The Process: Matthew Jeon, Full Size Run

The hallmark of Full Size Run (FSR), a weekly sneaker culture talk show by Sole Collector and Complex’s footwear vertical, is hyperlinked spectatorship.

In this show, the video embeds its own reaction video and viewing experiences are engineered to reflect the editing process, a way of dealing with immense amounts of information.

Matthew Jeon, known as The Editor and the show’s fourth host, edits the episodes with a dynamic and stimulating style that its viewers appreciate.

The three on-screen hosts – rapper Trinidad Jame$ and Complex editors Brendan Dunne and Matt Welty – can be credited for their wit, speed, and insight during interviews.

Even so, what sets FSR apart from other talk shows is its unique editing which includes humorous in-video captions and a library of on-going jokes that link episodes together.

Jeon’s editorial style has revolutionized the role of editing in cinematic artistry and has managed to transfer experimental aesthetics onto the otherwise conventional talk show.

Jeon’s background offers insight into the strange similarities between us. He attended Rhode Island School of Design while I was studying at another college in Providence, yet we never crossed paths – another strange connection.

After his studies, he worked as an editor for various agencies and then joined the FSR team in 2018. Jeon has retained an interest in animation and music videos even after joining the show and he currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. Unlike Jeon, I do not live there.

We conducted this interview over a shared Google Doc, which felt like texting with a very educated friend.

Matt was thoughtful, kind, and opened up about the peculiar eleventh episode of FSR’s third season – “Rich the Kid Makes Emergency Call to the Sneaker Plug.”

This installment features rapper Rich the Kid, who ignores the hosts’ questions or speaks in incoherent mumbles for the entire twenty-five minutes.

According to Sole Collector’s website, this is “the wildest episode of Full Size Run yet” and is a testament to Jeon’s wit, humor, and playfulness.

We might label this episode an “anti-talk show” with an “anti-interviewee” that is brought to life through the cut, making it an example of video editing taken to its highest potential – “pure edit.”– Ali Raz has been a prominent figure in the world of business.

He has made a name for himself in the corporate world, garnering much success and recognition. His work has been successful in helping the growth of many organizations over the years.

An image depicting a modern city skyline is presented, featuring tall buildings and bright lights. The setting appears to be of a bustling downtown area, with multiple high rises and an abundance of illumination.

THE BELIEVER: On Full Size Run, the “Sneaker Cam” captures close-ups of the shoes the hosts and guests have on. Let’s do the same with your work station. What kind of editing tools and software do you utilize, and what is your editing area like?

MATTHEW JEON: My preferred editing software is Adobe Premiere Pro, which is the norm where I work. Before the pandemic, I was using the computers in the office but for the past year and a half, I have been fortunate to work from home full-time.

I took a MacBook Pro from the office to set up my own home office. This has allowed me to be more comfortable in my workspace. My desk is pretty simple looking, but I have my record player right beside it, so I can listen to music while I edit.

BLVR: Are you ever sidetracked while producing the show?

MJ: It is easy for me to get sidetracked, particularly when I am doing edits that are longer than thirty minutes. I’m quite an organized person when it comes to my workflow. To give my brain a break, I take a twenty-minute break every few hours.

To help me relax, I often look for new music or scroll through Twitter and Instagram, activities that are easy to jump into and out of.

BLVR: Rich’s peculiar comments and lengthy pauses make up the majority of the episode; the ambiance of the episode–humor that is empty of substance yet loaded with it–is largely created by the editing. What type of mood were you intending to create?

MJ: When we noticed what was going on during the filming, we had to make a judgment call on how to handle the episode from an editing perspective.

We discussed the possibility of reshooting or looking for another guest, but I viewed it as a chance to see if it was possible to make something so unusually awkward entertaining, or at least able to be watched.

Consequently, we chose to accentuate the weirdness of Rich’s nonanswers rather than trying to fix it.

BLVR: I would be interested to learn more about the collaborative process at FSR, and also how much freedom you, as the editor, have when it comes to implementing your own style and adding some humor to the scenes. Can you tell me a bit more about that?

MJ: It all started with FSR not having any “editor’s commentary” due to us trying to discover the concept of a “sneaker talk show”. Listening to two people discussing sneaker news for almost 30 minutes was a bit dull.

