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Home , 77 Sunset Strip, American Cinema Editors, Barry Sonnenfeld, Joe Walker (film editor), Justin Hartley, Laura Poitras

THE MAGAZINE FOR & TELEVISION EDITORS, ASSISTANTS & POST-­PRODUCTION PROFESSIONALS

THE TELEVISION ISSUE

IN THIS ISSUE THE HANDMAID’S TALE A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS QUEEN SUGAR AND MUCH MORE!

US $5.95 / Canada $8.95 QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67

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stock footage 44 editor’s cut

04 09 Letter from the Editor In Memoriam Who to Award, Lawrence Silk, ACE That’s the Question BY JACK TUCKER, ACE BY EDGAR BURCKSEN, ACE 36 10 08 In Memoriam What’s New! Gerald Lee Taylor, ACE News & Announcements BY JACK TUCKER, ACE Short Cut Comic BY JOHN VAN VLIET 18 34 Ninth Annual MPSE 12 and CAS Golf and Aspects of Editing Poker Tournament The Finality of ACE president Stephen BY EDGAR BURCKSEN, ACE Rivkin, ACE, serves as the fundraiser’s honorary chair 14 Tech Corner 20 What If? Adobe Tech Day The iPad Pro for Editing BY HARRY B. MILLER III, ACE 22 ACE Annual Meeting 16 Global Editing 24 Perspectives 40 Ellen Galvin The Netherlands 2017 Heritage Award BY PETER ALDERLIESTEN, NCE Honoree 48 26 Cuts We Love EditFest London BY ADRIAN PENNINGTON 30

features

30 34 36 A Series of Queen Sugar This Is Us Unfortunate Events Avril Beukes says let the story Brandi Bradburn, ACE, describes Stuart Bass, ACE, describes tell you how it needs to be edited fashioning the time-swapping the events from the editing suite BY SCOTT LEHANE relationship drama BY WALTER FERNANDEZ JR. BY ADRIAN PENNINGTON

40 44 The Crown The Handmaid’s Tale Pia Di Ciaula helps Wendy Hallam Martin and Christopher deliver Peter Morgan’s empathetic Donaldson bring the full force of Princess Elizabeth to the screen ’s prophetic novel to the screen BY ISABEL SADURNI BY ADRIAN PENNINGTON

02 CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 Cover image: Offred () from The Handmaid’s Tale. Photo by George Kraychyk/. Shown with customized Fairlight audio console

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Learn more at www.blackmagicdesign.com LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Who to Award, That’s the Question

Even though ATAS still uses the Meanwhile – with the rapid proliferation moniker, ‘Primetime,’ for their nominations of cheap but quality production and post- and awards, if the audience wants to watch production hardware and software – them out of this particular timeframe, a groundswell of new filmmakers is offering DVRs and streaming services make it their creations on a plethora of streaming possible to enjoy the programs at any websites like YouTube, Vimeo and Twitch. time of the day. Also the secrecy of the What becomes the defining standard for the streaming companies about the number popularity of a production? The number of eyes watching their product makes it of hits a streaming website receives on very hard to estimate the popularity of certain content? They’re all vying to go programs offered for Emmy® nominations viral through linking their URLs on social as big mainstream offerings worthy of networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and the ‘Primetime’ label. While the Nielsen Flixster. The popularity and recurrence ratings still try to determine the popularity of these shows or webisodes and their of a show to give value to advertising ability to attract advertising for their revenue, there’s no real spectator number streaming website, are gradually generat- that is attached to streaming content, which ing enough revenue to hire professional is available via a subscription model. crews and thus eventually also submissions Now with services like Sling TV, local into award shows. stations and major networks also stream their As apprentices and assistant editors content. So where does one get information seem to become endangered species about popularity and consequently maybe when it comes to receiving their share of even ratings? Aggregate sites like Rotten expertise from experienced professionals, Tomatoes and Metacritic seem to be the it seems that social media is slowly hen I voted for the Primetime go-to spots to gauge popularity for films, becoming the incubator for budding Emmys® this year, it occurred to TV, cable and streaming shows, music and talent. The drop in price for equipment W me that the number of entries even video games. and the drop in obstacles to distribute seem to be increasing. When I was inducted Most award-giving entities like ACE one’s creative cinematic endeavor have into the Academy of Television Arts & and ATAS use their members to submit and democratized motion pictures to a certain Sciences (ATAS) in the early ‘90s, it was thereby vet the entries, so given the fact extent but they also hold the danger that truly the organization that covered the that obtaining their membership guarantees experience and creative traditions awards for television and more importantly a professional opinion on what gets nomi- by the wayside. ACE considers it its for the three major networks. Local stations nated and awarded, the quality of what responsibility to nurture innovation in did not really compete and cable was still appears on the ballot should be more or less editing but also to protect the creative too scattered to play a major role. The local there. But what are the criteria that ACE conquests we have established in the art cable providers were slowly expanding and other organizations use to determine and craft of editing. The Eddie Awards, their lineup with nationwide broadcasters what can be submitted? ACE has a Blue EditFest, Invisible Art/Visible Artists like ESPN, and Discovery but Ribbon committee that convenes several and also our magazine and blogs on our when the premium cable channels like HBO times a year to adjust the entry conditions as website, americancinemaeditors.org, are and Showtime started their programming content production and distribution is still the obvious promoters of the art and craft the competition rapidly started to expand. changing every season. They submit their of editing. We do not hesitate to embrace The floodgates of original programming recommendations to the board of directors innovations while safeguarding traditions, really started to open up when stream- who then set the rules for entry. The ever- accomplishments and hard-fought creative ing entities like , Amazon and Hulu changing criteria mostly deal with show and hierarchic confrontations. opened up shop. length and genre categorization. –Edgar Burcksen, ACE

04 CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 Photo by Peter Zakhary. Stop wasting time

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EDITORIAL STAFF

EDITOR IN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL EDITOR EDITORIAL CONSULTANT Edgar Burcksen, ACE Adrian Pennington Carolyn Giardina

ART DIRECTOR EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Luci Zakhary Peter Zakhary PRESIDENT Stephen Rivkin, ACE BUSINESS AFFAIRS

VICE PRESIDENT PRODUCTION MANAGER PRODUCTION COORDINATOR PRODUCTION ASSISTANT ADVERTISING & DISTRIBUTION , ACE Jenni McCormick Marika Ellis Gemmalyn Brunson Peter Zakhary SECRETARY

ADVISORY BOARD Lillian Benson, ACE

TREASURER Edgar Burcksen, ACE Harry B. Miller III, ACE Andrew Seklir, ACE Ed Abroms, ACE

CONTRIBUTORS

, is the Editor in Chief of and is a journalist, editor and copy- Edgar Burcksen, ACE Adrian Pennington BOARD OF DIRECTORS a regular contributor to CinemaEditor magazine. He also writer whose articles have appeared in the Financial serves on the ACE Board of Directors. Times, British Cinematographer, Screen International, Anita Brandt Burgoyne, ACE The Reporter, Premiere, Broadcast and The Tina Hirsch, ACE Walter Fernandez Jr. was the Editor in Chief of Guardian. He has been managing editor of the IBC Daily Maysie Hoy, ACE CinemaEditor magazine from August 2010 until June since 2006, and he is co-author of Exploring 3D: The New 2013. He has worked in marketing and distribution at Grammar of Stereoscopic Filmmaking (Focal Press, 2012). Doug Ibold, ACE IMAX and the MPAA. He has written for CinemaEditor Bonnie Koehler, ACE since 2003. Isabel Sadurni is a film editor whose most recent credits include The American Nurse. She has written on , ACE Carolyn Giardina is an award-winning journalist and and about filmmakers since 1992 and her articles have Stephen Lovejoy, ACE author who serves as tech editor at The Hollywood appeared in Variety, Filmmaker, Wired and ArtForum. Michael Ornstein, ACE Reporter, for which she writes its Behind the Screen blog. She is also co-author of Exploring 3D: The New Grammar Jack Tucker, ACE, Emmy®-nominated editor and first- Sabrina Plisco, ACE of Stereoscopic Filmmaking (Focal Press, 2012). One of ever recipient of the ACE Robert Wise Award, was , ACE her first assignments at the start of her career wasa at the helm of CinemaEditor magazine at the close of feature story about editing – and she has enjoyed covering the 20th century. He has recently produced the docu- editors ever since. mentary feature, American Empire, with his partner, director Patrea Patrick. Scott Lehane is a freelance journalist who has cov- ASSOCIATE BOARD ered the film and TV industry for over 20 years. John Van Vliet has worked in animation and visual effects for more than 32 years. Although his involvement Edward Abroms, Jr., ACE Harry B. Miller III, ACE, serves on the ACE Board on bad pictures far outnumbers the good ones, all have Edgar Burcksen, ACE of Directors. His recent credits include Panama 3D, provided raw material for his drawings – for which he’s and Hitting the Cycle. grateful. Visit MigrantFilmWorker.com for more. Mark Helfrich, ACE Harry B. Miller III, ACE

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LETTERS, SUBSCRIPTIONS, OR SUBSCRIPTION RATE OTHER CORRESPONDENCE $39 for one year. Subscription cost includes printed EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CinemaEditor Magazine magazine and online access. 100 Universal City Plaza Jenni McCormick Bldg 9128, Rm 260, Universal City, CA 91608 BACK ISSUES Please indicate which issue(s). Cost is $10 per issue. PH 818.777.2900 / FX 818.733.5023 MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO American Cinema Editors TO ADVERTISE OR FOR ADVERTISING RATES Credit cards accepted. CinemaEditor is complimentary Peter Zakhary [email protected] to ACE members. THE ACE CREDO DIGITAL ADVERTISING QUESTIONS ACE WEBSITE QUESTIONS The objects and purposes of Libby Higgins [email protected] Kate Higgins [email protected] the American Cinema Editors are to advance the art and science CinemaEditor Magazine is published quarterly by the American Cinema Editors. The views expressed in this of the profession; periodical do not necessarily reflect the views of the Board of Directors or the membership of ACE. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission is prohibited. ©American Cinema Editors, Inc. All rights reserved. to increase the entertainment value of motion pictures by STAY CONNECTED attaining artistic pre-eminence and scientific achievement in the Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter creative art of film editing; American Cinema Editors (ACE) @acefilmeditors to bring into close alliance those film editors who desire to advance American Cinema Editors website the prestige and dignity www.americancinemaeditors.com of the film editing profession. Conan O’Brien Misery Loves Comedy Stanford Prison Experiment Adobe Premiere Pro 25 Years of Making the Cut

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* Releasing in 2017 © 2017 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved. Adobe, the Adobe logo, Premiere Pro are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. 2018 ACE EDDIE AWARDS SCHEDULE WELCOME The American Cinema Editors would Oct 02 Submissions for like to welcome new ACE members: Nominations Begin Zack Arnold, ACE Nov 17 Submissions for Sheri Bylander, ACE Nominations End Bret Granato, ACE Dec 04 Nominations Ballots Mailed Philip Harrison, ACE Chris King, ACE Dec 28 Nominations Ballots Due Joe Leonard, ACE Jan 03 Nominations Announced Joi McMillon, ACE Jan 05 Final Ballots Mailed Jeremy Minton, ACE Jan 12 Deadline for Advertising Jake Roberts, ACE Ben Sozanski, ACE Jan 14 Blue Ribbon Screenings Jan 18 Final Ballots Closed Jan 24 Nominee Cocktail Party Jan 26 Awards Presented at the Beverly Hilton

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IFC Motion Picture Editors Guild 01 NAB Show 03 Blackmagic Design 05 Avid Technology, Inc. 07 Adobe Systems Incorporated 11 Petition for Editors Recognition 19 Cutting It In Hollywood 21 Hollywood Professional Association 25 The Looping Group 29 EditFest London Sponsors 33 Televisual 39 UCLA Medical BC Netflix

