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Editors Maria Gonzales and Aika Miyake
The work of SHOGUN editors, Maria Gonzales and Aika Miyake played a crucial role in the success of this adaptation of James Clavell’s novel, as Maria and Aika created a fast-paced story, shifting the conflicts away from battlefields and into political intrigues by highlighting interpersonal dynamics, intense dialogue scenes, and the crucial role of female characters. While editing, they were also often challenged with condensing the run times of episodes down from close to one hundred minutes to one hour each, while still fleshing out the complex tapestry and culture clashes of XVII century Japan and overcoming language barriers themselves.
SHOGUN follows the collision of two ambitious men from different worlds; John Blackthorne, a risk-taking English sailor who ends up shipwrecked in Japan and in a country whose unfamiliar culture will ultimately redefine him, and Lord Toranaga, a shrewd and powerful daimyo at odds with his own dangerous political rivals. Entangled with the pair is Lady Mariko, a woman with invaluable skills but dishonorable family ties, who must prove her value and allegiance.
MARIA GONZALES
With over twenty years of experience in the industry, Maria’s previous television work includes many award-winning shows, including The Old Man, See, and Counterpart, as well as fan-favorite shows, like The Walking Dead and its spin-off show, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live. Outside of her episodic work, Maria served as an editor on two horror features: A24’s fantasy horror The Monster and Blumhouse’s horror thriller Mockingbird. She also previously worked as an assistant editor on the Academy Award-winning film The Bourne Ultimatum and Academy Award-nominated Up in the Air along with working on a long list of features beloved by audiences, including Jon Favreau’s Chef and Barry Sonnenfeld’s Men in Black II. Maria sees editing as the subtle hand that guides narratives into seamless coherence, and she continually seeks the delicate equilibrium between creativity and technical mastery while fostering a creative environment that uplifts those around her. Currently living in Los Angeles with her family, Maria was born in the United States but spent her formative years in modern-day Serbia before returning to LA to study at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where she graduated with a BA in Cinema Studies.
AIKA MIYAKE
Aika’s sixteen years of film/tv work spans across all styles and genres, covering short-form branded content, documentaries, narrative TV, and feature films. Her television work includes Netflix’s Emmy-winning documentary mini-series Chef’s Table: BBQ, and Beyonce’s Emmy-winning and Grammy-nominated visual album Black Is King. Aika also worked on a diverse range of films, including the “nominated at SXSW Film Festival” short documentary film Coming Home, and Best Documentary Feature winner at the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, Hafu: The Mixed-Race Experience in Japan. She started her career working on commercials and music videos with clients such as Nike, Pampers, IKEA, and Spotify to name a few. Growing up in Japan, Aika enjoyed playing drums and making hundreds of mixtapes for her sisters, and after discovering her passion for photography, she opened her heart to the potential of filmmaking and how images paired with music could create emotional experiences. She currently lives in Los Angeles. Outside of her work in editing, Aika is passionate about food, travel, reggae music, and her two cats, Oreo and Millie.
Editing SHOGUN
In our discussion with SHOGUN editors, Maria Gonzales and Aika Miyake, we talk about:
- Starting off with subtitling
- The Red Hot Ronin Peppers
- Commercial breaking into the business
- Filling out the story with flashbacks
- “Feudal” gestures
The Credits
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