"Botulism" and "Sputnik" - both spots for the Game Show Network - are just two indications of the type of wacky comedy New York-based Dave Herman, 33, enjoys cutting.

Directed by Roman Coppola for TBWA\Chiat\Day, the spots candidly follow everyday people spouting the same word inseveral different scenarios: in a hospital; at the office; and even in bed getting it on. All become increasingly irate, screaming out the word, until viewers finally realize the characters are answering the question to a TV game show.

"You end up working long nights on spots like that, but you need that kind of attitude to succeed," explains Herman, now at Version 2 Editing. "You bite in and dig deep to find what makes a spot funny."

He sees editors as "the conduit for directors and creatives, so being a good communicator is imperative. Plus, being technically down is a given - you have to be fast and throw out different variations."

The cutting career kicked in about 10 years ago when Philadelphia-born Herman, then a production manager, decided to begin directing his own work and editing the results - he'd learned to cut on his own dime. Of course, it wasn't as easy as that. Nobody hired him on the strength of his director's reel. But they liked his editing, and once Herman flipped his sell to that of an editor they started snapping him up.

Herman got his first crack at editing just over two years ago at TBWA\Chiat\Day, and spent a couple years focusing on the craft. "It was a great experience because creative is honored there," he says. "That's when I first got working on great creative and got in tune with the editing process."

After a brief stint at Crew Cuts on the West Coast, Herman moved to New York last fall and currently occupies a well-guarded niche at Version 2. "I'm the only guy who cuts comedy here," he says, "so I don't compete with other editors."

A low profile and subtle sell is something Herman constantly keeps in mind during the edit process as well.

"The worst commercials lack perspective and blatantly sell something," he says. "My job is to assist in the soft sell and not repulse the viewer, and humor is a great way to invite them in."

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