Our 25-year-old First Boards Award winner was a mere lad when turned on to his future calling, but he's made the best of his opportunities ever since.

"When I was about 15 I went to a work-through," recalls King. A friend's uncle happened to be an editor named Tony Lawson, and Leo soon found himself at Twickenham Film Studios sitting in on a feature film edit with legendary director Nicholas Roeg (Man Who Fell to Earth, Walkabout). "I just went for it," he says. "And it's kind of shaped the rest of my life."

They'd shot on 16mm, so King also had a chance to see splicers and trim bins before they went the way of the dodo. "That was a unique experience, because there are not a lot of people of my age in editing who have dealt with film directly."

His next job wasn't initially so glamorous. After university and communications studies, he got on as a runner at London editing house DGW, doing everything including fetching tea, but over four months he learned the basics of the industry. When an assistant above him was promoted to editor, he went for it again. "I badgered the boss and said, give me a chance." It worked. "I was thrown into the deep end, but it was a good way to learn."

It was while sitting next to (and assisting) Piers Douglas that King began to find his own rhythm. "I felt that I was coming along when I'd be sitting next to him while he was editing and I'd think in my head, 'there are a couple of frames of fat', and he'd do it," he says. "I wouldn't say it to him, he'd just do it. I started to think, I'm understanding what works and what doesn't."

He continued to assist Douglas, but then made the move to Cut + Run three years ago, ending up in the chair beside managing director and senior editor, Steve Gandalfi.

"Steve saw pretty early that he had a talent for editing," says Cut + Run producer, Andy McClean. "And also an ability to think slightly laterally and see an alternative way of doing everything. Being in a big company like this with a lot of different editors, from old ones to young ones, I think he was able to cherry pick all the best bits for his own character. He has a sort of classical training from the DGW days, and then also Steve's slightly more contemporary, radical attitude as well."

After more than a year, King was ready to assume the editor's chair. As usual, he did it characteristically in his own way. "I think he moved himself up," says McClean wryly. "Whenever Steve would cut something he'd try and cut a better version. And sometimes he succeeded. That's when directors started to notice that some of the changes that Leo was doing were improving things, and Steve realized it was time to let the beast loose."

Then came a compelling hybrid short film/ music video called "Jaffaman." Funded by the UK arts council, it incorporated dance, and girls in bikinis pouring cans of a mystery substance down their chests. "The liquid pouring bit was kind of meant to be a Japanese milk commercial," admits King. "The stuff they're pouring over themselves is in fact milk and the title at the end says something like 'Drink milk' in Korean." Whatever it was, it garnered lots of press in the UK and got King up and running. But the spot he's most proud of so far involves virtual golf balls.

The shoot for Vodafone "Hole" involved multiple cameras and between seven and eight hours of footage for a :60, which needed to follow a bouncing ball around the city. But King claims it was really fun to do.

"It was a visual, CG-based thing because the ball didn't exist in a lot of the shots. You had to imagine how it would go. You had to make a story of the journey of the ball with no ball there." It's an extremely well-edited spot, and definitely showcases King's skills and patience, even without the knowledge that there were so many choices available.

Cut + Run recently opened its doors in New York and LA, so the "beast" will be loosed on America. It makes one wonder, if he's come this far this fast, just where Leo King can go.

"I've always liked the opportunity of doing something beyond my means and proving that I can do it," he says. "I think it's how I've managed to get as far as I have within a relatively short amount of time."

YOUR FIRST...

...kiss? Michael Douglas' son's girlfriend
...memory? This morning
...experience with jealousy? Michael Douglas' son
...movie? The Neverending Story
...inkling that you wanted to work in this industry? Watching The Neverending Story
...crush? The princess from The Neverending Story
...embarrassing moment? Answering the above question
...pet? Ninja the cat
...boss? Ronald McDonald
...car? Porsche 911 (Matchbox)
...achievement (that you can remember)? Coming second place in the Sports Day three-legged race
...fight? The other three-legged team
...record? Europe The Final Countdown
...true love? Editing!! (Puke)
...profession? French fries professional
...existential moment? Hearing a dog meow
...concert? Rolling Stones live at Wembley
...best friend? Everyone
...nickname? Lilo...

Cut + Run> http://www.cutandrun.com