Corky DeVault and Adam Robinson have joined the editorial roster of The Whitehouse. They will be based in the company’s New York office but are also available worldwide via The Whitehouse’s other shops in London, Chicago and Santa Monica.
Robinson comes aboard as an editor after several years assisting with the company. Meanwhile DeVault spent the past nine years at Joint in Portland, Ore., which is Wieden+Kennedy’s edit arm. At Joint he cut jobs for such clients as Nike, EA Games, Coca-Cola, AOL and Old Spice.
DeVault joined Joint shortly after studying anthropology at Reed College, a small liberal arts school in Portland. Knowing that he would rather teach himself film than pursue a formal film degree, DeVault bought a 16mm camera and offered to shoot his friends’ music videos. After wearing several different hats on set, he decided that he needed to focus on one set of skills; DeVault chose editing. It was a fairly straightforward choice for DeVault, who remembers in-camera editing on his family’s Super-8 camera as a child.
“I’ve always loved the storytelling aspect of editing. The idea of what is on the printed page (of the script) is always most fascinating. I’m intrigued by the different ways people see things, and the interesting challenges the script contains.”
As soon as DeVault chose editing as his career path, he landed an assistant editor position at Joint, where he worked closely with Joint’s owner, Peter Wiedensmith. DeVault still considers Wiedensmith a mentor: “Peter taught me everything, from the beginning.”
At Joint, DeVault worked on several projects with Wieden+Kennedy creative director Hal Curtis. One project, Nike’s “Kid Tiger,” was particularly rewarding for DeVault. The emotional spot, set to The Faces’ “Oh La La”, features home movie footage of Tiger Woods as a child. In theme with the music’s lyrics (“I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger”), the seven-year old Tiger sinks holes in one, accompanied by throngs of watchers, caddies, and cameraman.
DeVault recalled, “Nike didn’t know about the project. We worked with Hal in the off hours for two months, getting it ready. We showed Nike a cut three weeks before the British Open. Nike bought it, made no revisions, and we got it on air at the last possible second… Some of the most fun things that I’ve worked on are side projects like this, ones that I’ve done in my free time. You just have to have faith and try to make it happen.”
Wieden’s Curtis reflected on his nine years working with DeVault at Joint, relating, “We were able to work on a wide variety of projects small and large, which has made Corky a tremendously talented and versatile editor, fluent in many different styles: humor, visual, music driven spots. He is especially terrific with music selection and editing.”
Robinson
Robinson broke into the editorial community as a runner and then an assistant editor at Fluid, New York. After several years there, he went freelance, taking on a gig at The Whitehouse, New York. Shortly thereafter, he was on staff with the company.
Robinson first assisted Whitehouse editor Colby Parker, Jr., under whom he built a relationship with director Evan Bernard. (Robinson and Bernard have since teamed up on several campaigns, a Moby music video, and a short film entitled “Pound.) When Parker, Jr. took a leave to complete the Hillary Swank feature The Reaping, Robinson worked primarily with editor Marc Langley and out-of-town Whitehouse editors on projects worldwide, traveling on-set from Italy to Argentina.
Langley said of Robinson, “Adam assisted me for many years; he brought so much to the table, including his great enthusiasm for editing, and his ability to communicate with people. He is always willing to push the boundaries on all aspects of editing, sound design, and effects. It is a pleasure now working along side of him as an editor, as we always have a great dial on each other’s projects. He is very diverse in his style; he relishes in a challenge, whether it be comedy, visual, or effects.”
When asked about the work of which he is most proud, Robinson cited Mitsubishi’s “Robot Factory” out of BBDO Toronto, The spot, cut by Robinson, features a robot-factory that comes to life through intricate CG-graphics from The Mill, New York.
