Jimmy Hayes
Motion picture editor specializing in documentary narratives.
I work with your creative vision to help you craft stories
that are singular, authentic and meaningful.
Reel
Bio
Call it documentary or direct cinema or first-person storytelling… The power of chronicling someone’s lived experience to create something that can defy our imagination never ceases to fascinate me. The best non-fiction stories could never be scripted nor staged.
After more than 20 years as an editor, I think my principle strength is my sensitivity to the people I see onscreen. But making sense of these human qualities isn’t always so obvious when I first start logging footage. For example, I may have an interviewee that says one thing but actually means another. And sometimes that same person may answer a completely different question than the one that was actually asked in the first place. These instances are never banal. People tend to be mysterious. They want to reveal themselves ever so carefully. My job as an editor is to see potential everywhere and to try to find the heart of the footage. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I work at keeping an open mind. This is the same openness with which I approach the creative teams that lead these projects and I think it has served me well.
In 2003 I completed my undergraduate degree in Communications Studies at Concordia University. In the following years, I cut my teeth in music television, reality TV, and entertainment news. This is where I learned the dynamics of life in the edit suite with directors, producers, writers, broadcasters, clients and friends of friends.
In 2016, I crossed into documentary and never looked back. Since 2019, I’ve been collaborating with the visionary Felix & Paul Studios, adding my 2 cents to the next generation of non-fiction immersive storytelling. Space Explorers: The ISS Experience was awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Immersive Program, and I am very proud of that.
In the day-to-day, I generally keep my projects organized and my footage catalogued. This helps me to work quickly without overthinking too much, especially when I am dealing with an extra-large shooting ratio. I am good at dialogue editing and I think this helps with overall narrative clarity. I enjoy working with music and I am always fascinated to see how it influences the story.
I live and work in Montreal, Canada and I am always available to collaborate remotely.
Selected works
Mission to the Moon, 360° 3D VR Documentary, 30:00
Voyage Around the Moon, 360° 3D VR Experience, 15:00
The Infinite v2.0, Location-based 360° 3D VR Experience
Gene Kranz: Apollo to Artemis, 360° 3D VR Documentary, 15:00
Moonrise on the ISS, Documentary for television, 60:00
Artemis Ascending, 360° 2D Livestream, (Opening + 3 additional segments)
Spacewalkers, 360° 3D VR Experience, 10:00
Embrasse de Michel Marc Bouchard, Theater / Fiction, 90:00
Maman, pourquoi tu pleures?, Documentary, 60:00
The Infinite v1.0, Location-based 360° 3D VR Experience
Space Explorers: The ISS Experience, 360° 3D VR Documentary series, 4 x 30:00
Denis Côté : Courir vers le danger, Documentary series, 5 x 60:00
Valérie et moi, Documentary, 60:00
Microphone, Seasons I & II, Music documentary, 12 x 60:00
Fubar: Age of Computer, Fiction, 4 x 30:00
Janine Sutto: À sa manière, Documentary, 60:00
Les dieux du ciel, Documentary series, 9 x 30:00
Links
Testimonial
"I was struck by Jimmy's curiosity, intelligence, humility and calm. He struck me as the type of editor and, more importantly, the kind of human with whom I was seeking to join forces ... Our productions ... represent a colossal feat of storytelling in the edit suite... If you have an opportunity to work with Jimmy, I strongly encourage you to do so." Read more
Collaborators
