ArtistDirect News
Whit Conways Rapid-Edit Process Drives Never Change! to Tribeca Premiere
Whit Conway, the long‑time collaborator of director‑editor Marty Schousboe, completed the first assembly of the 2026 comedy Never Change! in just one week after production wrapped. The film, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 9 2026 and will stream on Hulu on June 17, features an all‑star comedic cast that includes John Reynolds, Sofia Black‑D’Elia, Carmen Christopher, Jo Firestone, and Gary Richardson.
Conway’s involvement came through his history with Schousboe. The two first met while co‑editing three seasons of Adult Swim’s Joe Pera Talks With You. Conway explained that he was drawn to Never Change! because it offered “a robust comedy in a style that I haven’t seen a lot in recent years—a lot of silliness, a sprinkle of stupidity, and a solid heart.” The project’s premise—a coming‑of‑age story centered on heart and homecoming—aligned with Conway’s preference for humor that balances absurdity with genuine emotion.
The editing workflow was built on a foundation of meticulous organization. Assistant editor Kristie Ferriso, who previously worked on Saturday Night Live, handled the daily intake of footage. Conway described the process as “pre‑organizing each scene in a way that allows us to refer back and find things later very easily.” This structure was essential when the team had to manage hundreds of sequences, multiple takes, and a large library of sound effects, music cues, and temporary VFX passes. The goal was to keep the project on schedule while allowing the creative team to experiment with different comedic beats.
Collaboration with Schousboe and writer‑star John Reynolds was a priority from the outset. Conway noted that the director also served as an editor, which “made it a huge collaboration as we went.” The team agreed that the first assembly should be ready within a week of the shoot’s conclusion. Conway said, “We decided that our goal right from the jump was to allow Marty and John Reynolds the opportunity to see everything on its feet as soon as possible.” The rapid turnaround enabled the trio to identify scenes that needed more work, discard those that didn’t work, and set daily to‑do lists that kept the edit moving toward the final cut.
Adobe’s suite of tools was central to this accelerated workflow. Conway used Adobe Premiere Pro for the primary edit, taking advantage of the built‑in Speech‑to‑Text feature to transcribe all takes. The transcripts allowed the team to search for specific lines or moments, making it easier to locate the funniest beats without manually scrubbing through hours of footage. After Effects was employed for visual effects, with Conway creating pre‑visualizations for the VFX team led by Dylan Vandenberg of Vandivision. He highlighted the power of the Roto Brush tool, which enabled quick, “dirty” VFX comps that could be revised rapidly.
The film’s comedic style—mixing silliness with heartfelt moments—was reflected in the editing choices. Conway mentioned that many of his favorite moments were small, single lines that he had initially considered cutting but ultimately kept because they landed well. He also praised the supporting cast’s ability to deliver humor while maintaining the emotional core of the story.
Never Change! showcases how a disciplined workflow, a strong collaborative relationship, and modern editing technology can produce a polished comedy on a tight schedule. The film’s premiere at Tribeca and upcoming Hulu release position it as a notable example of contemporary comedy filmmaking, while Conway’s approach may influence future editors working in the genre.
The film’s release schedule is now set: it debuted at Tribeca on June 9 2026 and will be available for streaming on Hulu on June 17. The project’s rapid post‑production cycle, driven by Conway’s use of Adobe Premiere, Speech‑to‑Text, and After Effects, demonstrates a model for efficient comedic editing in the current industry landscape.
Conway’s involvement came through his history with Schousboe. The two first met while co‑editing three seasons of Adult Swim’s Joe Pera Talks With You. Conway explained that he was drawn to Never Change! because it offered “a robust comedy in a style that I haven’t seen a lot in recent years—a lot of silliness, a sprinkle of stupidity, and a solid heart.” The project’s premise—a coming‑of‑age story centered on heart and homecoming—aligned with Conway’s preference for humor that balances absurdity with genuine emotion.
The editing workflow was built on a foundation of meticulous organization. Assistant editor Kristie Ferriso, who previously worked on Saturday Night Live, handled the daily intake of footage. Conway described the process as “pre‑organizing each scene in a way that allows us to refer back and find things later very easily.” This structure was essential when the team had to manage hundreds of sequences, multiple takes, and a large library of sound effects, music cues, and temporary VFX passes. The goal was to keep the project on schedule while allowing the creative team to experiment with different comedic beats.
Collaboration with Schousboe and writer‑star John Reynolds was a priority from the outset. Conway noted that the director also served as an editor, which “made it a huge collaboration as we went.” The team agreed that the first assembly should be ready within a week of the shoot’s conclusion. Conway said, “We decided that our goal right from the jump was to allow Marty and John Reynolds the opportunity to see everything on its feet as soon as possible.” The rapid turnaround enabled the trio to identify scenes that needed more work, discard those that didn’t work, and set daily to‑do lists that kept the edit moving toward the final cut.
Adobe’s suite of tools was central to this accelerated workflow. Conway used Adobe Premiere Pro for the primary edit, taking advantage of the built‑in Speech‑to‑Text feature to transcribe all takes. The transcripts allowed the team to search for specific lines or moments, making it easier to locate the funniest beats without manually scrubbing through hours of footage. After Effects was employed for visual effects, with Conway creating pre‑visualizations for the VFX team led by Dylan Vandenberg of Vandivision. He highlighted the power of the Roto Brush tool, which enabled quick, “dirty” VFX comps that could be revised rapidly.
The film’s comedic style—mixing silliness with heartfelt moments—was reflected in the editing choices. Conway mentioned that many of his favorite moments were small, single lines that he had initially considered cutting but ultimately kept because they landed well. He also praised the supporting cast’s ability to deliver humor while maintaining the emotional core of the story.
Never Change! showcases how a disciplined workflow, a strong collaborative relationship, and modern editing technology can produce a polished comedy on a tight schedule. The film’s premiere at Tribeca and upcoming Hulu release position it as a notable example of contemporary comedy filmmaking, while Conway’s approach may influence future editors working in the genre.
The film’s release schedule is now set: it debuted at Tribeca on June 9 2026 and will be available for streaming on Hulu on June 17. The project’s rapid post‑production cycle, driven by Conway’s use of Adobe Premiere, Speech‑to‑Text, and After Effects, demonstrates a model for efficient comedic editing in the current industry landscape.