TVBEurope sits down with editor Michael Brown to find out how he goes about constructing each 30-minute episode of the hit documentary series, and the technology that helps him do it
By Jenny Priestley
Published: September 27, 2023 Updated: September 28, 2023
TVBEurope sits down with editor Michael Brown to find out how he goes about constructing each 30-minute episode of the hit documentary series, and the technology that helps him do it
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>
Welcome to Wrexham, the Disney Plus series following the fortunes of Wrexham AFC, recently returned for its second season.
The series follows co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney as well as the manager, team, and various fans.
Season one is currently nominated for six Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Programme.
TVBEurope caught up with editor Michael Brown to find out how he goes about constructing each 30-minute episode, and the technology that helps him do it.
Michael Brown Can you tell us about your background and how you got into editing? I started with VHS tape editing, tape to tape at home with my parents' VCRs and camcorder. I would ask teachers if I could make a short video on a subject instead of writing papers in high school. I thought directing was going to be my future, but the technology changed as I was learning more and I feel like I was witnessing the industry change to digital as I grew along with it and learned software. I found a joy in editing that I didn't get from filming, the ability to match music with pictures and create emotion from those who watched.
When I was touring universities, the professors talked about an approach to teaching where all students had to learn all skills for several years before specifying a field. The technology at the universities seemed antiquated as the whole industry was moving to digital in a hurry, so I decided instead to move to Los Angeles at 18 years old in 2003. I attended and completed the Avid Certified Program, where I jumped into assisting professionally shortly after and then into editing short character segments for Texas hold em poker television tournaments on FOX TV as my first real editing job in 2005.
How did you get involved with Welcome to Wrexham? A colleague friend of mine recommended me to John Henion, the showrunner in season one. The series had been in edit for a bit of time, and it needed a fresh look. As with a lot of documentaries you have to find' the heart within the material, and luckily they chose me to come on at that time.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney Are you a football fan? If so, who do you support? Wrexham of Course! I'm up most Tuesdays and Saturdays at 6am cheering way too loudly. I love football, I am a big Bar a fan as well. Having lived there for a short while in 2009 during the Messi reign, it was impossible not to fall in love with that club.
Why did you choose to cut Welcome to Wrexham on Media Composer? The project was already set up on Media Composer when I arrived. But I would always choose Media Composer for projects. It's just got a feel that presents the footage as the most important part of the programme. Being able to work collaboratively as well, they have had it figured out for so many years.
Why do you prefer it to other editing software? I prefer it because I know that when I'm working on an Avid project, the team is always top notch. There's a certain division of labour that often doesn't come with software that claims to do it all. Assistants can be working in the background seamlessly, transferring to online and mix; it's just sort of this sweet symphony that allows me to be as creative as possible. It always feels that way on Avid jobs.
How much footage are you given for each episode? I couldn't even begin to imagine! Each episode has at least one match, usually 7 or 8 cameras for the match alone. Pregame there are two running around, halftime there's one in the changing room; and post match. So just the matches alone maybe 14 hours? And then scene work- probably an hour each, add interviews. Maybe 30 hours total, best guess!
How do you decide which stories to follow how involved is the show's producer/director in the cut? Our field producers Milo Bala and Patrick McGarvey get major credit for that one. They formed great relationships with the Wrexham town characters and the team. They would uncover these amazing stories, and follow them as they experienced the season's ups and downs. It probably is a bit more organic than anything, which I think is why this series has touched so many people. It's really real and feels that way.
What's been the difference in terms of editing between season one and two? On season one we had to be aware that primarily, for our American audience, we had to always remember and assume they knew nothing about Wales, football, or the EFL. It was a balance of not spending so much time over-explaining that you were removed from the story. I think we worked really hard to establish a balance of tracking the football and character development.
In season two we aren't tracking characters over the arc of the whole season. We are introducing people more to the drama of the points chase that happened with Wrexham and Notts County, which set up a thrilling head-to-head late in the season.
We do introduce new characters but you learn about them in a more self-contained way.
What's been your favourite episode to edit? My favourite episode is Episode 205 Ballers. It highlights a whole separate part of the club and introduces a whole cast of new characters that will blow people away and steal their hearts.
What's been the biggest challenge of working on the show (other than learning about
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
02/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/07/2026
Standalone processors acknowledged for the innovation and value they bring to Pro AV
Cobalt Digital, a leading designer and manufacturer of signal processing ...
