there appear to be a movie here at all? Sometimes technical

one way or another when it comes to working with

problems develop – shots go out of focus, the director loses

the footage.

 

 

 

the light at the end of the day and doesn’t get some angles he

Every film is in fact three films: the film that

fears he needs, the negative gets damaged in the lab. When

is written, the film that is directed, and the film

this sort of thing happens, it is imperative that the director see

that is edited. Sometimes they’re all the same

the scene cut together as soon as possible so he can deter-

film, sometimes they’re not, and I can’t

mine if additional shots are needed or, perish the thought, the

think of any necessary correlation in qual-

entire scene needs to be rescheduled.

 

 

ity between when they are and when

I’m often struck by the number of people, including those

they aren’t. I do know that the only film

in the movie industry itself, who have little or no idea what a

you finally have is the raw footage

film editor actually does. “Oh, you cut out all the bad parts,”

that has been developed and is wait-

is the usual salvo when I’m introduced as a film editor. Almost

ing to be cut. Everything else is

as frequent and worse: “Oh, they say an editor can make or

academic.

 

 

 

break a film.” The one conceives the job more or less as glo-

Early in my career I was on a

rified bean counting, the other invests it with far more power

job interview; present were the

than it actually has. When I tell people that I usually do my

director, the producer, and the two writ-

work on my own, as first cut is done while shooting is going

ers who were also associate producers. One

on, which means the director is filming while I’m editing,

of the writers asked me who I thought should

they’re often taken back. Doesn’t that almost mean that

get the right to final cut. Talk about being on the

you’re directing the film, not the director? Of course not. An

spot. I replied that insofar as it devolves to a single per-

editor’s power to radically alter a scene is much less than peo-

son, I believe it must be the director. (Whatever prob-

ple often think. For one thing, you want to keep your job, so

lems I have with the auteur theory, I nevertheless

you’d have to be egotistic to the point of professional suicide

believe that the director is the overall “author” of

even to try to cut a scene much differently from the more or

a film, because a screenplay is not a final any-

less clear intent with which it was shot, at least on first cut or

thing – it awaits realization on film, for

without discussing your ideas in advance with the director.

which the director is responsible.) But I

For another, you’re limited by the

material

itself. A

went on to say that my experience sug-

well-placed reaction shot can make a character appear more

gests it is the film itself that deter-

or less sympathetic; if you’re given a fairly wide range of read-

mines the final cut, the film itself

ings (not usual, but not atypical either), you can pitch a per-

that soon becomes the last, best

formance higher or bring it down by your selection of takes;

arbiter. A movie that is good

you have the option of playing dialog on or off camera. But it’s

or has a chance of becom-

 

the really unusual film that would allow the editing as such to

ing any

good

eventually

 

transform the direction into something else entirely.

 

develops a life of its

 

I’ve had directors tell me many times that I’ve “saved” a

own. And every direc-

 

scene. This is always flattering, but also a little puzzling, and I

tor and

every

editor

 

usually reply that I didn’t shoot any new footage, so whatever

who are

good keep

 

I did was there to be found in the material. For one of the

themselves alert

to

 

most valuable things a good editor can contribute is a fresh

this process and bend

 

perspective. That, of course, and his basic talent for story-

their egos to

helping

 

telling, his taste and sensitivity in shaping performances, and

this emergent organism

 

his imagination in how the shots can be most effectively com-

assume the shape it desires,

bined. Sometimes colleagues tell me they like to hang around

to letting it, in a word, live.

 

the set to soak up the feel of the movie, but I’ve never found

The director with the greatest editorial imag-

them convincing. Anyone who has spent any time on a film set

ination of them all, Sam Peckinpah, used to

soon finds out there is little “feel” for the story to be

say that he knew what he saw in

picked up there – not with production assistants,

Bef or e

the material, he wanted to

camera crews, sound recordists, costumers,

see what others saw in

assistant directors, service people, and the

it passes

 

it. Of one of his

to the making of a movie milling about.

 

 

 

Robert

Wolfe, Sam

countless other crew members necessary

 

 

 

 

 

favorite

editors,

And if the editor is hanging out

t hr ough t he edi -

 

once told me, “Bob

there, he plainly isn’t editing the film,

 

will come back with

 

 

 

 

 

which is what he should be doing. I

t or ’ s hands, a f ilm

20 ideas. I might hate ten of

with as little knowledge as possible of

never have thought of that’ll make my

prefer to approach the raw footage

 

 

 

 

 

them, but that still leaves ten that I’d

what went into getting it. It doesn’t

is a collect ion of

 

movie better.”

matter if the star was sick and not on

 

Different directors work dif-

 

 

 

 

 

best behavior; it does me no good to

 

 

 

 

 

ferently. Some give you copi-

know that certain essential setups were

long t akes f r om

 

ous notes at dailies, right

never filmed owing to inclement weather

 

down to which specific line

or a camera breakdown. All that makes for

var ious

 

readings

they want and

interesting dinner conversation or frustrated

 

how they’d like the shots

 

 

 

venting over a drink, but is of no consequence

 

 

used. I’ve been lucky, I

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sony G90 One way or another when it comes to working with, Footage, Is written, the film that is directed, and the film