Our Staff

Owner and Founder

Josh Apter

Josh is a writer-director, educator, accidental inventor, and a luthier of stunningly average ability. His films include Kaaterskill Falls (two Independent Spirit Award nominations, Critics Jury Prize, Los Angeles Film Festival) and Delivery Method (Best Feature, Film Fest New Haven). His short films are too numerous to list, though his award-winning NYU thesis film 53rd Calypso was also actor Edward Norton's first film role. 

Josh has worked in all areas of filmmaking, from location sound recordist on numerous feature films, to videographer for Steven Spielberg's Shoah Foundation, where he recorded the testimonies of over 150 Holocaust survivors. As a film editor, Josh has cut over ten features, including The Holy Land (Slamdance FF/Cavu Pictures), and Barbecue is a Noun (Audience Award for Best Documentary, Rome International Film Festival and River Run Film Festival).

Josh is also one half of Cringe Factory, a YouTube comedy duo whose viral hits include "Panhandler Party" and "12 Hours of Princess Leia Walking in NYC," each surpassing 4 million views.

A sought-after moderator and host, Josh has led live conversations at ACE's EditFest, NAB, ISTE, and countless other venues. He also hosts the podcasts Sight, Sound & Story, FilmmakerU, Talkin' MEWShop, and Film School Flashback, featuring leading voices in film and media.

From his love of post-production, Josh founded Manhattan Edit Workshop in 2002. MEWShop is an Avid, Assimilate, and Blackmagic Authorized Training Center serving clients including AMC Networks, HBO, NBC, CBS, WNET, and CNN — the premier training destination for high-level content creators and media professionals.

President

Jason Banke

As President of Manhattan Edit Workshop (MEWShop), Jason Banke leads the organization’s educational programs, marketing, events, strategic partnerships, instructor development, and day-to-day operations. During his tenure, he has helped strengthen MEWShop’s position as a leading destination for professional post-production education, connecting emerging and working filmmakers with the tools, training, and industry professionals shaping film and television today.

Jason has also played a key role in the growth of Sight, Sound & Story, MEWShop’s acclaimed industry event series. Under his leadership, the series has expanded beyond its roots in editing to feature in-depth conversations with leading editors, cinematographers, sound professionals, visual effects artists, and other creative voices working across film and television.

He is also the co-founder of Filmmaker U, an online education platform that brings world-class filmmaking and post-production instruction to creators around the globe. Through on-demand masterclasses and industry-focused training, Filmmaker U gives students access to the creative processes, techniques, and professional experience of award-winning filmmakers and craftspeople.

Jason’s own career spans a range of production and post-production roles across commercials, reality television, corporate content, and independent film. He earned a B.A. in Film and Video Production from Hofstra University, where he wrote and directed five short films. He is also a graduate of MEWShop’s Six Week Intensive Workshop and later returned to the program as a teaching assistant, giving him a firsthand understanding of the student experience and the importance of practical, career-focused education.

Alongside his leadership roles, Jason remains an active filmmaker, shooting and editing his own projects. He is also a member of the satirical comedy group Cringe Factory, whose videos have collectively generated nearly seven million views on YouTube.

His work is driven by a commitment to filmmaking, education, and building meaningful connections between aspiring creatives and established industry professionals. Through MEWShop, Filmmaker U, and Sight, Sound & Story, Jason continues to develop opportunities for filmmakers to learn their craft, expand their professional networks, and build sustainable careers in the entertainment industry.

Director of Education & CERTIFIED APPLe, AVID & ADOBE INSTRUCTOR

Janet Dalton 

Janet is a freelance editor who has been in the film and video world for over 15 years. She first became interested in film while studying audio engineering at The New School. Since then she has edited for PBS, MTV, CNBC, and Link TV.

She has been an Avid certified instructor for over 10 years and teaches both the introductory as well as advanced edit and effects classes. She is also one of just a handful of instructors who teach Avid's high end HD edit systems, the DS Nitris. She has taught editing classes at NYU, Columbia, SVA as well as taught industry professionals on-site at CBS, NBC and Fox. Her work is primarily short format though she is currently working on a feature length documentary.  Janet is also an Adobe Premiere Pro & Apple Final Cut Pro certified instructor.

Janet is a licensed School Director and School Agent by the New York State Department of Education; as well as licensed Teacher by the New York State Department of Education.