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08 CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 IN MEMORIAM

awrence Silk, ACE, a 2013 ACE Career Achievement Award honoree who has long been considered a king of documentary film editing and a pioneer of the genre, Lpassed away on May 21 due to heart failure. He was 86. Documentaries are editing in its purest form. Editors rarely work from a script and it is their job to find the story in masses of dailies. The shape of the film may not emerge until well into post-production. Born in Detroit, Larry discovered the power of the documentary at the age of nine, when he attended a screening of Pare Lorentz’s documentary, The River. The film examined the Tennessee Valley Authority project to dam a river and bring electricity to the South, and it includes a flood sequence that fascinated Larry and was the epiphany that led him to documentary filmmaking. As a young man, Larry hitchhiked around the U.S., meeting people and picking up life experiences that would benefit him later in his work. He enrolled in City College of where Carl Lerner, ACE, became his editing teacher and a mentor. He got a job as an assistant editor working with Willard Van Dyke, who served as a cameraman on The River, and Richard Leacock, who was developing techniques of cinema verite. He learned from them and worked on many episodes of the CBS documentary series, The Twentieth Century, as a full editor. When Silk was editing for NBC White Paper, producer Bob Lawrence Silk, ACE Young wanted to intercut footage of the civil rights struggle in 1930 - 2017 Nashville with interviews of participants from both sides during an episode titled “Sit-In.” With the episode, Larry did some innovative editing for the time, bringing himself to the attention of many as a creative editor. This led to projects such as Pumping Iron, the film that intro- duced Arnold Schwarzenegger and bodybuilding to the world. Co-edited with Geof Bartz, ACE, the film earned acclaim and the attention of , who would make subsequent documentaries with Larry – including Wild Man Blues, an account of Woody Allen and his jazz band touring Europe; and American Dream, which chronicled a Hormel strike and won a documentary Oscar®. Larry’s work also included , an Academy Award®- winning expose of evangelical preachers that featured , an ordained minister at age 4 who later exposed the methods of that business; and Holocaust-survivor documentary short One Survivor Remembers, which also earned an Oscar. Though thoroughly a documentarian, Larry also edited narrative TV series and movies of the week such as Hardhat and Legs and The Equalizer. He was a master storyteller and filmmaker whose love of the craft can be seen in his work and will no doubt inspire future editors. Larry is survived by his wife, Betty; his son, Dan; and his brother, Bob. –Jack Tucker, ACE

Photos courtesy of the Silk family. CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 09 IN MEMORIAM

erald Lee Taylor, ACE, passed away on Jan. 22 from heart problems. He was part of the group of editors who blossomed Gunder the explosion of television shows generated by the major studios. First regarding television as competition, the studios soon realized it was better to join them than fight them. It created a whole new revenue stream as well as a place to try out new talent both in front of the camera and behind it. Many went on to features and others carved out impressive careers in TV. Taylor’s career began in the mail room at Warner Bros. in 1955. In those days, part of the job was conducting tours to the stages where shooting was happening. He became a film messenger and worked in the coding room. It was the height of Warner’s penetration into network television. They were producing Maverick, Cheyenne, 77 Sunset Strip and other popular shows. As was the rule at the time, he served three years as an apprentice before becoming an assistant. Gerry assisted under Robert Crawford, ACE, on Warner shows for ABC Television. This gave him extensive experience to draw from, so when Gerald Lee Taylor, ACE he moved up again he was ready. His first editing 1933 - 2017 job was on the Mission: Impossible TV series over at Paramount for Bruce Geller. He also worked on Geller’s other hit show, Mannix. Taylor went on to edit such shows as Father Murphy, Macho Callahan, Lincoln and Hardcastle and McCormick. He also edited the TV version of The Miracle Worker with Patty Duke taking the Anne Sullivan role (originally played by Anne Bancroft), having played the young Helen Keller in movie. A magical time occurred when Gerry went to work as an editor on Michael Landon’s Little House on the Prairie. Taylor described Landon as “… the best producer, director, writer and actor I had the privilege of knowing and working for.” Landon similarly respected Taylor; after 100 epi- sodes of Little House on the Prairie, they reteamed on 53 episodes of Highway to Heaven. Gerry is survived by his wife, Marguerite; his sons, Gregory and Glenn; and stepson Scott. –Jack Tucker, ACE

10 CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 Photo by Nancy Tuttle. Courtesy of the Williams family. PETITION FOR EDITORS RECOGNITION

he American Cinema Editors Board of Directors • T has been actively pursuing film festivals and • Shanghai International Film Festival, China awards presentations, domestic and international, • San Sebastian Film Festival, Spain that do not currently recognize the category of Film • Byron Bay International Film Festival, Australia Editing. The Motion Picture Editors Guild has joined • New York Film Critics Circle with ACE in an unprecedented alliance to reach out • New York Film Critics Online to editors and industry people around the world. • National Society of Film Critics

The organizations listed on the petition already We would like to thank the organizations that have recognize cinematography and/or production design recently added the Film Editing category to their Annual Awards: in their annual awards presentations. Given the essential role film editors play in the creative process • Durban International Film Festival, South Africa of making a film, acknowledging them is long • New Orleans Film Festival overdue. We would like to send that message in • solidarity. Please join us as we continue the effort to • Washington DC Area Film Critics Association elevate the perception of editors everywhere. • Film Independent – Spirit Awards • Los Angeles Film Critics Association You can help by signing the petition to help get • Chicago Film Critics Association recognition for film editors by asking these • Film Festival organizations to add the Film Editing category to • The International Animated Film Society – their annual awards: Annie Awards • Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror – Saturn Awards

Please sign our petition at: www.EditorsPetition.com Now endorsed by the Motion Picture Sound Editors, Art Directors Guild, Cinema Audio Society, American Society of Cinematographers, Canadian Cinema Editors, and Guild of British Film and Television Editors

Committee for Creative Recognition The Finality of Films

BY EDGAR BURCKSEN, ACE

hat defines the final phase of an artwork? When a But in the age of the digital product, changes can be made so painting leaves the atelier of a painter to be sold, much easier and, moreover, so much later in the production process when the liquid bronze pours into the mold of a of a motion picture. One of the tasks of an editor has always been sculpture, when the first edition of a novel rolls off to wean the director or any other creative force slowly of their urge Wthe printing press or when a film is shown for the first time to a to keep making changes when the deadlines are creeping closer. paying audience? When does the creative force behind an artwork I always give them the assurance that a change could always be decide that it is the final iteration of the endeavor? Is the decision made but that the later in the post-production timeline the harder made because the creative impulses that gave birth to the piece of and thus costlier it would get because at a certain point you have art have been satisfied or are there other influences that determine to lock at least some parts of the edit in order to give the visual the finality of the product? In the film business we like to say that a effects, sound and finishing professionals the time to do their work. film is never finished but abandoned instead because the person or In the film and tape days my arguments would be very convincing, the entity that has the ‘final cut’ can endlessly keep on improving but in the digital age where you have all the soundtracks available or tinkering with it until an outside force like a premiere or a on a Pro Tools system on the mixing stage, a picture cut would not festival deadline forces the termination of the creative process. be that disastrous because the sound editor is present at the stage We know that da Vinci took more than nine years to finish a and can move the tracks around on his Pro Tools console. The color half-length portrait of Lisa Gherardini, better known as the Mona timer does not have problems either because his DaVinci Resolve Lisa, and also that famous paintings of Rembrandt or van Gogh is almost as versatile as an Avid Media Composer when shortening, hide under them other works or versions that they painted over. lengthening or moving clips around. Authors use the subsequent editions of their work to make changes So it seems that advancing technology is moving the ‘lock’ of in their writing or add an appendix to explain, elaborate on the a motion picture later and later in the post-production process. story or give a different twist to it. Composers use arrangements It might not be too long before we will have an app that will allow to change their music to fit a different instrumentation, and us to even make changes in the DCP (Digital Cinema Package) performers tweak their stage work when the desired audience when it is the eleventh hour before a screening. You can even response lacks. In film or TV, the finality of a product is not envision an app installed in every digital projector that could as easily challenged when it has reached the intended eyes. execute an edit sent over an encrypted link to all the theaters The director, producer or showrunner usually does not have the where a film is playing when, for example, after its official release clout or desire to overcome the economic barriers that preclude it is not performing with an audience as expected. So where does changing an already-consumed product that did not quite meet the it end and does it have to end? Is the finality of a work of art just expectations creatively or otherwise. a moment in time?

12 CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 One of the often-used arguments by editors to remove a With the same director I did another film, this time a romantic sequence that did not quite meet the challenge, is that the work comedy and the producer had the seemingly-brilliant idea to and artistry put into it will not be for naught because it will have shoot two versions of the film: one in Dutch and one in English. a second life in the DVD extras or in the streaming releases Since I was working in the U.S. already I would be able to tap as special features. In the film days this trickery could not be into my ‘Hollywood’ sensitivities to edit the English version. applied as easily. However, when I edited the Dutch periodic Only dialogue sequences would be shot twice, once in Dutch and epic, Hedwig: The Quiet Lakes, part of the funding came from once in English. Since most actors in the Netherlands speak fluent one of the Dutch TV networks and they were promised a three- English that would not pose a problem. So after the premiere of part miniseries based on the film. So instead of the DVD extras I the film,One Month Later, a very successful romantic comedy, was able to convince director Nouchka van Brakel that sequences I started to work on the English version. This was not as easy she had a hard time parting with would have a second life in as had been anticipated. The Dutch dialogue did not translate the miniseries. During our editing sessions that became a favorite well into English, especially when there was comedy involved. mantra when a sequence did not work, was too long or even when So sequences that worked like gangbusters in Dutch were mildly beautiful scenic shots were cast aside: “That’s for the TV version.” disappointing in English, not only because of the difference in After we had a locked picture before the negative cut started, dialogue but also because after a successful take in Dutch it became I had to pull new prints of all the affected sequences and shots that a slog for the actors to do it again in English. The translation and I could use in the edit of the TV series. For the theatrical version timing were different but also because speaking English fluently we had to restructure the original screenplay to make an exciting does not mean that you can perform acutely the subtle nuances storyline, but for the TV version we decided to follow the story as required in comedy. When we tried to get rid of the Dutch accent scripted – so not only were we able to use discarded material but of the actors by revoicing them we became painfully aware that the director was also able to implement her original story outline. it was not only the pronunciation but also the rhythm of speech Both versions were very successful – one at the box office and the was different; hard to fit that lip-sync. After the enormous success other one at the overnight ratings. of the film in the theaters, it was a frustrating experience for the director and me to try to restart the creative process for the English version. It probably would have been easier if the Dutch version had flopped to get a second chance to create something that would work better. Trying to improve ‘perfection’ always fails. Apart from all kinds of creative urges that lead a director to make changes in a narrative of a scripted show, there are other instances when a change in a ‘locked’ or even released film can be triggered by events, disclosures or revelations that happened after 54% COMPLETE completion of it. Case in point is ’ documentary, UPLOADING... Risk, about Wikileaks founder that was nominated for a GoldenEye award at the 2016 film festival in Cannes. I read that the director’s thoughts and ideas about her subject were seriously challenged by the events of the 2016 presidential campaign in the U.S. and when the time came to release the documentary in the U.S. she wanted to realign the film to the changing sentiments about the direction of Wikileaks and Julian Assange. To get to a final locked version of a film you work on is not always an easy task and sometimes you’re not even involved in the version that hits the screen. Especially when you work for independents and documentaries, funding can become an issue and you have to reluctantly move on to the next paycheck because You can even envision an app the rent or the mortgage still needs to be paid. But when you’re able to guide the director and producer through the whole post- installed in every digital projector production process of a film, the famous ‘final cut’ can become that could execute an edit sent an issue; when haggling and negotiating those three frames less over an encrypted link to all the or six frames more on an edit, I always try to play light with the issue. I’ll attempt to convince them of the futility of the matter and theaters where a film is playing... tell them that those three frames in or out will not determine if the film is going to be a hit or a flop.

CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 13 Trackball: I used a large-balled Kensington Expert Mouse trackball for many years. RSI. One’s thumb gets a serious and What If? tiring workout. The iPad Pro for Editing

BY HARRY B. MILLER III, ACE

Trackball

Wacom Tablet: The buttons on the pen for mouse clicks are ridiculously hard to operate. Plus, the accuracy of dropping the nib of the pen on the Wacom surface isn’t great.

Wacom Tablet

Vertical Mouse: Besides being just plain weird, I managed to completely disable the computer system I installed it on. Bricked it.

Vertical Mouse

That is the initial question when What if …? Seventeen-Button Mouse: My current favorite, called the I spot a new technology. Naga Hex by the company, Razer. Seventeen buttons that can be I’m always on the lookout for something new. Something programmed with the included mouse driver, plus a scroll wheel. to try. Software or hardware. I will invent a reason to buy/use Very adjustable and accurate. But comes with RSI (free!). something if it seems cool. I’d been fascinated years ago watching a photographer use a Wacom Cintiq tablet with Photoshop to edit his pictures. But thought the Cintiq at $800 a rather expensive choice for any other use besides a photography touch screen. What if … nah. Then a recent bout of RSI (repetitive stress injury, i.e. ‘moving a computer mouse all day makes my hand hurt’) provided a reason Seventeen-Button to find a mouse alternative. Mouse Over many years I’ve tried every computer input device available. Regular two-button mouse. Four-button track ball. Mouse with a small track ball. Wacom tablet. Vertical mouse. Then I found a piece of software that could revolutionize com- A seventeen-button mouse. All have positives and negatives. puter input. It is called Duet Display. It allows one to connect Two-button mouse: well … not enough buttons. Why move an iPad to a computer and use it as an additional display. It can your hand to a keyboard if you can program a mouse button to do act as an additional, independent screen. Or it can mirror your the same task as the keyboard input? computer’s screen.

14 CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 Kensington Expert Mouse ©2017 Kensington Computer Products Group, a division of ACCO Brands. Wacom Tablet © 2016-2017 Wacom. All rights reserved. Evoluent Vertical Mouse © Evoluent. All rights reserved. Naga Hex Seventeen-Button Mouse © 2017 Razer Inc. All rights reserved. I bought this software ($20) and Now to fire up the editing software. Here arrived the second attached an iPad mini to my Mac laptop problem. The iPad frame doesn’t exactly fit a computer monitor. via the lightning cable. And it works. The latter is 16 x 9. The former is about 12 x 8. Really well, in fact. There is some delay in this second screen, but minimal. What if … and this is where I sometimes get a little too imaginative Duet Display for my own good … what if I had an iPad Pro? You know, the really big 12- inch one? That would be cool! Since it was released in late 2015, I’ve wanted an iPad Pro. Because … well, it’s Pro, right? Must be better. But never could figure out what I could use it for. It is just big and beautiful. Monitor iPad Pro Yet, when I tried one at the Apple store, the problem became obvious: I can’t do anything with it. What really separates the iPad Pro from any other tablet is it has a stylus with which you When mirroring a wide-screen monitor, the iPad scales down. can draw on screen. But I can’t draw. And have no real need It fills from side to side, leaving black borders on the top and to draw. The stylus could be used with Photoshop to adjust bottom. This makes the Avid interface rather small. I don’t have various on-screen controls and effects, like with the Wacom the best eyesight nor digit dexterity, so controlling with the Pencil Cintiq. But I don’t use Photoshop that much. It’s a cool tool would be only more challenging. without a purpose. I could use the iPad Pro as a second screen, perhaps holding Now in 2017 I found its purpose. With Duet Display software, Avid audio tools. Yet I have a physical audio mixer, the Avid Artist here was an opportunity to integrate an iPad Pro into my editing Mix. It would be redundant to have two ways to move sound faders. system. I purchased the larger 12-inch model, from the Apple I decided to have the iPad mirror one of the system monitors. refurbished store. And the Pencil. This could open up for me a Editing on a computer requires a lot of click+hold+drag: touch-screen editing system. to scroll through a timeline, to move a window, to open a tool. The iPad Pro arrived. It is enormous. And heavy. You can’t It also requires a lot of double-clicking: to drop a clip into hold it in any comfortable way. And there is no easy and safe way the source monitor, open a sequence in the record monitor, open to set it on a desk. So, I invested in a stand. a setting window. Then there was input: Apple’s solution is the Pencil. A pretty simple, white stylus that links to the iPad through Bluetooth. Here is where I ran into two insurmountable roadblocks: It is no more a ‘pencil’ than a stylus is a ‘pen’ but that’s Apple being different ‘just because.’ Touching and dragging with the • I can click+hold+drag an object in the left monitor where Pencil to control the iPad is accurate and easy. scene bins are usually parked. But I can’t drag it into the other Technology problems come in an escalating series of obstacles. monitor that holds the source window. You get to the end of the I can’t run a piece of software on my computer without it asking, screen and can move no further. I would need to double-click “There is a newer version. Want to download?” Of course I do! a clip/sequence to load it. Oops. Never mind that task I was doing. Ah, but this update requires a newer version of ‘x’ (Java, Flash, OS X, et al.) to run. ‘Download?’ • The Pencil cannot double-click. Tap twice on an object, such Of course. I never actually wanted to do that original task. What I as a clip in a bin to load it into the source window, and nothing really wanted to do was a series of software updates. I encountered happens. The Wacom tablet pen has buttons on the side to the same series of obstacles with my new editing toys. double click and right click. Oh, and there is also no way to Setting it up the iPad Pro was the new technology problem to right click with the Pencil either. solve. Installed the Duet Display software on the iPad and the Mac tower editing system. Plugged the iPad into my editing system Mixing a touch screen, with two screens that aren’t, wasn’t with the Apple lightning cable. And nothing happened. going to work. To add a second screen to my laptop or third screen The Duet company responded to my email. Turns out, the to my edit system, turns out I need simply to buy another monitor. computer’s OS was older than the version of Duet, so they That would be $889 + $129 + $100 = $1118 for iPad, Pencil and provided a link to an earlier release. That problem was solved. stand. Versus $150 for a small monitor. Hmm. Buying a gold- The iPad Pro was connected as a third screen. plated hammer to hit a nail? Now I had three monitors instead of the standard editing Although an interesting challenge, turns out you don’t need a system two. Duet Display allows you to set the iPad to mirror computer (iPad) to work as just a monitor. One needs something either of the two editing monitors usually on a system. Or it can more along the lines of a Cintiq which is an input surface that be set to be a third monitor, available to place a mixer, AudioSuite contains a monitor. Which is about $800. window, bin, etc. What if…

Duet Display logo © 2017 Duet, Inc. All rights reserved. Monitor and iPad Pro screen frames courtesy of Harry B. Miller III, ACE. CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 15 THE BY PETER ALDERLIESTEN, NCE NETHERLANDS

t was not until I applied for the Dutch film school in Amsterdam joining. From there we set up Filmeditors.nl in 2005. We regularly that I realized that films are actually made by multiple persons. dove into the work of one of our colleagues, and those meetings And it was only when I graduated that I understood that all became increasingly popular. Our advantage was that we were those people were not just following orders from a director, greatly helped by the film school in Amsterdam, whose screening Ibut that they all added their own creative input to the process; room we were allowed to use, and by the fact that almost all Dutch and that a movie can only be good and successful when the sum editors own and work on their own equipment. We keep backups of all those creative minds actually adds up to something special. of entire projects, also after the films are done. The existence of ACE, for me and my classmates, was the After a few years, the time had come to make things indisputable proof that also in my line of work, there were people more serious: We decided to start an official association. In 2011 who had reached that stage of creativity: film editors who were the NCE, the Netherlands Association of Cinema Editors, was so talented, experienced and awesome that they were allowed to born, with colleagues Herman P. Koerts, NCE, and Stanley Kolk, place the divine letters, ‘ACE,’ after their names. NCE, joining the three of us as board members. Edgar Burcksen, Together with two of my friends, editors Job ter Burg, ACE, ACE, became our first and honorary member. He was already a NCE, and Wouter Jansen, NCE, we met on a regular basis to renowned editor in Holland before he moved to the U.S., and his discuss each other’s work, to learn from each other’s experience, dedication to ACE and CinemaEditor was an inspiration to us. and each other’s mistakes, and to check if any of us potentially Edgar still is an important liaison at ACE for us – which we feel is had reached the divine status yet. These boozed nights were so important, since ACE is the largest and most professional editors inspiring and motivating that we tried to interest other editors in organization in the world. More recently, Bart van den Broek,

16 CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 Above: Amsterdam. NCE, and Tanya Fallenius, NCE, have joined the board in attempt to better reflect the variety and diversity in our membership. The NCE is a place to meet and inspire, to connect with editors from other countries and with other disciplines within our own film industry. We are not a union, our focus lies on the art and craft of film editing itself. However, we’re regularly consulted by Dutch film institutions and cultural government bodies that deal with film for advice. Our regular meetings around Dutch films still exist but we do more than that. The NCE organizes many international master classes, with guests such as , ACE; , ACE; , ACE; , ACE; Pernille Bech Christensen; Herve Schneid, ACE; Mick Audsley and Niels Pagh Andersen. These events are very successful and are also attended by many filmmakers that are not editors. We co-organized the Robert McKee ‘Story’ workshop in Amsterdam twice, and have active partnerships with ACE EditFest London, Film+ in Cologne, the Netherlands Film Festival, various film organizations in Holland, and we keep in touch with sister organizations in many European countries, including Belgium and Germany. We currently have 45 active members, 36 associate members and four special members. We have a balloting program for new members to make sure only qualified editors get in, especially when applying for Active Membership. Active members have at least five years of experience on high-quality long-form productions and can use ‘NCE’ on credits. Associate members don’t need that experience; some are not editors but work in related fields like visual effects. Special memberships can be granted by the board. Our members work on features and shorts, long and short documentaries as well as TV shows, commercials, trailers and music videos.

Most of our work is for the Dutch market but our members NCE are increasingly involved in international productions, sometimes helped by tax incentives or cash rebates. Of the twenty-some NETHERLANDS ASSOCIATION movies produced in the Netherlands annually, a few receive OF CINEMA EDITORS worldwide acclaim. In the last decade, NCE members have www.cinemaeditors.nl been responsible for cutting films like Elle (directed by Paul PRESIDENT Verhoeven), The Hunt (directed by Thomas Vinterberg), Borgman Job ter Burg, ACE, NCE (directed by Alex van Warmerdam), Paradise Now (directed by Hany Abu-Assad), Brimstone (directed by Martin Koolhoven) and VICE PRESIDENT Peter Alderliesten, NCE Death Race 2 (directed by Roel Reine). The NCE has become one of the most successful and TREASURER respected organizations of film professionals in the Netherlands. Wouter Jansen, NCE We’ve made both the craft and the editors themselves visible to SECRETARY our colleagues in the Dutch film industry. Herman P. Koerts, NCE Nowadays, as an active member, I can use the acronym, ‘NCE,’ after my name, and I hope that, for aspiring editors in the BOARD MEMBERS Bart van den Broek, NCE Netherlands, this will be just as magical as when I first saw ‘ACE’ Tanya Fallenius, NCE in the cinema. For us, ACE has been an inspiring model when Stanley Kolk, NCE we started our NCE, and we strongly hope that our collaboration will continue and flourish.

