"I tend to work on quirky, weird, ethereal spots," explains the diversely talented Philip Owens on his editing role. "It takes a new set of eyes to focus on the concept, making the edit critical in order to texturally tell the story in the right way and to sell the brand and concept - that's my role."

The Irish-born editor first familiarized himself to the industry in Dublin following a degree in transportation, neatly steering away from his studies to take on 3D computer animation at Windmill Lane Pictures, later becoming its head of graphics.

Owens then set up his own effects shop that fell apart at the financing stage, allowing FM Rocks in LA to pick him up as a promo director while simultaneously shaping graphics and directing vidiwall rock shows for the memorable U2 'Zoo' tour. Owens then headed to MTV Europe as an on-air designer. Securing a green card, he returned to the US to become a VFX supervisor for director Meiert Avis.

"My only focus is to be involved in the finest work, the best creative and the most incredible ideas, and in pursuit of that I've been incredibly fortunate," says Owens on his eclectic career thus far. Clients have included Edwin jeans, Toyota, Sergio Tacchini, Atlantis hotels and Lexus.

"I ended up in editorial because I found it increasingly more important to move closer and closer to the narrative," continues Owens, who turned down an offer from Wild Brain to become its technical director. He secured editing work in 2000 with two campaigns for Edwin jeans through Yomiko/Shuffle, Japan featuring Hollywood heavy Brad Pitt, each directed by former colleague Avis and directorial dynamite Alejandro González Iñárritu (of Amores Perros fame, which incidentally Iñárritu edited himself). Twelve Edwin spots were cut in six weeks.

"Falling" shows a fresh and unique approach by Owens. We see Pitt floating within the Ambassador Hotel in downtown LA to the sweet, hypnotic sounds of minimalist electronica (Sebastien Escofet's classical rendition of Debussey). Pop zooms are creatively added to the surreal scene, succeeding in focusing our attention on Pitt's Edwin jeans as his body twists hypnotically before us.

"Pitt had a wire rig built in the corridor with a crash pad underneath him," explains Owens on the shoot, which required a 750-frames-per-second Photosonic camera to capture the action and create the surreal feel. "We shot it straight, then I blew up the plate in post and rotated the picture while adding the pop zooms to focus on the jeans and take the viewer in to create a nice feel."

"Multi-skilling is sometimes seen as an issue, yet if there's one thing our industry is defined by, it's hyphenates," says Owens when questioned on his current representation in three camps as director, special effects artist and editor. I'd rather be precious and more productive. Boundaries are history, man. It's about the work for me."

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