"I thought it would be more fun than getting a real job," says Paul when asked what led him into editing.

Working with the Director, it's Paul's responsibility to select and rearrange the raw material shot by the crew in a way which best tells the story. Paul worked his way up over twelve years from runner to assistant editor to editor with a commercials company. Then he was ready to get his teeth into something a bit more substantial.

The chance came in the form of a TV movie about the Guildford Four called 'Dear Sarah', filmed while the Four were still in prison. Since then, Paul has worked on "all kinds of things of varying quality". A high point was the BBC comedy drama 'How Do You Want Me?'

"That was a show where we experimented quite a bit with editing style, which meant that when I started on The Cops I was still in an experimental frame of mind."

Since The Cops finished, Paul has worked on a variety of drama and documentary projects including 'As The Beast Sleeps', a drama for BBC Northern Ireland which was directed by Harry Bradbeer, with whom Paul worked on The Cops. This was nominated in the best drama editing category at the recent Royal Television Society Craft Awards. He has also edited a one hour comedy-drama called 'Happy Together' for Carlton Television and two ninety minute films in the series 'The Inspector Lynley Mysteries' for BBC1.
 
"Just over a year ago Kath Mattock mentioned to me that she, Jimmy (Gardner) and Robert (Jones) were developing a drama series set in a prison. I expressed an interest in being involved (who wouldn't with that pedigree) and when Kenny Glenaan - with whom I had worked on The Cops - came on board as director I was offered the job."

Buried moves away from the unique observational style of The Cops and creates it's own feel. "Stylistically "Buried" steps away from the observational realism of "The Cops". Although it still uses hand-held camera work to give it a gritty, real feel, the shots are generally more composed and the cutting is more conventional"