Left: Peter Alderliesten, NCE. Photo by Micha Douwes. Right top: Job ter Burg, ACE, NCE, with Joe Walker, ACE. Photo by Niels Koopman. CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 17 Right bottom: Job ter Burg, ACE, NCE, with , ACE. Photo by Annelotte Medema. Ninth Annual MPSE and CAS Golf and Poker Tournament

ACE President Stephen Rivkin, ACE, serves as the fundraiser’s honorary chair

nderscoring a close working rela- tionship between ACE, Cinema Audio Society (CAS), Motion Picture Editors Guild (MPEG) Uand Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE), ACE president Stephen Rivkin, ACE, served as honorary chair of the ninth annual MPSE and CAS Annual Golf and Poker Tournament. Held May 21 at Angeles National Golf Club in Sunland, the charitable event raised funds for MPSE’s Ethel Crutcher Scholar- ship Fund, which provides mentoring and support for student sound artists, as well as the two organizations’ work in promoting the craft of entertainment sound. After the afternoon’s activities, there was a ball drop (the local fire department dropped a container of golf balls from one of the fire engines onto the course) and raffle as part of the fundraising activities, capped with an awards dinner. MPSE president Tom McCarthy, CAS president Mark Ulano and Motion Picture Editors Guild executive director Catherine A. Repola presented a special award to Rivkin, recognizing his accomplishments as an editor and leader. The message that echoed during the presentation was the power of collaboration and cooperation. “There is much that our organizations can accomplish by working together,” Rivkin said. “We look forward to more joint events dedicated to education, industry recognition for the jobs that we do and just getting to know each other better.”

18 CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 Photos by Chris Jurgenson. © CJ Productions. PRIMETIME EMMY® AWARD-WINNING EDITOR MITCHELL DANTON, ACE Cutting It in Hollywood TOP FILM EDITORS SHARE THEIR JOURNEYS

“For anyone who dreams of becoming an editor, it is an essential read.” Betsy A. McLane, CineMontage

“A remarkable insight into the evolution of an editor as an artist.” Jack Tucker, ACE, CinemaEditor “A valuable addition to any editor’s reading list.” Jonny Elwin, Film Editors on Film Editing

AVAILABLE ONLY AT CuttingItInHollywood.com

FEATURING STORIES & EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH SOME OF THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS: John Axelrad, ACE Michael Kahn, ACE Zene Baker, ACE Paul Karasick Josh Beal Ivan Ladizinsky , ACE , ACE Betsy Comstock Tyler Nelson Todd Desrosiers Tony Nigro Nena Erb, ACE Jim Page, ACE Billy Fox, ACE Chris Peppe Barbara Gerard Julius Ramsay Joseph M. Gonzalez David Rogers, ACE Lise Johnson Ron Rosen Mark Jones

INTRODUCTION BY THREE-TIME ACADEMY AWARD® WINNER MICHAEL KAHN, ACE

MD-CE-ad0717.indd 1 6/16/17 1:45 PM ADOBE TECH DAY

CE and Adobe presented a well- attended Tech Day on June 3, during which the team behind Adobe Premiere Pro CC gave Aguests an exclusive preview of the software’s latest collaboration features, highlighted their new local office and expanded pres- ence in Hollywood, and announced they will offer free training for ACE editors. Adobe’s head of strategic development, Van Bedient, senior product manager Al Mooney and senior director of product management Bill Roberts additionally shared the company’s strategic roadmap for its video and audio products during the event, which was held at Universal Studios and attended by an estimated 80 guests. The program included VFX supervisor Jon Carr and assistant editor Jamie Clarke, who discussed editorial and VFX workflows on Granite Mountain Hotshots, the upcoming drama directed by Joseph Kosinski and edited by Billy Fox, ACE, due out this fall. Their topics included vendor handoffs, temp VFX comps, DCP creation and on-demand dailies production with Adobe Media Encoder. Additionally, editor Tyler Nelson and assistant editor Billy Peake demoed their tool, Dispatch, just acquired by PIX, for managing metadata, automating the organi- zation of assets, and automated dailies production. They also spoke about their own Adobe workflow on ’s upcoming series, Mindhunter.

20 CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 Photos by Peter Zakhary. HPA17_CineEd_TS_v4.indd 1 7/7/17 11:26 AM merican Cinema Editors’ annual meeting included ACE President Stephen Rivkin, ACE’s year in review, the installation of new ACE members, and a surprise tribute Ato ACE’s much-loved retiring director of sponsor- ships, Ellen Galvin. On June 6 at The Garland in North Hollywood, Rivkin closed the meeting by awarding Galvin the ACE Heritage Award “in recognition of unwavering commitment to advance the image of the film editor, cultivating respect for the editing profession and tireless dedication to ACE.” “I have had the most incredible 13 years working with all of you. It was more than I could have hoped for,” said a surprised Galvin, who added that she was first introduced to editing by her friend, director/editor Mary Claiborne. “She introduced me to the power and beauty and majesty of editing. Working with ACE has been my honor and pleasure.” Rivkin also gave the members an update on some of ACE ANNUAL the organization’s activities and accomplishments this past year. Among them, record attendance at the Eddie Awards; press coverage is on the rise; international outreach has expanded; and a string of successful MEETING programs and events included the Diversity Mentorship Program, EditFest London and EditFest LA. He reported that the Petition for Editors’ Recognition now has over 3200 signatures. Additionally, this year the American Society of Cinematographers joined forces with ACE and the Motion Picture Editors Guild to write to Sundance, urging organizers of the film festival to establish permanent awards for editing and cinematography. “They failed to honor our request this year, but there’s always next year,” Rivkin said. ACE’s president also thanked treasurer Ed Abroms, ACE, and life member Doug Ibold, ACE, who are retiring from the board of directors. Tina Hirsch, ACE, announced that ACE welcomed 33 new members this past year. During the meeting, new member plaques were presented to some of them: Brian Schnuckel, ACE; Mary DeChambres, ACE; Robin Russell, ACE; Peter Forslund, ACE; Tchavdar Georgiev, ACE; Nena Erb, ACE; Jon Dudkowski, ACE; Inbal B. Lessner, ACE; Adam Penn, ACE; Dean Zimmerman, ACE; Kevin D. Ross, ACE; Eli B. Despres, ACE; Nat Sanders, ACE; and Shawn Paper, ACE. The presentation, buffet dinner and bar were sponsored by Avid, whose Michael Krulik was on hand to show version 8.8.4 of Media Composer and Avid Artist DNxIQ, a recently-introduced hardware I/O device enabling “universal mastering” and updated connectivity for Thunderbolt 3 devices. He also highlighted ScriptSync and PhraseFind, two Media Composer options.

22 CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 Photos by Peter Zakhary. Photos by Peter Zakhary. CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 23 t was 13 years ago that Ellen Galvin met ACE executive director Jenni McCormick, setting in motion a partnership with American Cinema Editors that included expanding ad sales for ICinemaEditor magazine, establishing sponsorship revenue streams to support the ACE Internship Program, EditFests London & LA, Invisible Art/ Visible Artists and Tech Days. She also became a beloved member of the ACE family, so much so that when Ellen recently decided to retire, the ACE Board immediately moved to give her the society’s Heritage Award, which was presented at its June 6 annual meeting. Her career has been an inspiring one. She earned a degree at Pasadena City College where she majored in telecommunications (what she describes as the ‘ancient’ term for radio and TV) and met her future husband, Gary Galvin. In 1966, they covered the ® for their college radio station, and in 1967, Ellen was tapped as the first female to narrate the Tournament of Roses Parade for Armed Forces Radio. She began her professional career at KCRG- TV in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where she joined her husband as a TV/radio news reporter, but she quickly moved into commercial production and public affairs programming. The couple then moved to Tulsa, Okla. where a nepotism rule at CBS television station KTEW Ellen Galvin prohibited Ellen from working at the same station with her husband, who had been hired as executive 2017 Heritage Award Honoree news producer. Other local stations would not hire the wife of a competitor’s news producer, and Ellen instead became the first female producer at production company Phipps & Co., which she remembers as an early adopter of one-inch videotape and CMX computer editing. At Tulsa Films, Ellen expanded her writing and producing skills working on documentaries, travelogues and educational films. And it was there that her new colleague, director/editor Mary Claiborne, introduced her to the storytelling power of editing. The two women collaborated on several projects and Ellen’s profound love and respect for editing was firmly planted. “I would sit with her and we worked out how to go from one city to another or the like [for the travelogues]. They were quite in depth, including the history of the society. China was very interesting, and Alaska [where she and Gary now plan to visit].” Ellen’s career also included writing and pro- ducing a documentary about the Del Mar racetrack and the equestrian world’s Volvo Grand Prix World Cup competition (she also developed a dramatic series based on this world, though it hasn’t been sold – yet); TV ad sales (including at San Diego’s XETV, where

24 CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 Photos by Peter Zakhary. over 11 years the station signed on to the Fox network and later aired its first Super Bowl); and teaching TV sales and sales management at San Diego City College. She also handled ad sales for several trade publications and organizations, including the Writers Guild, Motion Picture Sound Editors and Film & Video. Then she found ACE, where she also formed life- long friendships with Jenni McCormick; president Stephen Rivkin, ACE; past presidents Alan Heim, ACE, and Randy Roberts, ACE; Heidi Scharfe, ACE; Edgar Burcksen, ACE, and many more board members, members and staffers. She also developed relationships with colleagues at ACE’s partners including Adobe, Avid, Blackmagic Design and NAB Show, which resulted in not just sponsorships, but true friendships and partnerships between ACE and these companies. Said Galvin: “How can I sum up 13 wonderful years of working with great friends that I respect and admire in an industry I love?! It’s been an honor and a privilege to represent ACE and help spread the word about this amazing organization. One of my greatest joys has been getting to know and work with the awesome ACE interns and student competitors. The future of editing is in good hands with this bunch of dedicated young talent.” EditFest London

he career of , ACE, is too extensive to sug- “We effectively mashed the scenes on top of each other. gest even a surface reading over a 90-minute session, The scene plays so convincingly because of the cadence of Sutherland’s but he generously delivered a masterclass of technique performance. We had to ask him to ADR the whole scene weeks later and insight into how he has helped craft some of the most and remarkably he hit the exact rhythm the first time.” Timportant and iconic films of the past three decades, during his In a crucial sequence during the climactic trial, Scalia expanded keynote at the fifth EditFest London. six seconds of the famous Zapruder film reel of the assassination The sold-out event, held June 24 at BFI Southbank, also into two minutes of dramatic exposition emphasizing the triangu- featured a trio of panels covering TV, documentaries and features; lation of bullets inconsistent with a single shooter. a presentation by platinum sponsor Blackmagic Design; and “Everything here is about eyes – close-ups of eyes, people a cocktail party. watching through binoculars and rifle scopes. It’s about witnessing During his keynote, Scalia dissected several scenes from JFK, something real. Oliver’s goal was that what you should remember ’s examination of the John F. Kennedy assassination from this film was that this presidential killing was a coup d’etat.” that he edited with , ACE, and which won the film editing Academy Award® in 1992. “I approached the prologue like the opening movement of a symphony,” he said in a conversation with moderator Carolyn Giardina. “It’s structured in three parts, the final one of which is visual and shows Kennedy’s ride into Dallas from the airport. It was important to experience that drive and the connection between JFK and the crowds. There’s a shot where he seems to look directly into the camera and make eye contact, which is a very powerful way of creating a bond with the viewer.” The movie’s original cut was four and a half hours. Scalia’s ingenious solution to cutting a full hour off that time was to collapse, condense and superimpose a pair of scenes on top of each other. These were the scenes featuring detailed exposition about the investigation and a conversation between Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner) and Mr. X (Donald Sutherland) in Washington.

