John Soh

John Soh was interviewed for nearly two-and-a-half hours at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, CA. Soh discussed his early years in South Korea, where he developed an interest in American films. He talked about moving to the United States and attending Chapman College, where a professor noticed his talents and encouraged him to transfer to UCLA film school. He talked about learning the craft of editing, and his concurrent jobs at F. K. Rockett Co.  He discussed joining Wolper Productions, where he edited on many of David Wolper's documentary series. He then discussed his long-term association with Jacques Cousteau's television specials. He described editing the first programs, coming up with concepts, and sorting through the huge volume of film the crews created. He also discussed his work on the filmed documentary, The Hellstrom Chronicle (1971), which won an Academy Award as Best Documentary Feature.  Other programs discussed were The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich and Hiroshima. In conclusion, Mr. Soh discussed the art and craft of editing, his overall philosophy of telling a story through editing, and the honor of receiving the A.C.E. 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award. The interview was conducted by Karen Herman in a joint venture with American Cinema Editors (ACE), on  February 17, 2007.