Tim Leaton (born December 9, 1983) is an assistant editor, editor, and filmmaker of several short films.[1]
He won significant critical attention in 2006 when he was awarded the grand prize of the 2006
Film Your Issue competition,[2][3][4] judged by President
Barack Obama,[5]George Clooney and the
Dalai Lama, among others.[6][7] Leaton presented his winning film Orphans in Africa[8] and gave acceptance speeches, covered by the press, at three awards ceremonies: at the
United Nations Headquarters where he was introduced by the President of USA Today,[9] then again in
Hollywood where he was introduced by the Mayor of
Los Angeles,[10] and finally during
Sundance in
Park City with
Kevin Bacon and
Mandy Moore.[11] Leaton also received the 2006 grand prize
Walt Disney Pictures paid internship. His mentors included some of the top executives, and he began getting hands-on experience on various Disney films. Years later when Lindsey Brookbank of the Collegiate Times asked him what his favorite memory was from his grand-prize internship, he replied "Having dinner with
Roy Disney on board the
Queen Mary." [12]
According to Brookbank, this internship gave Leaton the connections and experience that would help him land jobs in Hollywood after finishing college.[13][14] He returned to
Film Your Issue as a member of the jury the following year, and has also judged other student film contests.[15]
Tim graduated from Virginia Tech in 2007 with the top academic honor of summa cum laude in each of his two separate degrees,[16] and moved to Los Angeles on August 1, 2007.[17][18]
From 2007 to 2008 he worked with
Ben Stiller at
DreamWorks Pictures on the Academy Award-nominated film Tropic Thunder in the editing department, and received a letter of recommendation from Ben Stiller.[19]
In 2009 he moved up to become an assistant editor, and has since assistant edited dozens of TV shows for various studios such as
Warner Brothers,
ABC, and
NBC.[20] His recent credits include the theatrical feature Apartment 1303 3D, and the #1 show of the summer, America's Got Talent.[21] Leaton has been assistant editing America's Got Talent since 2012. In April 2014, the show set the Guinness World Record for World's Most Successful Reality TV Format.[22]
Leaton has been featured in many media outlets,[23] including the United Nations Chronicle, distributed to leaders around the world in various languages.[24] In 2011, he was pictured in
Life magazine.[25]
^United Nations Chronicle, UN Chronicle, Department of Public Information, DPI (April 21, 2010).
"Chronique Onu | Fyi – Film Your Issue". United Nations. Retrieved November 12, 2011.{{
cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link)