26 CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 Photos by Peter Zakhary. The day began with a panel of editors who work in television. Moderated by CinemaEditor’s international editor, Adrian Pennington, topics included the unique challenges of cutting new or established series. On tackling the for 24: Legacy, John Smith, ACE, related, “The original was such a successful franchise, so when they rebooted the series, the challenge was to stick with certain rules from the original, which was told in real time and with the use of split screens. The challenge was to freshen it up but you could only go so far because you had to adhere to a format. I love nonlinear storytelling, but you can’t do that in 24.” “I approach joining a longstanding series with research. I watch as many episodes as I can,” advised Caroline Bleakley (Midsomer Murders). “Then we can’t help but [alter the style] in some way that’s unique to us. I try not to change it, but to introduce The tonal note for Gladiator – directed by , elements of my own.” Scalia’s longtime collaborator and starring Russell Crowe – Speaking of starting a new series, Richard Cox (Happy Valley) was of a hand in a wheat field, shot on the last day of photography acknowledged that there’s a unique type of pressure and that post but selected by Scalia as the opening image for the film. likely could go beyond the original schedule. “The execs are “I had just worked with where we had talked hoping for a second season, and they are absolutely desperate for about poetic images and here I felt we had an image that would it to work,” he said, adding, “Working on the end of a series is express something fundamental about the character. It doesn’t more fun; that’s when stories get wrapped up and maybe you are matter what the viewer feels – memory or desire or premonition – teeing up for a second series.” so long as they feel a connection with the character. “I always feel that the first image you see should be very strong. It’s the one urgent image – nothing else precedes it and the audience brings to bear all their expectations about the story to it.” In a scene from Gus Van Sant’s Good Will Scalia focused on dialogue and techniques to maintain the spontaneity and rhythm of language from single-camera takes of a group of actors including Ben Affleck who were improvising. “It’s about listening to the dialogue very carefully so that you are able to make subtle and very precise cuts that keep the momentum of the scene fresh.” Scalia then discussed scenes from Ridley Scott’s war film, Black Hawk Down, which won him a second editing Oscar® and was arguably his toughest assignment. “Ridley’s idea was to make a very accurate portrayal of what war is like. It’s a very intense action film but because he chose to shoot long takes with up to 11 cameras (rather than multiple short takes), I had two difficulties. One was the sheer amount of William Oswald (Sherlock) finds that with editing, “You don’t material, up to 100 minutes for just one take. And, in order to be as want to over explain. Making the audience do some work is half accurate as possible, we needed to show many things happening the battle. The more they are invested, the better.” on screen almost simultaneously.” The panelists agreed that it’s a great time to be working Scalia consulted with a military advisor who had been on in television, with ambitious stories and a lot of choice. the ground in Mogadishu, where the events portrayed in the “Overall the quality is pretty outstanding,” Cox said. “TV is filling film took place in 1993, to understand the complexity of where a bit of a gap. In cinema there are the big blockbusters and the different combatants were at various points. He then requested [smaller films], and it seems TV is filling the middle. And you can a reshoot of one scene to depict U.S. commanders plotting key tell a story over a long period.” positions on a map as a way to communicate the geography of The next panel examined the unique challenges of finding the the scene to the viewer. story in documentary work. Chris King, ACE, advised editors to “These are examples of how editors rewrite the final stage of just start somewhere, and expect it will be wrong: “If there are film,” said Scalia. “By combining scenes, by changing scenes several hundred hours of material it does take a while to wade around by defining its geography, by simply juxtaposing one through it all,” he said. “You know you are going to be wrong – image against another – it’s a form of writing.” at least the first act.”

Photos by Peter Zakhary. CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 27 After a lunch break, the topic turned to feature editing, with a panel moderated by editor Steven Worsley. Job ter Burg, ACE, NCE, shared two versions of a dinner party sequence from Paul Verhoeven’s Elle: the final version and one with the same picture cut but shorn of dialogue, ambient sound and score. “To achieve a rhythmical flow in a scene one of the tricks I do is cut without any sound,” he explained. “I try not to be distracted by production sound to concentrate on the pure rhythm of the image. When I have the scene flowing I’ll add some atmosphere tracks to enhance the scene before opening up any dialogue. Finding that rhythm from picture alone can be a really powerful thing.” Tony Cranstoun, ACE, presented three clips from films which shared a similar structure – an introduction, an escalation toward climax followed by a return to normality. “The application an editor brings to comedy is similar to horror,” he said. “In comedy you are building up to a gag and horror is about a reveal to scare or unseat the audience.” , ACE, agreed, admitting that Academy Previs editor Sian Fever (Wonder Woman), who works at The Award winner (she edited and also served as a Third Floor, said previs is set up a bit like an orchestra, with the producer), “was originally about surveillance, and it became previs supervisor conducting at the front, the first violinist as about courage [when they connected with ] lead artist and all the asset creators and animators comprising and we made Snowden the centerpiece of the film.” the musicians. “I, as previs editor, am the drums at back keeping Bonnefoy also asserted that in documentary filmmaking, everyone in time,” she said. “It’s not about making the pictures it’s “a mistake to strive for objectivity. There are facts, but the look pretty and very much about trying to work out the story.” way we interpret them is our own.” She added that with this Jake Roberts, ACE, revealed that the production of his current interpretation “the more it will resonate with others.” film, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, had used previs to choreograph King agreed. Speaking of his work on Amy Winehouse doc a car chase in Amsterdam but that none of the previs decisions Amy, he said, “If you are making a film like this, you have to like made it to editorial. the person. She was so winning and lovely … but to show why a nice person ended up the way she did, you can’t be impartial.” Steve Ellis, ACE, illustrated how the story changes during editing, by showing a powerful outtake from Watani: My Homeland, a documentary short about a family that escapes the Syrian civil war and relocates in Germany. “The mum [in this clip] was incredibly powerful … but she was de-weighing the narrative of the kids, and we decided it was a film about the emotional and psychological change in the kids, not the journey. When we took [the clip] out, the film changed and she stopped being the most dominant character. “We wanted to make a film about refugees, not Syrian refugees,” he explained. “We wanted to make a film about children learning to live in a new home. We learned the exposition [offered by the scene with the mother] could drop away.” Panelist Zoe Davis is currently directing and editing feature documentary FIERCE!, a look at the drag community during the fight for LGBT equality. “The stories that were really important “If anything, previs can be quite neutral and not subjective,” to me were characters,” she said, adding that she picked three agreed Fever. “Unlike editorial, we tend to look at a single to focus on in the doc. “I became quite attached to some of the sequence not a whole film.” characters,” she continued, saying that she sometimes sought an Roberts addressed pacing with a key scene from Hell or High outside view for perspective. Water. “We’d test screened the film and it had passed so we were Gordon Mason, ACE (Jimi Hendrix: Hear My Train a Comin’), picture locked but there was one scene which some people still discussed how archival footage can be used effectively to drive a felt had outstayed its welcome. It’s a languid scene featuring a narrative “as long as you are being honest with the material.” conversation in a small town between [the characters played by] Editor Eoin McDonagh, who was a founding member of Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham. It’s so central to the theme of Dublin Editors, moderated the documentary panel. what [director] David Mackenzie wanted to say that we couldn’t

28 CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 Photos by Peter Zakhary. cut it. So we went back and cut maybe five minutes off the running time before this scene. Perception of pace can be about context. The scene is not any shorter but we hoped that by trimming the flow of the story ahead of it we’d earned the right to keep it in.” Sylvie Landra, ACE, chose to focus on the performance of actors, highlighting Gary Oldman’s turn in Leon: The Professional. “The performance in the dailies is something that will stay in my memory for ages,” she said. “I think there were 10 takes of this scene and I could see the invention and joy as he played with the lines and embellished it each time. There is a music to what [actors] are doing which to me is important to putting a scene together.” Also during the day, colorist Darren Mostyn, who runs Brighton, U.K.-based post facility Online Creative, gave a presen- tation about Blackmagic’s DaVinci Resolve, which he said has “become our tool of choice.” He described how the DaVinci toolset began with color grading and has expanded to now include editing and most recently sound ACE extends its thanks to Platinum sponsor Blackmagic; (Blackmagic acquired audio firm Fairlight in 2016). Mostyn also Gold sponsors Adobe, Avid and Motion Picture Editors Guild; emphasized Blackmagic’s responsiveness, adding, “the developers Silver sponsor Ignite; and media sponsors Optimize Yourself at Blackmagic really do listen to your requests.” and Televisual.

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t is fitting that the collection ofgoth- ic fiction, A Series of Unfortunate Events, comprises 13 individual tomes. The unlucky number is emblematic Iof the misfortune brought upon the intrepid trio at the center of this saga. When a dubious conflagration leaves the three Baudelaire children orphaned and home- less, they are sent to live with their distant relative, Count Olaf (Neil Patrick Harris). Violet (Malina Weissman), the eldest, and her brother Klaus (Louis Hynes) quickly realize their new guardian is not only cruel and vain, but solely after their sizable inheritance, which Violet will receive when she comes of age. Unwilling to accept their lot, the pair decides to take their infant sister, Sunny (Presley Smith), and escape Count Olaf’s dark manor. This sparks a deadly chase that lasts throughout the entire series. Lemony Snicket (Patrick Warburton) is the nom de plume of author Daniel Handler, who wrote all of the books and much of the Netflix series, and is the tortured narrator in both. Snicket often infuses the story with the series’ characteristic dark humor especially when he warns the reader/viewer not to continue because the story is just too tragic. Indeed, the entire look and feel of the series has a restrained gothic sensi- bility that looks at Edgar Allan Poe through director Barry Sonnenfeld’s eye. Sonnenfeld directed four of the eight episodes in season 1 including episodes 1 and 2. Stuart Bass, ACE, edited these episodes and two others in season 1 with editor , ACE, cutting the other four. Of course, this is not the first adapta- tion of the series. “Daniel Handler and Barry were attached to the movie, but had creative differences and left before it was made,” explains Bass. He is referring to the 2004 film starring Jim Carrey and directed by Brad Silberling. “Their dream project A Series Of was to come back to it and adapt each book into two one-hour episodes, instead of compressing three books into one movie.” Unfortunate Events Editing the show, Bass brings his deft ear for comedy without losing the dark Stuart Bass, ACE, describes edges of the narrative. Perennial hits like , and the events from the editing suite Development, as well as cult favorites like Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, MacGyver BY WALTER FERNANDEZ JR.

