WAX Adds Award-Winning Editor Peter Johnson to Roster

Boutique post-production shop WAX strengthens its already robust talent roster by bringing on award-winning editor Peter Johnson.

Boasting an incredibly diverse portfolio and meticulous attention to detail, Johnson’s editorial style is largely influenced by his multicultural upbringing. “I grew up throughout NYC, Paris, and London in the 80’s. My father was a writer and my mother was a fashion designer. Much of my visual aesthetic and filmmaking approach comes from the different arts and lifestyles that I was exposed to as a child,” Johnson explains. “No matter what project I’m working on, I try to let the imagery tell me what it needs to be. I’m quite cerebral about my work. Every shot and edit has a purpose. I search to find and tell the best narrative possible with a focus on the emotions that I want the audience to feel.”

His most notable pieces include Smirnoff’s “Smirnoff Saber” and Johnnie Walker’s “Black Magick”, both of which garnered honors at the AICP Awards. Beyond commercials and branded content, additional standouts range from Kanye West’s “Stronger” as well as Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “Ni**as in Paris” music videos — both nominated for “Best Editing” at the MTV Video Music Awards — to Maxwell’s “5 Days of Black“ documentary (directed/edited by Johnson and aired on BET).

To Johnson, the most beautiful thing about editing is that each composition has something unique and challenging to offer. His best and favorite collaborations are when he and a director — like Roman Coppola and Barnaby Roper — share the same cinematic flow, fueling and sparking each other’s ideas in a time dissolving fashion.

“Joining WAX has always been at the forefront of my mind when it came to editorial houses. I’ve known [WAX Founder and Executive Producer] Toni [Lipari] for over a decade and we’ve always felt a creative connection. Her passion and vision for WAX has always stood out from the rest and I’m happy to be a part of the team now. What manifests from this collaboration is going to be fantastic!”

According to Lipari, “I have known Peter since my agency producing days where I worked with him a few times in that capacity, and we stayed in close contact. We have spoken periodically over the last few years about him joining the WAX team and are finally able to make the timing work. Peter is an incredibly talented editor. His work amazes me, and having him on our team really reflects all the continuously expanding capabilities we have at WAX. I’m thrilled to have him come aboard.”