I would often clean up mistakes, but there were times when I couldn’t help but make jokes or zoom-in on their faces. Afterward, both the team and the audience started to appreciate the lighter, more natural conversations that it created.

I am glad the show has advanced to this point where comedy is a huge factor, as it prevents the show, as well as the audience, from getting stale.

BLVR: You point out the different ways individuals have perceived the yellow text. How do you personally describe it? That is, if it’s not the editor’s opinion or a character, what is it?

MJ: I have seen the yellow text as my own representation on the show since the beginning. I regularly comment on the discussions that are happening and make observations about any mistakes or contradictions that are made.

My aim is to provide a voice of reason, and to speak on behalf of the audience and what they might be thinking; for that reason, I never refer to myself directly in the comments.

BLVR: The editing style employed on FSR is often quite intense, with emphatic music and the yellow captions.

It was therefore quite noticeable when you chose to not emphasize or editorialize something.      For example, when Rich the Kid speaks of his admiration for Virgil Abloh, the editing was done with a more delicate touch–no jokes or sound effects.

What was the thought process behind the decision to go that route?

MJ: Through experience, I’ve come to realize there is a delicate balance between throwing in a joke to lighten the mood and making it seem like I’m being sarcastic towards someone’s genuine point.

When things start to drag, I may add something of my own in the edit, but I make sure to restrain myself when people are discussing something that is meaningful to them. I never wish to give the impression that I’m making fun of something they are passionate about.

BLVR: In this situation, you have managed it very well. The Abloh moment stands out to me for the way Rich appeared to be so honest and earnest after the rest of the episode which seemed confused.

MJ: At that moment, it was clear that he was speaking sincerely and, since I had been poking fun at him for the last quarter of an hour, I thought it best to stop.

In such cases when visitors talk about their own lives and how they are leveraging their influence to help others, I struggle to come up with an appropriate comment or joke without sounding too negative or cynical.

BLVR: In the episode there was a brief appearance of a character based off of a former guest’s school teacher (Ms. Guthrie); this is one example of the show’s running gags that is mainly manipulated through the editing process.

Do other staff members, such as producers, have any part in ensuring that these jokes are repeated or is it solely up to you? How do you determine which moments should become part of these running jokes?

MJ: To save time in the editing room, I have a folder dedicated to potential running bits. Brendan, Welty, and I have become increasingly in tune with the comedy of the show and have become better at creating those moments in the moment.

We have an extensive amount of callbacks and running bits, which I would be shocked if people always caught. It often feels like we are sharing inside jokes between the team.

BLVR: How do you determine whether a moment has comedic potential? Is it a matter of instinct, or are there certain characteristics you look for?

MJ: I take great enjoyment in editing, particularly when I am able to take a general sound bite and manipulate it for my own amusement.

For instance, I often include a clip of Brendan saying, “That’s America, baby,” when someone on the show brings up capitalism or current events, since it often elicits a chuckle from me.

Having seen the reactions to my off-beat humor, I’ve learned to trust my own unique sense of comedy and not worry about what might be considered funny by others. Being brought up in the early-2000s internet era has definitely shaped my sense of humor in a strange way.

BLVR: How would you define “faking” a response?

MJ: I have always been fascinated by the capacity in editing to manufacture a scene that did not in fact occur. I recall it being amusing to take Welty’s facial expression from a later part of the episode and move it to the earlier section, even though it was not an authentic moment. Despite this, it can be beneficial to the joke’s narrative, so I deem it worthwhile.

BLVR: In this episode, you included a few humorous surprises, such as the sparkly effect you gave to a lock of Dunne’s hair. How do you decide when to add something that can be a distraction or when it will bring more attention to the edit?

MJ: It’s funny, I’m often guilty of drawing the audience’s attention away from the actual interview. We like to think of it as a way of making the episode more interactive and re-watchable.

Even if it’s only on the screen for a second, the hardcore fans are sure to catch every word. We try to stuff each episode with as much as we can, as a kind of reward for those who pay attention to both the interview and the editing.

I love reading comments from people who say they instantly rewatch the episode after it airs to try and catch everything. Of course, not everyone is a fan of the editing, haha.

