Richard Pearson (born 1961) is an American film editor who is mainly associated with action films. Pearson, with Clare Douglas and Christopher Rouse, received the BAFTA Award for Best Editing for the film United 93 (2006).
Life and career Pearson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota,Strickler, Jeff (2007). "'Invisible artist' getting noticed. For a transplanted Minnesotan, editing film is a cut above other Hollywood jobs", interview with Richard Pearson from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, April 1, 2007. and raised in New Hope, Minnesota. As a college student in the early 1980s, Pearson was an intern at the television station WCCO-TV in Minneapolis. He moved to Hollywood in 1985 to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. His first editing credit was for the television miniseries From the Earth to the Moon (1998). The "1968" episode of From the Earth to the Moon was nominated for an American Cinema Editors "Eddie" award (Best Edited Episode from a Television Mini-Series) and for an Emmy Award (Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or a Movie). Christopher Rouse, Pearson's co-editor on The Bourne Supremacy and United 93, also worked on this miniseries.
Following an editing credit for the film Muppets from Space (1999), Pearson edited two films (Bowfinger and The Score) that were directed by Frank Oz, who was Jim Henson's early collaborator in developing The Muppets.
United 93 was directed by Paul Greengrass, who is particularly noted for films that are "shot verité style as a detailed mass of hectic vignettes—jagged jump cuts, sudden blackouts, overlapping everything."Hoberman, J. (2002). "Collision Courses", The Village Voice, October 1, 2002. Online version retrieved April 19, 2008. The use of three editors (Douglas, Pearson, and Rouse) on United 93 was dictated by its short post-production period; less than six months passed between the start of filming and release of the film.Wood, Jennifer M. (2007). "One Day in September". , interview with Christopher Rouse in Moviemaker, February 3, 2007; online version retrieved April 18, 2008. Greengrass and Douglas had worked together quite successfully on the film Bloody Sunday (2002); Greengrass, Pearson, and Rouse had recently finished The Bourne Supremacy (2004). Despite the accelerated post-production schedule for United 93, the editing was very successful. Ellen Feldman has written an analysis of the film's editing; she notes that, "United 93 represents a complex editing feat, with a structure based on parallel cutting combined with an edgy, hyper-cranked "Cinema Verité” style, a style that disorients us but doesn't prevent us from grasping lots of necessary exposition and identifying with many characters."Feldman, Ellen (2007). "Art of Editing Corner: United 93 (Part 1)", Avid Technology webpage archived at WebCite from this original URL on April 19, 2008.Feldman, Ellen (2007). "Art of Editing Corner: United 93 (Part 2)", Avid Technology webpage archived at WebCite from this original URL on April 19, 2008. In addition to the BAFTA Award, the editors were also nominated for an Academy Award for Film Editing and for an ACE Eddie Award.
Pearson has been elected to membership in the American Cinema Editors."American Cinema Editors > Members", webpage archived by WebCite from this original URL on March 4, 2008.
Pearson was an editor of the James Bond film, Quantum of Solace (2008), along with Matt Chessé. He worked on Safe House (2012). He resides in California.
Editing credits + Editor Year Film Director Notes 1999 Muppets from SpaceTim Hill BowfingerFrank OzFirst collaboration with Frank Oz2000 Drowning MonaNick Gomez 2001 Scary Movie 2Keenen Ivory Wayans The ScoreFrank OzSecond collaboration with Frank Oz2002 Men in Black IIBarry Sonnenfeld2003 The RundownPeter Berg2004 The Bourne SupremacyPaul GreengrassFirst collaboration with Paul Greengrass 2005 A Little Trip to HeavenBaltasar Kormákur RentChris Columbus2006 United 93Paul GreengrassSecond collaboration with Paul Greengrass2007 Blades of GloryJosh GordonWill SpeckFirst collaboration with Josh Gordon and Will Speck 2008 Get SmartPeter Segal Quantum of SolaceMarc Forster2010 Iron Man 2Jon Favreau 2012 Safe HouseDaniel Espinosa Red DawnDan Bradley 2014 MaleficentRobert Stromberg Dracula UntoldGary Shore2016 The AccountantGavin O'ConnorFirst collaboration with Gavin O'Connor 2017 Kong: Skull IslandJordan Vogt-Roberts Justice LeagueZack Snyder2019 Godzilla: King of the MonstersMichael Dougherty2020 Wonder Woman 1984Patty Jenkins 2022 UnchartedRuben Fleischer Lyle, Lyle, CrocodileSecond collaboration with Josh Gordon and Will Speck2025 The Accountant 2Gavin O'ConnorSecond collaboration with Gavin O'Connor
+ Editorial department Year Film Director Role2000 BaitAntoine Fuqua Additional editor2021 Godzilla vs. KongAdam Wingard2024 LiftF. Gary Gray
+ Actor Year Film Director Role Notes2002 Men in Black IIBarry SonnenfeldGordyVoice role
TV series
+ Editor Year Title Notes1993 South Beach1 episode1994−97 New York Undercover22 episodes1998 From the Earth to the Moon4 episodes2013 The Power Inside3 episodes
+ Editorial department Year Title Role Notes1990 American Chronicles6 episodes
+ Additional crew Year Title Role Notes1998 From the Earth to the MoonTitle designer: Main titles12 episodes2015 Blood and Gold: The Making of Spain with Simon Sebag MontefioreProduction assistant1 episode
References
External links