Andrew Doga has been elevated to the position of Staff Editor at bicoastal Union. With the company since 2009, Doga recently cut SHOOT’s Top Spot of the Week “Hello From Home Mallory,” one of three short documentary pieces for Hershey’s via Arnold Worldwide (the other two were edited by Union Partner/Editor Marco Perez). Hashtagged #HelloFromHome and directed by Tyler Mason of Caviar, the moving 2-minute piece tells the story of a Team USA Paralympian who receives a Hershey’s care package containing a note from a hometown supporter. Leading up to the formal promotion at Union, Doga also edited a pair of documentary projects: “Diandra’s Story” for Burt’s Bees (via Baldwin&), and “Leland” for AVIS (via Leo Burnett/NY). He also co-edited (with Union’s Eric Argiro) the latest episode of the popular web series :DRYVRS. Titled “Bob’s Way Home,” the episode stars Rosanna Arquette and Tom Petty, and premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Before joining Union, Doga was a freelance assistant for that house and others, and a staff assistant editor at Version2, where he worked with Vito DeSario and with Sloane Klevin, now a Partner/Editor at Union.
“The first time Andrew co-edited a project with me (a Kodak spot directed by Tony Kaye), I knew he had a filmmaker's sensibility,” said Klevin. “He is a wonderful visual storyteller, but also has incredible instincts for how to structure and tease out performance and story in surprising ways that only someone who truly understands filmmaking can devise. I'm excited that Andrew has made the transition to full-fledged editor here, and I can't wait for more people to experience his talent and intelligence firsthand.”
“I respect Sloane tremendously, on a personal and professional level,” said Doga. “I’ve been very fortunate to work with her and with the entire Union team at this point. The people here, and the family atmosphere, have made it a very special place. Knowing that Sloane and Marco are partners, and that I'd have the opportunity to work with and learn from two of the best in the game, made being at Union an easy decision in the long-term. Plus, it’s 3 blocks from where I grew up! So on those late nights, I always have a spot waiting for me on my parents couch.”
Doga referred to growing up in New York City as “a great foundation for storytelling because you see a lot, so many points of view. It’s remarkable to observe the changes in SoHo alone, where my parents were hippie artists in the 70s.” Doga received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Skidmore College, and his first internship involved working on social action documentary shorts for the United Nations. “I’ve always gravitated toward real-life storytelling,” he noted.
“Andrew came in as a freelancer and the rest is history, he’s definitely part of the family,” said Union Partner/Executive Producer Caryn Maclean. “His background in both documentary storytelling and commercial cutting is a distinct advantage in this current climate, where so many brands are looking to tell stories that resonate with consumers.”
“One of the things that initially drew me to editing was how the relatively simple process of manipulating sounds and images could have such a profound effect in the realm of storytelling,” Doga observed. “Every subtle choice you make, every instinct you have, all end up having a huge impact on how the audience thinks, feels, and reacts. In the documentary field, editing becomes almost like writing. It’s that process of taking hours of unruly raw footage and trying to craft it into a compelling story that I find to be so fascinating, challenging, and ultimately rewarding. ”
Among Doga’s current work is another episode of :DRYVRS; the title sequence of the hit Netflix series Cooked for Alex Gibney's Jigsaw Productions; and a short film for brides.com via Killer Films Media. He also edited the trailer for UNCERTAIN (co-directed by Anna Sandilands & Ewan McNicol), one of Newsweek’s Best Docs of 2015.
“Hello From Home Mallory” broke July 26.
About Union
Union Editorial has offices in Santa Monica, CA, New York City, Austin TX, and London, where it maintains an alliance with Marshall Street Editors. The company also develops and produces original content, in partnership with Killer Content companies through its Union Entertainment banner. Other Union companies include Platform, a creative and advertising solution for the gaming industry; and Resolution, a visual effects boutique specializing in visual effects for commercials, features and gaming.
Union is presided over by Partner/Managing Director Michael Raimondi and Partner/Executive Producer Caryn Maclean. The Union roster is comprised of Partner/Editors Jim Haygood, Einar, Jay Friedkin, Sloane Klevin, Marco Perez, and editors Nico Alba, Jinx Godfrey, Nicholas Wayman-Harris, Rachael Waxler, Daniel Luna, Jason Lucas, Paul Plew, Ben Longland, Laura Milstein, Eric Argiro, Karen Kourtessis, Zach Kashkett and Andrew Doga, as well as select projects with Tim Thornton Allen, Patric Ryan, and Ryan Boucher.