JUST THE FACTS: Age - 29; Hometown - Massapequa, NY; Education - Major in economics with an "unofficial minor in film" from a "small liberal arts college" called Harvard; Employ - began as Angus Wall's assistant almost two years ago; was promoted to editor in Nov. 2005.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: After PAing for a few TV shows and editing trailers for a post facility, Waskewich landed with RPS as an assistant to Wall, where he learned that a good editor is not limited by his available footage. "[Angus] does things I wouldn't think of being possible," Waskewich says. "He has this amazing ability to take a piece of a frame from one shot and a piece of a frame from another and put them together and reform things. It's quite amazing."

WHAT HE LOVES MOST ABOUT THE JOB: Collaborating with a host of creative people while being the one steering the ship. "I'm a fairly controlling person in certain ways," he laughs. "I like to be the one that's turning the knobs and pushing the buttons."

BEST WORK: The epic Malcolm Venville-directed Nike ad, "FC USA". Loaded with big picture aerial shots and intimate playground footage, it's Nike's rousing response to America's soccer-hating contingent. "There's something authentic about it, it's a big spot," he says. "That one really came together in the editing room."

THE BEST EDITING ADVICE HE'S EVER RECEIVED: When in doubt, set a mirror in front of the TV and watch your cut backwards. "When you watch an edit over and over your brain becomes so used to it that you don't see it clearly. Your brain sees what it wants and not what is actually there. When you watch it in a mirror you're able to detach your brain from it and see things that you couldn't before."

IF ONLY DARWIN HAD AN AVID: Originally a math/sciences major, Waskewich counts astronomy and evolution among his many fascinations. While some fail to see the immediate connection, Waskewich maintains that science and editing are ultimately concerned with patterns and structure and therefore not that far removed. "Editing's artistic in the way that science can be artistic. It has the same balance between the artistic and the technical."

HIS OTHER PASSION IN LIFE: "Halo. If you need further explanation, you will never understand."

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