0030 CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 Above (L-R): Neil Patrick Harris, Malina Weissman, Presley Smith and Louis Hynes. Photo by Joe Lederer. ©Netflix, Inc. and Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23, it feels like a feature production schedule Drake as well as Glenn Cote, helping make have all benefited from his storytel- shooting three to five pages a day, but it’s sense of multilayered, 3-D environments ling and timing. He and Sonnenfeld still a TV post schedule and things are and organizing and getting approval on the have known each other for a little over pretty rushed and we’re kind of going nuts. staggering amount of opticals. a decade since they met on the show, Rather than individual, one-hour episodes Of Rapp, he says, “I’ve been working Notes from the Underbelly, and later we treat them as two-hour movies.” with Preston for about nine years and he is collaborated on and now The scale of the production is pretty great. He basically finishes my sentences. the Netflix series. extraordinary. There are some 1,900 visual He does a lot of the temp sound design Bass declares, “Netflix is fantastic. effects in season one and a tremendous work, tracks down stuff that’s going over The executives on the show, Brian Wright amount of ADR and scoring. The visual to visual effects, drop-ins, he’s got a great and Ted Biaselli, are very responsive. They effects crew is huge and there are daily creative eye and is a terrific editor. He is so don’t give notes as much as they give really conference calls with people around the ready to move up. I like to use the scripting good suggestions. We explore them and world. Fortunately, Bass has his own strong software on Avid. That’s a huge amount of they usually make the show better. I haven’t team working diligently at Pacific Post in work for the assistant and he knocks it out felt that tension that I’ve felt on network Hollywood. He gives a lot of credit to his pretty quickly in the morning so I can get shows. Often the studio and the network first assistant editor, Preston Rapp, orf on to the dailies.” However, Bass’ work are working against the writer’s vision. making the process much smoother. In the doesn’t begin with dailies. At Netflix it’s really very pleasant. first season his team also included seasoned “It starts before production,” con- Though often we are under tight deadlines, visual effects editors Linda and Miller fides Bass. “It starts at the table read. [On Unfortunate Events] I fly up to Vancouver and watch the table read. It’s so important. You get a sense of how the actors are going to play things, where the story lags, where the jokes are working, or whether the ending is quite working. Barry and I talk about what we’re going to look into before we start shooting. The more I know, the better job I do. If I can even be on the set when they’re shooting it makes a huge difference to how I approach the scenes. Any meeting with writers to discuss tone is helpful. The more I know the better job I do. I go into the scene with a vision of where the scene is going to go and where they come from.” In his approach to editing any given scene, Bass admits, “I have a weird way of editing that comes [partially] from the Moviola days. I’ll look at the dailies then I use the script software in the Avid so I’m looking only at the first three lines because that’s how much my mind can hold. I’ll look at all the angles and all the options for those three lines. And then I’ll cut it very precisely. I determine if there should be a pause before a line, or if the line has to be butted right up to another or even overlap a bit. Just like you do on a Moviola, where you take the film, mark the frame and make the splice. I’m very meticulous about each edit. When I’m done with the scene, it’s not rough – it’s pretty close. I might watch it through a couple of times and make some small adjustments. I’m not a person who’s going to put my

Top (L-R): K. Todd Freeman, Louis Hynes, Presley Smith, Joan Cusack and Malina Weissman. Photo by Joe Lederer. ©Netflix, Inc. CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 31 Bottom left: Editor Stuart Bass, ACE. Photo by Preston Rapp. Bottom right: Preston Rapp with Stuart Bass, ACE. Photo courtesy of Stuart Bass, ACE. favorite takes together and start tightening The day’s work is pretty well finished initially wanted to do a main title sequence up the scene and working it. I like to work before I go home. He likes to see where his that changed in every episode. [Composer] on a macro level.” coverage is, if there are too many close- Nick Urata put together the song and Bass and Sonnenfeld have worked ups, and what his scene are. they flew me to Vancouver to shoot it. on six shows together and it’s largely It can get hairy sometimes. One time, we I am my favorite director, the shots fall due to a shared sensibility and sense of had a scene that took three days to shoot. into place, so easy to cut. I’m very proud humor. There is a trust there that is strong It was just pieces for the first two days of this main title. It was fun to have that and Bass knows what he’s getting into. so there wasn’t much I could do with the kind of control and create something from He explains, “Barry is so good at getting editing. By the third day, all of a sudden, start to finish.” Bass is no stranger to the the right footage, the right angles and the I have to put together this nine-page scene director’s chair, however. He has helmed right sizes. The material goes together with many characters very quickly so he episodes of Max Glick, Melissa & Joey, fairly easily. Squeezing the subtext of can analyze and determine where and what and Don’t Trust the B----. the material becomes my focus. Really inserts we need and get that info to second At press time, production on the second analyzing the subtext of the scene and unit as they’re tearing the sets down to season of A Series of Unfortunate Events playing it. Barry gets the basics down make way for the next set. Crazy times.” was underway. Editor Skip Macdonald in a way that journeyman TV directors Even though he has the final word, () was unable to return for the usually don’t have the time to do. Most Sonnenfeld doesn’t micromanage post. second season due to scheduling conflicts of the time they’re just trying to make “He’s very collaborative. He always has with . Bass remains to what’s there coherent. The opening scene really great suggestions and we look at stuff carry over some of that first-season charm. [of Unfortunate Events] was quite chal- and make it better but he hates being in the For Bass, one of the benefits of working lenging when we find the orphans’ house editing room. We do a lot of communicating on this show is that he gets to share the has burned down. We go through numerous by email while we’re in dailies. When it’s experience with his son. “Michael wasn’t tones quickly: happy, mystery, tragedy. done, he might be in the editing room only really into the magic of the ‘Harry Potter’ The challenge is to do that so it doesn’t for a day or two on the two-hour show.” books but he really took to the realism become labored. The tone, even though it Bass was not only able to flex his editing and dark humor of Unfortunate Events. is tragic, is still funny. skills but got to sit behind the camera and We both took to it.” It must be extra fun to be “Barry works a little differently than direct the intricate opening credit sequence able to infuse your work with the elements any director I’ve ever worked with before,” for Unfortunate Events. He relishes that that made you and your son appreciate shares Bass. “He wants to see everything every episode, whether he edited it or something on another level. It brings a cut on the day. I’m always up to camera not, has his mark on it. “That was really certain amount of reverie to the work, which including sound effects and temp score. fun,” he gushes. “I pitched the idea. Barry is truly fortunate to every viewer.

0032 CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 Left top: Patrick Warburton. Left bottom (L-R): Neil Patrick Harris, Don Johnson, Catherine O’Hara,Photo andcredit Rhys goes Darby. here. Right: John DeSantis, Jacqueline Robbins, Joyce Robbins, Matty Cardarople, and Usman Ally Photos by Joe Lederer. ©Netflix, Inc. STUNNING 4K LONDON AERIAL FOOTAGE

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ACE_Capital City ad_April.indd 1 10/07/2017 3:49 pm Avril Beukes says let the story tell you how QUEEN SUGAR it needs to be edited

BY SCOTT LEHANE

va DuVernay’s Queen Sugar follows the life of Beukes explains that a few years back, even though she knew three siblings – Nova Bordelon (Rutina Wesley), DuVernay always worked with Averick, she mentioned that if the Charley Bordelon (Dawn-Lyen Gardner), and their two of them ever needed any help, “I’m available.” brother, Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe) – who inherit an Early last year, she got the call. The editors work from editorial A800-acre sugarcane farm in Louisiana. Now in its second season, suites in Sherman Oaks, Calif. The equipment (running Avid the series, which airs on OWN, tackles delicate issues of race version 8.6.3) is supplied and supported by Hula Post. and politics from a grassroots, personal level focusing on The series itself is filmed in New Orleans, and every night, the trials and tribulations of a black family trying to adjust to life FotoKem New Orleans uploads the dailies for the Los Angeles in the deep south. area-based editorial team to get working early the next morning. Based on a novel of the same name by Natalie Baszile, Each editor tackles a complete episode, in the order they come the series premiered last September with 13 episodes. Before it in, and they have roughly a month to work on each show. “By the even premiered, it was greenlit for a second 16-episode season, time I’ve finished my producer’s cut, I’ve started editing my next which premiered on June 20. show, so there’s a constant rollover. There’s never any slack time. Avril Beukes was one of three editors on season 2 of the You keep in the space; you just set out to work and you keep your show, along with Shannon Baker Davis and Shoshanah Tanzer. momentum going,” Beukes says. On season 1, Beukes joined editors Spencer Averick, ACE, and She notes that each editor works differently. “For me, I like JoAnne Yarrow. Incidentally, Davis and Paul Alderman (who also to have my assistant do a line cut for me.” Initially her assistant edited one episode on season 1) are alums of the ACE Diversity was Amy Parks, but she had to leave and Sean Linal Peterkin Mentorship Program. took over. “They are both awesome. Sean basically takes care

34 CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 Above (L-R): Kofi Siriboe, Rutina Wesley and Dawn-Lyen Gardner. Photo by Andrew Dosunmu. ©Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc./Courtesy of OWN. of everything for me so I can just arrive in the morning and get right into cutting. He keeps everything else at bay. And when I finish the first cut, we’ll work in tandem on laying up sound effects and music.” The other assistant editors on season 2 are Halima Gilliam and Alexander Aquino. “We have a great team led by our co-producer, Christiana Hooks. Our post supervisor is Ryan Stephens,” she adds. “We’re in contact with each other every day so we’re up-to-date on everything. It’s like a family.” Writer, director and producer DuVernay is very involved in the editing process. “Ava gets involved once we’ve done the first producer’s cut. She’s a powerhouse. She comes up with ideas and solutions to problems and it’s amazing. She’s the reason we’re all here. And the final cut is pretty much Ava’s cut.” “I think since she adapted the book and created a few of these characters, she knows them inside out, and if there was anything that was not true to the character, Ava would pick up on that,” Beukes adds. Indeed, the series is a character-driven story that invites viewers into the characters’ lives and gives a glimpse of the personal struggles. “It’s what Ava calls a ‘slow burn,’” says Beukes. “It’s like you’re just spending time with these people as if you were visiting the family. That’s a sensibility that’s very important to this show and it’s evident in the style in which it’s being “We all lock into that style. When I’m editing, I close the door shot and the style in which it’s being edited. and I don’t communicate much with people because I get into that space and immerse myself in the family’s world.” Stylistically, that calls for a very naturalistic approach, without gimmickry or fast cuts. “You’re trying to make the cuts about the story and not the technical aspects of the creation of the story,” says Beukes. “That is the most important thing. We don’t want to draw people away from the story. We don’t want people to sit there and say, ‘Oh look at that shot.’ We want people to be immersed in the world of Queen Sugar.” “We use a variety of different angles and the series has a cinematic look,” she adds. “As an editor you have to try differ- ent things. You try it and then you say, ‘No … that’s not what this series is,’ and then you just do it again.” For Beukes, whose background is feature films, she had to find her way into the style of Queen Sugar. “I have to remember that this is real life, so you’re slowing it down. To remain true to the vision of the show is always the challenge,” she says. “I think that’s true of every production that you work on. The production speaks to you. The production tells you how it needs to be edited. It’s not about you imposing your style on the picture – the picture tells As an editor you you what it wants to be. That’s always the challenge of editing, being able to give it what it wants. have to try different “For me the crucial thing about Queen Sugar is that it’s a series things. You try it that is trying to change people’s minds, to bring about change, so and then you say, it’s a series that matters,” concludes Beukes. “It is entertainment. ‘No … that’s not It’s wonderful entertainment but I think it has the ability to what this series is,’ activate people and to make them want to go out there and change and then you just things in the world. That’s why I love it. I want to work on do it again.” productions that have an effect on people’s lives. That is something that Ava does so well.”

Left top: Rutina Wesley and Dawn-Lyen Gardner. Photo by Skip Bolen. ©Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc./Courtesy of OWN. Left bottom: Editor Avril Beukes. CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 35 Photo by Rika Camizianos. Right top (L-R): Kofi Siriboe and Ethan Hutchison. Photo by Skip Bolen; Omar J. Dorsey and Tina Lifford. Photo by Alfonso Bresciani. Right bottom: Dawn-Lyen Gardner and Nicholas L. Ashe. Photo by Skip Bolen. ©Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc./Courtesy of OWN. BC drama This Is Us, created by Dan Fogelman for Fox Television, revolves around the family lives and connections Nof several people who all share the same birthday. In an ensemble cast the principal characters are siblings Kate () and Kevin (Justin Hartley) and their parents, Jack () and Rebecca () who adopt a third baby, Randall (Sterling K. Brown). The first season delivered 18 42-minute episodes with a second season of 18 set to premiere this September. Unusually, episodes weave through the stories of the past and present of the characters, with most scenes taking place in 1980, 1989–1995, and the present day (2016–2017). Flashback scenes take THIS IS US place in Pittsburgh, while current scenes are typically split between Los Angeles, New Jersey and New York. CinemaEditor talks with Brandi Bradburn, ACE (Grey’s Anatomy), who shared editing duties with Bjorn T. Myrholt (who also served on Grey’s Anatomy) and Julia Grove (Scandal). David Bertman edited the pilot.

