Narrative & Documentary Editing

Italy's narrative and documentary editors draw on a line that runs from Roberto Perpignani and Esmeralda Calabria through to today's names such as Cristiano Travaglioli, Walter Fasano, and Marco Spoletini. These editors were shaped by AMC (Associazione Montaggio Cinetelevisivo) and the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia editing programme, and they win regular praise at the David di Donatello and Nastri d'Argento.

Our edit planning pairs global shoots with narrative editors raised in that tradition. These are drama experts with credits across series like Gomorra, My Brilliant Friend, The Young Pope, Suburra, and L'amica geniale, made for Rai Fiction, Sky Italia, Netflix Italy, and HBO by houses such as Cattleya, Wildside, Lux Vide, Indigo, and Palomar. We also bring in documentary editors who carry observational and historical work in the field mapped by Gianfranco Rosi. Suite time at Cinecittà's historic editing stages, Lumiq Studios Turin, Mercurio Cinematografica Milan, FrameByFrame Roma, and Direct2Brain Roma is booked against the director's shooting schedule. Before any footage is touched on the bench, editors are briefed in detail on script structure, character arcs, and theme.

Narrative editing on scripted features and Rai Fiction or Sky Italia series follows set milestones: assembly, director's cut, producer's cut, fine cut, and picture lock. Each milestone brings a review session that gives directors and producers clear points to shape pacing, performance, and the dramatic arc. Documentary work often aims at the Venice Film Festival, RomaFF, or the Torino Film Festival. We approach it with respect for source material, careful choice of testimony, and smooth blending of period footage, photography, and stills drawn from national Italian archives via Rai Teche and Istituto Luce.

Editors work across Avid Media Composer for long-form drama, Adobe Premiere Pro for documentary, and DaVinci Resolve where the finish is colour-led. SIAE clearance for music and archive material runs alongside the cut, and we track the David di Donatello and Nastri d'Argento submission calendar where it applies. Editors then deliver picture-locked timelines with clean AAF and EDL hand-offs to Cinecittà DI or the chosen sound house, ready for the finishing stage.

Long-form schedules are mapped against the shoot and the delivery date from day one. A feature edit may run several weeks across the milestone path. A returning series books its suites for months. We support remote review for global directors and streamer bosses, with secure, time-limited links for each cut. This keeps a director in another country fully inside the room as the story takes shape.

Unreleased drama footage is guarded to the standard streamers and broadcasters demand. Series rushes for Netflix Italy, Sky Italia, or Rai Fiction sit on locked storage at the booked suite. Review copies are marked. Only the assigned cutting team has access, and links expire on a set schedule. Once picture lock is signed and the conform goes to Cinecittà DI, working copies are wiped on the agreed timeline.