02/07/2026
Synamedia announced today the appointment of Dr Tzvi Gerstl as Chief Executive Officer. Paul Segre, who has served as CEO for the past six years, will transitio...
02/07/2026
Screen Australia backs audience-led filmmaking with new insight-driven initiativ...
02/07/2026
Screen Australia refines guidelines for Narrative Content Development and Docume...
02/07/2026
Maxon Autograph: Introduction to working with Tables
Simon Ubsdell July 1, 2026
0 Comments
An overview of Autograph's ridiculously powerful tables...
02/07/2026
Boston Conservatory's Soir e Breaks Records to Fund Student Scholarships The event achieved 127 percent of its fundraising goal in an evening celebrating ...
02/07/2026
How Adam Rosenwach Pivoted from Music to Med Tech Without Missing a Beat What do the rehearsal room and the boardroom have in common? More than you might thin...
01/07/2026
Broadcast Management Group (BMG) has announced the appointment of Kathy Samuels ...
01/07/2026
Shade has announced Custom Objects and Automations, a platform expansion releasing June 29, 2026, that adds database and workflow automation capabilities direct...
01/07/2026
FOR-A America has announced the addition of Jaz Wray and Fernando Cruz to its U.S. sales team. Both report to Ernie Leon, Senior VP and Head of Sales and Strate...
01/07/2026
NBC Sports will air all 15 MLB games nationally on Sunday, July 5, across NBC, P...
01/07/2026
Clear-Com has announced a wireless communications upgrade for Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, deploying FreeSpeak II and FreeSpeak Icon systems across both prod...
01/07/2026
England's performance team will use Sony's STATSports APEX GPS tracking system to monitor player physical data in real time during FIFA World Cup 2026 m...
01/07/2026
Adder Technology has announced the appointment of Neil Hillier as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2026. Hillier succeeds Adrian Dickens, who transiti...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. has announced a strategic transaction creating two separate companies. The Production and Playout business will continue as Bitcentral, now own...
01/07/2026
DAZN has announced results from DAZN48, its creator initiative for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Launched in April 2026, the program received thousands of applicatio...
01/07/2026
Sarah Rose, VP, global services, Daktronics (NASDAQ: DAKT), will be inducted into the Information Display and Entertainment Association (IDEA) Hall of Fame at t...
01/07/2026
Gravity Media and the World Economic Forum's production team provided broadc...
01/07/2026
Insight Productions has announced the launch of Insight Storm, a 53-foot mobile broadcast unit built for esports production. The truck is built around a Ross Vi...
01/07/2026
ESPN has announced several content initiatives marking America's 250th anniversary, as part of The Walt Disney Company's Disney Celebrates America pro...
01/07/2026
Eleven production kits, REMI workflows, and cloud distribution bring 40 World Cu...
01/07/2026
The conference also discussed the opportunities offered an industry that is endu...
01/07/2026
The Mountain West Conference has announced the launch of MW , a direct-to-consumer streaming platform powered by Kiswe. The platform will carry live Mountain We...
01/07/2026
New AI Assistant, Multi-channel Audio, ARA2 improvements & more
Tracktion's DAW software has just received its latest major update, gaining a selection ...
01/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
01/07/2026
Exclusive run of limited-edition modelling pedals
Sweetwater and Andertons M...
01/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Manfrotto Introduces UNCOVER, the new premium camera bag collection for modern h...
01/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Powers Houston Tamil Sangam Literacy Competition
Brie Clayton July 1, 2026
0 Comments
Volunteers use ATEM Mini Pro, Blackmagic Desig...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
PlayBox Technology has published State of Broadcast Infrastructure 2026, an in-depth industry research report examining the technologies, operational challenges...
01/07/2026
LONDON, UK, 1 JULY Jigsaw24 has appointed Alan Henry as Head of Sales for Media and Entertainment, reinforcing its continued investment in helping broadcaster...
01/07/2026
Content Vault, the patent-pending secure content distribution platform protecting high-value media from disclosures, theft and unauthorised access, today announ...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. a leading provider of enterprise software and digital media solutions for news, sports and entertainment broadcasters, as well as streaming pla...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Groundbreaking First Nations Screen Business Accelerator launched through nation...
TVBEurope sits down with editor Michael Brown to find out how he goes about constructing each 30-minute episode of the hit documentary series, and the technology that helps him do it
