The Power of Three in TV Programming

What happens when you bring together two baby boomers, a millennial, a lot of comedy, and a murder mystery? You get Only Murders in the Building, a hit show that raked in an impressive 49 Emmy nominations and became the most-watched comedy premiere in Hulu’s history.

Since its debut on Hulu in the United States and Disney Plus internationally in August 2021, Only Murders in the Building has just wrapped up its fourth season, with season five already in the pipeline. This show was born from the minds of Steve Martin and John Hoffman, bringing together Steve Martin and Martin Short, along with the young talent of Selena Gomez.

Each season of the show follows this unlikely trio as they dig into suspicious murders within their Upper West Side apartment building, the Arconia, while also creating a podcast to dissect each case.

When the pandemic delayed the filming of the show’s second season, a new trio of editors stepped in to work their magic. Shelly Westerman, Payton Koch, and Peggy Tachdjian joined the team in season two and all earned Emmy nominations for their outstanding work in season three.

For Westerman, Koch, and Tachdjian, the opportunity to work with comedic legends like Steve Martin and Martin Short was a dream come true. They had all previously collaborated on projects for Ryan Murphy Productions, which made joining Only Murders in the Building an exciting new adventure.

Each editor found their niche within the production process. With the cast’s stellar performances, the editors typically only need to work with 2-3 takes per scene. The long days of shooting result in hours of footage to sift through, but the editors are experts in crafting the final product.

This team of editors works in Avid Media Composer, a software they all find efficient and user-friendly. They each have their go-to tools within the software that help streamline their workflow and achieve the desired results.

Only Murders in the Building is shot using multiple cameras, which gives the editors more flexibility in crafting each scene. By grouping takes and utilizing editing tools, they can seamlessly piece together the storytelling while highlighting the emotional core of the show.

In the end, the dedication and talent of these three editors have helped bring the humor, intrigue, and heart of Only Murders in the Building to life on screen. Their collaborative efforts behind the scenes have played a crucial role in shaping the success of this beloved series.