Cory Stillman
“No lie, I cried pretty much during every edit session,” says editor Laurens Van Charante of Dancing With The Stars‘ 32nd season on ABC. “Seeing people get emotional is as infectious as seeing people laugh.”
Alongside editor Ben Bulatao, ACE, Van Charante cut together the show’s moving tribute to longtime judge Len Goodman, who passed away in April of 2023. It was a painful albeit profound experience for the entire Dancing With The Stars editing team, who were honored to simply be a part of such a successful and long-running program.
“I think I initially approached the episode with more of a mental preparation,” says Van Charante. “I knew it would be emotionally hard on us, so I wanted to bring the best of out of myself in order to show the best of Len Goodman, who simply was a legendary judge.”
For Bulatao, editing the episode was an opportunity to learn even more about Goodman, who he had been watching on TV for nearly two decades.
“Editing this episode made me love Len Goodman even more. I saw Len as straight forward and intimidating, especially when he didn’t like a particular performance,” says Bulatao. “But seeing the behind the scenes footage of Len having light-hearted fun with the cast, and hearing the heartfelt interviews of the dancers and fellow judges lovingly talk about Len gave me goose bumps.”
A large emphasis was placed on music in putting the tribute together, fitting for the show and its subject matter. And even as the tribute led to more and more tears from Van Charante and Bulatao, it remained clear that they were on the right track.
“My gauge is always: if it makes me cry, there’s a good chance it will make the audience cry as well,” Van Charante says.
Check out our full conversation with the Dancing With The Stars editors below.
How did you approach editing the tribute episode for Len Goodman differently than other episodes?
Laurens Van Charante: Well, first off, being able to work on a long running and popular show such as DWTS is simply a dream and an honor. Then when we were told we would be cutting the Len Goodman Tribute, we truly felt the weight of the responsibility. I think I initially approached the episode with more of a mental preparation. I knew it would be emotionally hard on us, so I wanted to bring the best of out of myself in order to show the best of Len Goodman, who simply was a legendary judge.
Also, for me, music is key. I spent a long time finding the right music for the piece. Once I find the cues that hook me, I can see the edit unfolding before me and we’re pretty much halfway there.
What were your initial thoughts and feelings when you learned you would be editing this episode?
LvC: Len had been with DWTS since the beginning when it started in 2005. I feel like that’s unheard of these days. My initial thoughts were of the challenge ahead: editing a tribute deserving of the man, while doing him, his family, friends and the audience proud.
As we work in a faster than usual turnaround time on DWTS, the challenge was that we had 4 to 5 days essentially to create an amazing piece. And given the fact that our package would lead into an incredibly powerful performance by current and former pros as choreographed by Val Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson, made us all the more aware that we’d really have to deliver.
Can you describe the process of selecting the footage and moments to include in the tribute?
Ben Bulatao: I was such a fan of the show since Season 1 and I remember so many great moments with Len Goodman as a judge. It was a challenge for me to limit the memorable Len moments to just the ones that made it into the segment.
LvC: Given the fact we had a pretty tight running time for the piece, we had to include a short history, a celebration of Len’s illustrious judging career and then a remembrance from the people who knew him best. For us watching the raw footage of the interviews were enlightening and emotional. We had so many amazing stories to choose from and we could’ve easily made this tribute much longer if we were given the chance.
The footage was selected by our amazing producing team. They literally had to go through 31 seasons which was a daunting task for sure. Then we would review and ask for specifics of what we felt we needed. We also had to be aware that as we included celebrities from past seasons, they would need to be cleared for use which sometimes meant we’d have to swap some shots out during the edit.
How did you balance the emotional tone of the tribute with the regular competition elements of the show?
LvC: Our executive producer Conrad Green and co-executive producer Alex Cross felt that this tribute should fall in our “Most Memorable Year” episode. As contestants are asked to share deep personal stories, they felt there would be no better place than to honor Len in this episode. Also, they came up with the idea of interviewing dance pros who used to be on the show. The dancers knew Len best and their memories of him really made this piece special.
After the executives watched the first cut (which was longer than we were allotted to have), they agreed we needed to leave the piece longer so we really could give Len the tribute he so deserved.
Can you share any memorable moments or anecdotes from the editing process of this episode?
LvC: No lie, I cried pretty much during every edit session. Seeing people get emotional is as infectious as seeing people laugh. When we were ready to show the first cut, I literally hugged our co-ep as we both started crying. I just let it go. I didn’t know Len, but through the interviews from people who knew him best, I felt like I did.
We also received a lovely email sent to post by Len’s widow Sue. She thanked us for the tribute and said we would’ve gotten a “10 from Len”. That honestly was a proud and rewarding moment for us. It was the best feeling to get that email.
How did you manage the technical and emotional aspects of editing such a significant episode?
Ben: For me, editing these emotional pieces, it came down to choosing the correct music, sound-ups, and billboard visual moments. Most important for me out of these was the music. I relied heavily on the music supervisors to help find for me the best cues to fit the moments. Many times, the music will inspire me to make choices that I would not have thought of before using the cue.
LvC: For this edit, getting the emotion right was the first priority. The technical aspect will follow, but it’s the emotion you have to pay service to first. My gauge is always: if it makes me cry, there’s a good chance it will make the audience cry as well.
Can you discuss any creative choices you made to visually represent Len Goodman’s impact on the show?
LvC: During the clips of showing Len as a judge, we made sure to show the range of the man. Lots of cheeky comments, smiles, little winks. Then my favorite part was when dance pro extraordinaire and judge, Derek Hough shared his memories of Len. The respect and genuine care for Len was so special and we used TikTok footage that both Len and Derek had made the year before, to illustrate Derek’s recent experiences with Len as a judge on the show alongside him. Intercutting those TikTok’s with Derek’s interview as the music builds to a crescendo was very emotional and powerful. It got me every time and it still does.
What did you learn from editing this episode that you will carry forward into future projects?
Ben: Editing this episode made me love Len Goodman even more. I saw Len as straight forward and intimidating, especially when he didn’t like a particular performance. But seeing the behind the scenes footage of Len having light-hearted fun with the cast, and hearing the heartfelt interviews of the dancers and fellow judges lovingly talk about Len gave me goose bumps. Working on this episode featuring Len Goodman’s Tribute really made me appreciate being part of the Dancing with the Stars family.
LvC: Len is best described as what you see is what you get. He wouldn’t beat around the bush and I appreciate that kind of honesty. We have to treat our subject with dignity and respect. I don’t know if the piece would be as heartfelt if we didn’t get emotional while cutting it. You have to care and it was re-affirmed to me that no matter what you cut, you have to add a piece of yourself, your personality into the edit.
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