CinemaEditor: Can you tell us how the pilot was used as a reference for the final show? Brandi Bradburn, ACE: The pilot for This Is Us is every bit the pace and tone and look of the show as it developed over the first season. It provided the perfect roadmap for the epi- Brandi Bradburn, ACE, describes fashioning sodes to follow. The pilot established the camera gently drifting to create the time-swapping relationship drama ‘found’ moments in the performances of the characters which lent itself BY ADRIAN PENNINGTON to the unencumbered structure that allows for clean, natural storytelling. It effortlessly moves from several points in time with a simple cut as the device for the transition.

CE: What discussions did you have with series writer Dan Fogelman and the directors in terms of approach? BB: The overall approach and direction we were given by the creator/show- runner, Dan Fogelman, EP Donald Todd, producing director Ken Olin, and the EPs/directors, Glen Ficarra and John Requa, was to tell the story in a transparent, uncomplicated fashion, letting the performances and visuals

36 CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 Top: Mandy Moore and Milo Ventimiglia. Middle: Sterling K. Brown and . Bottom: Justin Hartley and Chrissy Metz. ©NBCUniversal Media, LLC. unfold naturally. This approach proves For example, in “The Pool,” grown- CE: How challenging was it to weave to be more intensive editorially as up Kevin struggles to make a fresh multiple storylines and time periods? we strive to make the performance, start in a sudden move to New York, BB: The show relies heavily on structure, pace and rhythm feel clean but quickly finds himself in over his makeup, hair, costume and production and uncomplicated. Effortless story- head. Juxtaposed to this moment is design to take the storylines across telling requires a lot of creative effort. young Kevin nearly drowning after he time. Each era is often enhanced crosses into the deep end of the pool. with period music and differences in CE: In particular, could you tell In addition to the metaphor, seeing the lighting and color timing. In the cutting us how you evolved the nonlinear origin of his struggle right up against room, maintaining clarity when weav- structure of the series? the present imbues more significance ing multiple storylines is paramount. BB: While nonlinear storytelling is and weightiness to both moments. Also, great care is taken to keep nothing new, I think the structural We are reliably informing the audience consistent the subtleties created in approach on the page and in the cutting about the present-day characters by editing for each timeline across the room particular to This Is Us makes cutting back to when the seeds were episode and in later episodes. Each era the show feel fresh and compelling. planted in the past. has its own rhythm and feel.

CE: How were the episodes divided among the editors? BB: We were on a typical three- editor rotation. My first episode was “The Pool,” co-written by Dan Fogelman and Donald Todd. Another episode I was particularly happy with was “The Best Washing Machine in the Whole World” that among other storylines really delved into the complicated relationship between brothers Kevin and Randall. This episode also included an emotional sequence between the brothers that unfolds during a high school football game. Bjorn edited the powerful episode that took place primarily in Memphis where we learn more about Randall’s biological father and witness him succumbing to his cancer. Julia edited the season cliffhanger. The three of us would informally discuss tonal notes and temporal storylines to ensure we were creating a cohesive editorial approach. We would explore the character arcs and throughlines together to better understand where we needed to take each scene, sequence and episode.

CE: Who were your assistants on the show? BB: Editing was intense for the editors and accordingly intense for the assistant editors Adrienne McNally, Nick Rucka and Brett Jozel. My assistant editor, Adrienne, contributed greatly during the season when building and putting each episode together. In addition to keeping me in dailies, updating music cues and organizing all that comes in and out of the cutting room, Adrienne was essential in building and cutting in realistic sound beds, sound effects

Top (L-R): Sterling K. Brown, Justin Hartley, Chrissy Metz and Susan Kelechi Watson. Bottom left: and Chrissy Metz. CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 37 Photos by Ron Batzdorff/NBC. Bottom right: Ron Cephas and Faithe Herman. ©NBCUniversal Media, LLC. and initial placement of cues and songs, all the while practicing her own editing skills on her downtime. She would often cut scenes and we would watch my cut scenes in compari- son so that she could hone and refine her own editing skills. Her hard work paid off this year when she was hired as a picture editor for a new fall series.

CE: How much latitude did you feel you had in terms of crafting the show? BB: The editing room was highly collaborative and I enjoyed working closely with the directors, the writers, and Dan, of course. Once the tone and style of the show was established, the editors were given a lot of latitude in crafting the storytelling within those The serendipity of the stories offered parameters. It is definitely not a paint- so much creativity in the cutting by-numbers show, and the footage allows for myriad interpretations. room, and we as editors felt very Yet it wasn’t uncommon for a lyrical trusted and integral to the process.” montage to virtually remain untouched through the editor’s cut to picture lock. The serendipity of the stories offered so much creativity in the cutting room, and we as editors felt very trusted and integral to the process.

CE: How challenging was it to communicate the emotional sub- ject matter and relationships in this show? BB: It was a creative challenge to keep all the balls in the air, so to speak, when it came to communicating on an emotional level. The many versions of these characters allowed for so much depth which was great, but the naturalistic approach to the style, performances and tone of the show was sometimes hard-won in the cutting room. We are not relying on traditional coverage or common tropes, and the camera is very fluid. Finding those CE: Could you detail for us a scene proach to present the game and the stolen moments our cinematographer which proved most challenging? storytelling. We came at it from an Yasu Tanida gave us contributed so BB: One of the more challenging impressionistic point of view, and took much to achieving the emotional sequences I met during season one was what would normally be a football response we were trying to get the football game in “The Best Washing game trope into an impression- from the audience. I think the subtlety Machine in the Whole World.” Because of istic montage serving up the heated of the show is where its strength lies. the naturalistic style of the show, emotions with flashes of reactions We are not ‘putting anything on it’ I could not rely on a traditional structure and physical action supported by a to exact a reaction or overtly manipu- to the game. I was also tasked with stunning cue from our composer. lating the emotion of the scenes. keeping a deeply emotional story alive It was a long road to get there with Thankfully, our wildly-talented cast while the game progressed on the a few frames here and there making all gives us the performances we need field. Again, not paint-by-numbers, the difference. I was extremely proud to achieve this. so I had to craft a fluid, lyrical ap- of the final sequence.

38 CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 Top: Editor Brandi Bradburn, ACE. Photos courtesy of Brandi Bradburn, ACE. Bottom (L-R): Milo Ventimiglia, Mackenzie Hancsicsak, Parker Bates, Lonnie Chavis and Mandy Moore. ©NBCUniversal Media, LLC. We’re here when need us

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Donenfeld & Associates 8367 W 4th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048 310.756.5700 The Crown

Pia Di Ciaula helps Stephen Daldry deliver Peter Morgan’s empathetic Princess Elizabeth to the screen

BY ISABEL SADURNI

riginally from Canada, picture editor Pia Di Ciaula, Dunkley and Yan Miles, ACE. Una, Yan and I are also editors moved from Toronto to London 20 years ago for the second season. to pursue work as a film and television editor. Peter Morgan wanted a very open door policy so With a strong background in editing female- everyone could watch all the rushes and collaborate as Odriven historical dramas such as A Quiet Passion and Elle, much as possible. Occasionally, on Friday afternoons, as well as TV series Tess of the D’Urbervilles, joining he would invite all the editors for tea and we would Stephen Daldry on the team for The Crown to tell the show each other a scene. It was fascinating because story of the early reign of Queen Elizabeth seemed like we could discuss what temp music we were using, ask if a natural fit. The series is created and executive produced we could borrow shots, and discuss visual effects. by Peter Morgan, produced by Left Bank Pictures and Sony Each show was like a feature film but we had to keep Pictures for Netflix and stars Claire Foy as Princess Elizabeth track of the characters and story arc so we would often and Matt Smith as Prince Philip. CinemaEditor caught up ask the other editors to show us certain scenes that could with Di Ciaula in London where she worked with the post- affect our own episodes. production team for The Crown seasons 1 and 2. Lee Walpole led the sound design team at Boom. I have an extensive sound library but if I need something CinemaEditor: There were five different directors in particular that could enhance my edit, Lee sends it over. and eight different editors working on The Crown. Since I started in sound, it’s very important and integral Could you tell us a little bit about the editorial team to how I edit picture. I’m very hands on in the mix but and how you all worked together? Lee and the whole team really elevate our temp tracks and Pia Di Ciaula: On The Crown, the directors hire their help develop our ideas. own editors so I worked with Stephen Daldry. The other During production all the editors were based at Molinare editors on the first season were Una Ni Dhonghaile, which is responsible for picture post, conforms, some VFX. Kristina Hetherington, Stuart Gazzard, Mark Eckersley, Luke The colorist, also at Molinare, is Asa Shoul. Nicki Mousley is

40 CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 Above: Claire Foy and Matt Smith. Photo by Robert Viglasky. ©Netflix, Inc. the post producer. Ben Turner leads the team at facility One of Us for our visual effects. During the first season, we had one first assistant editor, Dan Gage, who delegated the tasks to our three second assistant editors and one trainee. Since we were such a Our love of the show, large team, the assistants were in the loft and too remote passion about the craft from the editors who were spread out over three floors. and healthy competitive On the second season, we all agreed that not only should spirits keep us on the editors hire their own first assistants but also that we should all be as close as possible. We now have five our toes and inspired first assistants, two second assistants and one trainee. in order to make I hired Charlotte Bradley, who was my first assistant editor the best show possible.” on Journeyman. It’s more efficient because there is only one point of contact and that person is responsible for the task but there is still much collaboration between the assistants. Some excel in visual effects, others in sound so it’s a very harmonious team. Despite the fact that the director/editor teams have their own relationships, different ways of working and unique creative styles, it’s still one big team effort. Our love of the show, passion about the craft and healthy competitive spirits keep us on our toes and inspired in order to make the best show possible.

CE: What led to your getting involved in The Crown? PDC: Seven years ago, I worked for Left Bank Pictures and [CEO] Andy Harries recommended me to Stephen Daldry, who directed The Crown’s episodes 1 and 2 of season 1 and episodes 8 and 9 of season 2. I’m especially delighted to be able to work with him on this because I wasn’t available when we tried to work together on two previous occasions: first, when I was editingFinding Altamira for Hugh Hudson, the second time Stephen called while I was cutting A Quiet Passion for Terence Davies. So when I got the third call, it was a matter of “Do you want to do this?” And of course, how could I not? Knowing that Peter [Morgan] had written it based on a topic that he knows inside and out, having won an Oscar® (for scripting 2006 feature The Queen) as well as the Tony Award-winning play, The Audience. That Stephen was directing sealed the deal.

CE: How did your creative relationship with Stephen Daldry evolve? PDC: Stephen and I didn’t know each other when we first started collaborating. I began work just two days before he went to South Africa for the first week of shooting. I was downloading or streaming rushes everyday via Pix from Cape Town where they shot all the footage for the scene where the Queen goes on a Commonwealth tour and goes to Treetops in Kenya. I had to send him an assembly every evening because it would inform how he shot the following day. So you can imagine I was getting hours of material and it was a lot of pressure, but he started trusting my instincts and my taste.

