May 29 marked the premiere of NIGHTINGALE, the new film from director Elliott Lester (“Blitz”, “Love is the Drug”), an HBO Films presentation in association with Plan B Entertainment. The film, starring Golden Globe nominee David Oyelowo (“Selma”), was well received at the L.A. Film Festival and last night garnered a Critics’ Choice Television Award win for Oyelowo as Best Actor along with a nomination for Best Movie. NIGHTINGALE was edited by Nicholas Wayman-Harris of bicoastal Union, who previously collaborated with Lester on commercial projects and currently is editing his follow-up film, SLEEPWALKER.
Declared “Riveting,” “Spellbinding” and “Masterful” by The Hollywood Reporter, and “Mesmerizing…Norman Bates for the digital age” by Entertainment Weekly, NIGHTINGALE is a provocative drama that probes the darkest corners of a disturbed mind, as a war veteran begins to unravel thread by thread. This searing story of solitude and isolation offers a poignant look at how life has failed one man. The film was directed by Lester from a screenplay by Frederick Mensch.
“This is a fascinating portrayal, putting a man under a microscope,” Wayman-Harris recalled, “placing one guy in a house, and we as the viewer never leave the house. I was intrigued by how to get that across.” The performance was best served by shooting the film chronologically, so “day one was page one and as they were shooting I was putting the film together,” the editor explained.
“Nicholas Wayman-Harris is the other half of my creative brain,” said Lester. “His unique vision and tireless efforts have elevated each project we have collaborated on together."
Wayman-Harris came to NIGHTINGALE having edited such films as SKYLINE (directed by The Brothers Strause) and THE KING IS ALIVE (directed by Kristian Levring of the influential Danish collective known as Dogme 95). On the commercial front, his work includes the EMMY-nominated VW Super Bowl 2012 teaser “Star Wars the Bark Side,” created via Deutsch, Haagen-Dazs (GS&P), Carhart (direct), the launch of the new Mustang with Steve McQueen (JWT Detroit), and Hyundai (GreenLight) with Mark Ronson for the Grammys.
Wayman-Harris and Lester’s latest collaboration, the much-anticipated SLEEPWALKER, stars Richard Armitage, Haley Joel Osment and Ahna O'reilly and will be released later this year.
About Union
Union Editorial has offices in Santa Monica, CA, New York City, Austin TX, and London, where it maintains an alliance with Marshall Street Editors. Union is presided over by Partner/Managing Director Michael Raimondi and Partner/Executive Producer Caryn Maclean. The Union roster is comprised of Partner/Editors Jim Haygood, Einar, Jay Friedkin, Sloane Klevin, Marco Perez, and editors Nico Alba, Jinx Godfrey, Nicholas Wayman-Harris, Rachael Waxler, Daniel Luna, Jason Lucas, Paul Plew, Ben Longland, Laura Milstein, Eric Argiro, Mike Colao, Karen Kourtessis, as well as select projects with Tim Thornton Allen, Patric Ryan, and Ryan Boucher.
