Paul Devlin (filmmaker)

Paul Josiah Devlin is an American independent filmmaker. He is also a professional video editor, often working in sports broadcasting.

As a director and producer, Devlin's films include Power Trip, SlamNation, BLAST!, The Frontman, and Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme. His films have won awards in the Berlin International Film Festival, the Florida Film Festival, Northampton Film Festival, Hot Docs, and Philafilm. He has received an Independent Spirit Awards nomination for Best Documentary and an Individual Artist Grant from the New York State Council of the Arts.

As video editor, his credits include TV shows, films, music videos and advertisements. For his work in sports broadcasting, Devlin has won seven Emmy awards including NBC's coverage of the 24th Olympic Winter Games and the 32nd Olympics, and CBS' coverage of the Super Bowl and the Tour de France.

Life and career

Devlin was born in 1963. While attending high school in New Jersey, Devlin penned a now widely-shared "I reject your rejection"^[1] letter to the admissions department at Harvard University. The letter was published twice^[2][3] in the New York times, copied and re-purposed, as well as performed by prominent actors onstage through the London-based group Letters Live. Himesh Patel performed the letter at the Royal Albert Hall in October 2022.

While attending the University of Michigan, Devlin produced, directed and edited his first documentary Rockin' Brunswick^[4] starring Matt Pinfield; broadcast his first music video "You Don't Know Me" on MTV's Basement Tapes, hosted by Billy Crystal; participated in a screenwriting workshop led by Lawrence Kasdan; and worked as a production assistant on Robert Altman's Secret Honor, filmed in Ann Arbor. Devlin graduated with a BA in English and Language Literature.

Devlin's professional career began in Hong Kong, at Take Two Film and Video, where he edited a movie for the Hong Kong Tourist Association's Inside Hong Kong. Devlin's career in sports broadcasting began when he was hired locally in Seoul, Korea, by NBC Sports to work as a runner at the Games of the XXIV Olympiad.

Personal life

Devlin is married to Emily Raabe.^[5]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role
2022	Yankees-Dodgers: An Uncivil War	Editor
2019	A Beautiful Lie	Producer, Editor
2014	The Front Man	Director, Producer, Cinematographer, Editor
2008	BLAST!	Director, Producer, Editor, Camera Operator
2003	Power Trip	Director, Producer, Cinematographer, Editor
2000	Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme	Producer, Editor, Producing Editor
1998	SlamNation	Director, Producer, Editor
1984	Secret Honor	Production Assistant

Television

YEAR	TITLE	ROLE
1998–Present	The NFL Today	Editor
2023	Southern Hoops: A History of SEC Basketball	Editor
2022	Beijing 2022: XXIV Olympic Winter Games	Editor
2021	Tokyo 2020: Games of the XXXII Olympiad	Editor
2019-2020	The Athletic (3 episodes)	Editor
2016	Super Bowl 50	Editor
2013	Super Bowl XLVII	Editor
2008	Tour de France 2008	Producer
2007	Super Bowl XLI	Editor
2005	Independent Lens (1 episode)	Director, Producer
2004	Super Bowl XXXVIII	Editor
2003	Tour de France 2003	Editor
2001	Tour de France 2001	Producer
2001	Super Bowl XXXV	Editor
1998	Nagano 1998: XVIII Olympic Winter Games	Editor
1996	Atlanta 1996: Games of the XXVI Olympiad	Editor
1995	Slammin': The Sport of Spoken Word	Director, Producer
1992	Barcelona 1992: Games of the XXV Olympiad	Editor

References

1. "How a high school senior responded to a rejection letter from Duke". The Christian Science Monitor. 2 April 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
2. Devlin, Paul (May 5, 1996). "Make Rejection Work for You". The New York Times. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
3. Devlin, Paul (1981-05-31). "Personally Speaking". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
4. Ciraulo, Lauren (20 January 2011). "Film recalls famed music scene of 1980s". centraljersey.com. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
5. "Emily Raabe, Paul Devlin". The New York Times. 22 July 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2022.

External links

• Paul Devlin at IMDb
• Himesh Patel reads a hilarious response to a university rejection letter - Letters Live on YouTube