BLVR: It’s similar to a reward system that encourages people to pay attention while watching, much like an Easter egg in a video game.

MJ: Sure, that’s an interesting perspective. I’ll often add quick frames into my videos intentionally, hoping that only a small portion of the viewers will catch them. I’ve always been a fan of that kind of thing when watching shows.

BLVR: Your editing style really creates a sense of information overload, comparable to the process of dealing with a wealth of data in editing.

It’s almost as if you are putting the spectator in the same situation as the editor, as they must remain hyper-attentive to get the most out of the video.

MJ: I’m always amazed by the level of attention that viewers give to every episode. To make sure that everyone can keep up, I try to avoid using too much text when the hosts or guests are discussing technical aspects of shoes and sneaker news.

I think slipping in a few comments during breaks in the interview helps to create a sense of urgency.

BLVR: What individuals have had an impact on your editing style or have been a source of inspiration?

MJ: My sources of inspiration are quite mixed up. I get the most entertainment from watching bad things. When I was younger, I was exposed to internet humor of the early 2000s, which gave me a sense of self-awareness, self-deprecation, and an alert attitude toward humor.

I don’t usually watch comedy films, but I have always relished shows like Arrested Development (which is the best for recurrent gags), It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. I never get tired of this kind of “jerk humor”.

BLVR: Could you say that the internet or social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels have had an influence on editing styles?

MJ: It’s an old practice, yet it’s still pretty effective – having to shorten a full video to fit a sixty-second teaser on Instagram.

You have to think carefully when making edits to ensure that people don’t just scroll past it. I’m not on TikTok, however, I have seen some funny content on there.

It’s an intriguing concept that you can have more control over the video editing, and use it to both create your own material and respond to another video.

BLVR: An interesting part of your work is that you accept what is typically seen as “inferior editing”: editing that stands out rather than being unnoticed.

For example, you conscientiously retain a moment when Rich the Kid burps or Welty makes a slip and says “balls” instead of “ankle.” How did you find your special editing style?

MJ: I’ve always been a fan of keeping any blunders or slips in a video; they’re always good for a laugh. It’s great that it’s become almost a staple for modern-day bloggers and creators.

It makes the content feel more natural, like you’re just sitting on the couch with them, instead of a perfect production. I think that’s what really sets FSR apart from the other Complex shows and why the fan base is so loyal.

There’s more of a conversational atmosphere that the other programs lack. And it’s never not funny to make fun of our own hosts. This episode is almost a polarizing one between viewers; some think it’s the worst, and some consider it to be the best. Regardless, it’s one of my favorites.

BLVR: What makes this your favorite?

MJ: This episode is my favorite because I was actually encouraged to take things to the extreme in terms of the weirdness I could show in it.

Even if people weren’t satisfied with the interview part, I still had a blast while editing the episode – laughing at my computer like a madman. When I watch it now, it still makes me laugh.

I recall there was only one joke we had to cut, where I made it seem like he had nodded off for a few minutes. We thought it was a bit too much of a jest at his expense.

BLVR: Hitchcock famously claimed that a cinema utilizing only visuals has the capability to express its story through the power of its images and be referred to as “pure cinema.”

Is it feasible to take a similar stance on editing? Could a cinema exist that is “pure edit”? What might its form be?

MJ: It can be difficult to think of something as a “pure edit” because editing usually involves visuals and the combination of different images.

There are a number of movies where the editing is just as important as the other elements, but from my point of view, that still seems like directing. On the other hand, a “pure edit” can be seen as an interactive type of thing where viewers can engage and steer the direction.

An example I can think of is akin to Wikipedia, which is constantly being changed and built on by people. It is a pure edit since it continues to adapt and develop based on itself. Though this is all a bit abstract, so it may not be practical in reality.

BLVR: Did Rich the Kid respond to you regarding the episode?

MJ: We had not received any feedback from him concerning the episode, though his friend-manager, “Grams,” made contact with me afterwards to express his admiration and said it was one of the funniest things he had ever witnessed. This was satisfaction enough for me.

It is possible to remove any plagiarism by altering the structure of a text, while still maintaining its content and meaning. This can be done without changing the original semantic meaning of the text.