook Pro to Ben’s TV for editing right from my laptop,” he notes.
Richman appreciates how easily he can multitask on Mac, saying, “I keep all my essential apps—Avid, Notes, Slack, Mail, Messages, Calendar, and Safari—open simultaneously. Using Mission Control for app switching is a real time-saver.”
With multitasking being essential to his work, Richman often collaborates with Stiller on specific scenes, such as the birthing cabin sequence in the season two finale, well before the entire episode is completed.
“I would send Ben cuts of scenes as I finished them for early feedback. He might share notes via email or we would discuss on the phone, allowing me to refine the scene even before finishing the entire episode,” Richman explains. “This process ensures we’re all aligned creatively.”
Score composition happens concurrently, with Richman frequently connecting with Theodore Shapiro, the show’s composer. If new music cues arrive after hours, Richman often can’t wait until morning to listen and will use his MacBook Pro or iPhone with AirPods Pro 2 for immediate playback.
“Music plays a crucial role in enhancing the show’s atmosphere,” Richman asserts. “A scene’s tone can shift dramatically based on the music, influencing viewers’ emotional connections to the characters.”
Shapiro composed the two marching band pieces featured in the season finale, an episode that demanded extensive coordination in editing. While working on his iMac, Richman ensured the on-screen instruments matched the music, all while crafting one of the season’s most intense sequences. Organizing the marching band footage alone took over a week, with countless potential edits.
“I made notes on my iPhone and then switched to my MacBook Pro to sketch out ideas, whether I was on the couch or in bed, before returning to my iMac,” he shares.
The finale left audiences with heightened stakes, fresh insights into Lumon’s enigmatic operations, and a potentially chilling view of marching bands. For Richman, it provided both significant challenges and rewarding outcomes.
“The marching band scenes were undeniably tough,” he admits. “However, I relish the challenge of structuring the finale — it’s a part of the process that I find especially gratifying.”
Season two of Severance is now available for streaming on Apple TV+. Watch Geoffrey Richman, Ben Stiller, and other editors discuss the making of the season two finale in Behind the Mac, now on YouTube. (Note: This film contains spoilers from season two of Severance.)
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