Paul LaMastra

In his nearly three-hour interview, editor Paul LaMastra describes his early life and education and his stint living in Japan. He recalls working in the sound effects department at Paramount, which led to an apprenticeship on the comedy series Hogan's Heroes. He speaks of a very short stint editing the series Eight is Enough, and talks of editing many classic made-for-television movies, including Wallenberg: A Hero's Story, Eleanor and Franklin, Attica, and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. LaMastra recalls editing the made-for-television movie Foxfire at the same time he found out he was HIV-positive, and shares how that diagnosis impacted his life and career. He details some of the technical aspects of editing, outlines how the profession has changed since he started, and talks about his involvement in American Cinema Editors (ACE). He concludes by talking about his wish to be a director and offers advice to aspiring television editors. Karen Herman conducted the interview in a joint venture with ACE on February 26, 2010 at Universal Studios in Universal City, CA.