Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from May, 2007

Questions for the Editor

In my 25 years as an emerging filmmaker , I've worked with many film editors - some experienced, some not so. Some newbies who would rather be directing and others born with a burning desire to cut film. One thing is for sure - all editors approach editing differently. As a director, I think it's polite to ask how a person likes to work - whether they have a tried and true process or not. "How do you like to work?" I ask. In many cases, the question is met with a blank or even perplexed stare. "I usually get the footage and start cutting," comes the (often embarrassingly predictable) reply. "What other way is there?" Obvious? ... Maybe. But we directors have to listen carefully to our creative accomplices, which often means learning to read between the lines. Here are a few other responses an editor might give you. 1. Process? Just give me the script and the original footage. This always works well with very experienced editors . Hand the script an