How to Get to Heaven from Belfast

Feb 16, 2026

Nigel Williams, an experienced comedy editor (Derry Girls, The Office pilot, Extras), talks about cutting the mystery-comedy How to Get to Heaven from Belfast. He discusses reconnecting with Lisa McGee, preserving rapid overlapping dialogue while opening dramatic moments, his meticulous clip-first workflow, crafting chase and montage sequences, and mentoring/DEI efforts in post-production.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Protect Rapid Dialogue, Open For Drama

Lisa McGee's tight scripts carry rapid-fire dialogue that the editor must protect while opening drama moments.
Preserve momentum for comedy but deliberately 'let breathe' when dramatic beats require clarity.

ADVICE

Assemble Fast, Then Refine Pace

Do assemble fast, then reopen scenes to breathe: push pace first to reveal structural problems quickly.
Do spend extra hours polishing assemblies so directors can watch a near-complete episode and feel the intended momentum.

ADVICE

Own Your Rushes Organization

Do organize rushes your way even if assistants dislike it: Nigel color-codes bins and pre-subs takes so he can find moments instantly.
Do prep syncs and remove clapper/false starts to make spotting lines and beats fast during director sessions.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Editor - Nigel Williams

How to Get to Heaven From Belfast editor Nigel Williams once again finds himself cutting with showrunner Lisa McGee. Having first worked with McGee on her hit series, Derry Girls, the two are back together for a show that features Lisa's well-known witty dialogue and quirky characters, but this time all wrapped up in a mystery. How to Get to Heaven From Belfast is an eight-part series that follows three longtime friends. Now in their late 30s, but still as close as ever, the girls are about to embark on the most thrilling adventure of their lives. When an email arrives, telling them about the death of the estranged fourth member of their childhood gang, a series of eerie events at her wake set them on a dark, dangerous and hilarious odyssey through Ireland and beyond. Together they try to piece together the truth of the past. It's a show about friendship, memory and what happens when life doesn't turn out quite like you'd expected.

NIGEL WILLIAMS Nigel Williams is one of the most highly sought-after editors in comedy. He hit gold in 2000 when two strangers were looking to cut a pilot. Those strangers were Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Together they made one of the biggest comedies of all time, The Office. Nigel then went on to edit some of the most successful comedies on TV, including Extras, Outnumbered, Motherland, Horrible Histories and Tracey Ullman's Show. Nigel also edited 5 seasons of Episodes, starring Matt Leblanc, in Los Angeles, working with Jeffrey Klarik and David Crane (creator of Friends). Williams was thrilled that his recent work on hit show Derry Girls was recognized with a coveted BFE award for Best Editor. He has also co-founded Wrap Party Agency, and is committed to promoting more diversity and inclusion within post-production.

Visit Extreme Music for the new Extreme Music panel for Avid Media Composer See which Avid Media Composer is right for you Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode Visit The Rough Cut on YouTube