Left: Claire Foy. ©Netflix, Inc. Right top: Editor Pia Di Ciaula. Photo courtesy of Pia di Ciaula. CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 41 Right bottom: Claire Foy and Vanessa Kirby. Photo by Alex Bailey. ©Netflix, Inc. CE: You had met for the first time on The Crown and are now moving into season 2. What dynamics made your relationship with Daldry a success? PDC: For Stephen, who’s also a theater director, it’s about performance. Stephen adds humor and magic to so many scenes. When I get rushes, there are unexpected little gifts throughout. He’s been nominated for three Oscars, and as brilliant as Peter’s script is, Stephen develops things. What I’ve noticed is that he’ll ask the actors to play the scene a certain way and then he’ll ask them to do some- thing completely different and unexpected. And that’s what he asks me to do sometimes. For example, we were grading a flashback, and the average show might desaturate the flashback, but Stephen said, “Why don’t we do the opposite, why don’t we grade reality a bit colder and why don’t we grade the flashback with a warmer hue?” So now, I often say to myself, whatever your instincts are, you also have to try the opposite.

CE: What were some of the biggest challenges in editing this project? PDC: One of the biggest challenges was to tell a very emotional story without being judgmental, without senti- mentalizing, without tears, without using close-ups all the time, and without trying to manipulate the audience. Stephen would never do that. For example, when Princess Elizabeth is told that her father, the King, is dead, Stephen shot Matt Smith and Claire Foy in a wide shot in the garden because the last thing you want to do is show Elizabeth in close-up crying and it paid off. Episode two, “Hyde Park Corner,” that I edited, had additional challenges because Elizabeth and Philip go to Kenya on safari. The actors were not shot with any animals present so I had the exciting challenge of adding all kinds of animals throughout the film and making them feel organic to the setting. One major scene was their encounter with an Stephen does like seeing the whole package, how the elephant. I had to composite many layers for the elephant film is going to be when we’re finished and mixed. Directors at a place called Treetops – dust, bushes, individual actors almost expect a full mix in reviewing even assemblies. It’s sometimes from different takes and so on. There were often not to take the work away from sound editors; it’s what’s up to 10 layers per shot and our second assistant editor, Ben expected. So, when I cut picture, I always have my own Whitehead, excelled at improving and finessing my comps. temp track of sound effects, ambiences, sometimes I even So much so that I suggested that he get a visual effects put foley on if a certain character’s footsteps are important. I began as an assistant camera [operator] and then I moved into assisting in sound effects and dialogue so I appreciate what sound can do in enhancing the film, and that is why I have extensive libraries of foley and temp music that I draw from. I try to present it as closely as possible to a real sound mix. The benefit of that is that I might EQ something and it takes me down a different path and I might emphasize a scene from a slightly different perspective. By the end of the shoot, Stephen’s seen every assembly of the previous day’s shoot so that it can inform the following day’s shoot, but he doesn’t like to see the full assembly until everything’s shot. He doesn’t want to cloud his judgment with how the scenes connect until it’s all done. It was unusual for me, but he came to it very fresh and was able to react to it with his instincts without having been overloaded with it for weeks on end.

42 CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 Left top: Jared Harris (left). Left bottom: Claire Foy and Matt Smith. Right: Claire Foy. Photos by Alex Bailey. ©Netflix, Inc. editing credit on this episode. Ben was also generous in Philip on the TV monitor that I stole from another episode. sharing his knowledge with the other assistants. I even put temp music so that Stephen could see how it would flow and how it could be emotional. Stephen loved CE: Talk about your process in shaping a scene. the idea and asked the research department to investigate PDC: Normally, I’ll send an assembly of a scene directly what really happened during that time. I was so pleased to the director. If I have a feeling about something, I’ll cut to find out that the night before he died in real life, the an alternate version of a scene. It could be to strengthen King actually did ask about Elizabeth’s progress on the tour, the subtext or to try different pieces of temp score. Also I’ll so Stephen felt justified in adding that scene because it try intercutting with different scenes. That’s something that was based in reality. Stephen likes to do, to keep it exciting and unexpected. I might cut a version from one or more character’s POV, CE: There are a lot of characters here. I’m wondering if or to reveal the subtext. Sometimes, I get people’s opinions, there were exchanges between editors to offer insights to test whether they notice the same things I notice, or, into a character’s evolution or how you keep track. if I think there’s an issue. Otherwise, I go with my instincts. PDC: Peter Morgan knew these characters inside out and would check the tone and keep it consistent. With regards to CE: Were there any things you discovered or created keeping character’s relationships and character arcs clear, in the edit that didn’t exist in the script? what I always do is tack up the headshots of the actors with PDC: When I received the King’s singing duet with Princess the names of their characters underneath. So all the actors Margaret, the following scene was the King being found that are in my show are on one side of the wall. Then on the dead the following morning. For me, the transition was other side of the wall I have one image from every scene in too abrupt. I needed to reinforce the emotional connection the show. So we can see the whole film in one big picture. between father and daughter that we see later in the scene All the editors on The Crown do it now. where Elizabeth discovers that her father’s dead, because they don’t see each other in person in that episode at CE: What editing system were you using and how did all. So I suggested shooting a scene where the King is you get your effects delivered and ingested? getting ready for bed and he’s watching Elizabeth on the PDC: I’m on Avid and we were getting DNx 36 rushes from television as she goes on her Commonwealth tour in Kenya. various cameras – the Sony F55 for the main footage, from So I did a mock up of that. I created cards describing the Alexa Mini and Red Helium for aerials and drone footage. the action. I put the actual archive material of Elizabeth and We were using the Helium for some of the helicopter shots.

Above: Claire Foy (center). Photo by Alex Bailey. ©Netflix, Inc. CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 43 The Handmaid’s Tale Wendy Hallam Martin and Christopher Donaldson bring the full force of Margaret Atwood’s prophetic novel to the screen

BY ADRIAN PENNINGTON

ased on Margaret Atwood’s 1985 best-selling novel, The first three episodes were directed by Reed Morano, who The Handmaid’s Tale is ripe for retelling, given today’s was also an executive producer on the series, and aired by Hulu as social and political climate. The series is set in the one block (with the following episodes released week by week). near-future where citizens are ruled by a totalitarian , ACE, was responsible for the first cut of Bregime that treats women as property of the state and forces the pilot which is also the first episode. A scheduling conflict fertile women to bear children for powerful men and their wives. forced him to leave the show and it fell to Wendy Hallam Martin The tale focuses on Offred (Elisabeth Moss) who vows to survive (The Borgias) to cut the outstanding scenes and finish the director’s in this hellish new world. Gilead – the town in which the story is set cut and the following producer/network cuts. – is a chilling noiseless place which hides stomach-churning events “The mandate was to up the pace of the entire show and to within its walls. The tight shots on Moss’ face let us follow every create an episode that had momentum but which still maintained second of Offred’s anguish, or grief or steely determination. the moments of oppression the handmaids felt and the heightened The 10-part series was created by Bruce Miller for streaming sense of fear and terror,” explains Hallam Martin. “The notion service Hulu and produced by MGM Television, White Oak driving all of us was to keep it as real as possible. The very first Pictures and The Littlefield Company. It was shot and edited in scene, which hadn’t been shot by the time I came on board, was Canada, in keeping with Atwood’s and the story’s North of Offred and her child running through a forest trying to escape American milieu. capture. There was a moment where we were asked why she

0044 CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 Above: Elisabeth Moss as Offred. Photo by Take Five/Hulu. couldn’t run faster. But she is holding her child’s hand. She can’t austere colors and intense lingering close-ups on Moss – but both run faster, that’s the reality, that’s how it would look and so that editors observe that her attention to sound is unique. is what we used. The show was designed, in direction, camera, “In the editing room, so much of Reed’s conduit to the emotion costume, color palette, set design, to tell the story through Offred’s of a scene is through the sound design and music,” says Donaldson. point of view so the pace needed to reflect her situations.” “We spent a lot of time figuring what this world sounds like; Hallam Martin was soon joined on the project by Christopher from the creak of the wood floors to the expressionistic design in Donaldson (Penny Dreadful) who recalls the impression the text the flashbacks and to heighten the VFX.” had made on him at high school. Hallam Martin notes that they always had 24 tracks of “The novel is a part of the canon here in Canada, and I had audio running, as sound was just as important as the pictures. read it a few years after it came out. Before I got the job, I was “Our assistant, Ana Yavari, was constantly creating cool sent the first script, Reed’s ‘look book’ and a Spotify playlist she soundscapes. When we finished a scene, we would throw it to had created. On some level, everything the show is was in those her to ‘Reed-ify’ it. The sound for getting into flashbacks was three things. Bruce’s script was an incredible read; Offred’s voice especially important as we didn’t want to use any gimmicks (i.e. was crystal clear and the writing was already totally in control of color saturation, dissolves) The sound was instrumental in telling its tone. It read like a thriller but with so much room for stillness the audience that we were somewhere else.” and poetry. And Reed’s ‘look book’ was incredibly expressive. In episode two there is a birth scene which was shot in a small Her choices of imagery and color, and her amazing description of bedroom crowded with onlookers (wives, fellow handmaids). how it would all feel, made everything come to life.” “There was a lot of footage so Reed and I first honed down to Judgment of pace was key since stillness is essential to telling what we thought was the essence of the scene, which is that the Offred’s story. She can only react to events internally, since any handmaid is going through not only the physical stress of giving movement or any word out of place would put her in danger. birth but the emotional stress that her baby is going to be taken “At the same time this is not Bergman,” says Donaldson, refer- away from her immediately,” says Hallam Martin. “The situation is ring to the famed Swedish Ingmar Bergman. “You have also surreal and absurd. We chose to play on that by concentrating to allow as much air in the scenes as possible and find the balance on the mantras of ‘breathe’ and ‘push’ chanted by the handmaids. between stillness and action. The very first cuts of every episode We shaped the scene around this sound. I’ve never worked feature a lot of stillness since we are establishing the tone.” with someone so focused on finding the emotional truth of Because of Morano’s career as a cinematographer, much of a scene through sound.” what has been noted about the show is its striking visuals – pared The pilot set the tone, but the show’s template was set in down sets, a mix of blinding white and desaturated lighting, the first three episodes. This was a function of them all being

Left top: Editor Christopher Donaldson. Photo by Tad Seaborn. Left bottom: Editor Wendy Hallam Martin. Photo by Brooke Palmer. CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 45 Right: Madeline Brewer and Elisabeth Moss (center). Photo by George Kraychyk/Hulu. written by Miller and directed by Morano, but also because the “It was also my first chance to spend time with Bruce, who editors felt that the emotional and aesthetic range of the series would be in and out as he wrote,” he continues. “Bruce has such ran through all three. a warm, inclusive energy, and this allows you to take real risks “The brutality, absurdity, poetry, violence, madness and, very in your cutting, because you know he won’t destroy you for importantly, the sense of humor were all laid out across those three,” presenting something that almost nearly works. He insists you says Donaldson. “We were very happy when Hulu decided to make bring your own voice to the table and made it very clear from the all three available at once, because we felt like they were one piece.” beginning that he expected us to push the material as far as we Editorial duties were divided episode by episode with Hallam could, and that if he thought we went too far, he’d bring us back. Martin taking 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 and Donaldson responsible This was in terms of music, sound design and simply the way we for 2, 4, 6 and 9. Aaron Marshall joined the team ‘as relief pitcher’ made our way through the footage.” to edit episode 8. For example, in episode 3, there is a flashback to a protest One of the luxuries of working for an online-only platform like by the people against the state/armed forces in which Donaldson Hulu is that the episodes are not tied to a specific network time used a combination of slo-mo and real-time footage. “I thought constraint. Episodes ran anywhere from 47 minutes to 59 minutes as I’d used too much, but Bruce indicated I should use even more. dictated by the story. The crew shot in blocks – the first three, then in We ended up with a very emotional sequence that would have blocks of two. The season finale was shot as a lone episode. been less effective had it been cut down.” “Chris and I would often get lapped with new dailies coming in Hallam Martin affirms Miller’s role in giving them the latitude as we were cutting with directors on previous episodes,” says Hallam to craft the show. “Bruce wanted us to do what we thought was Martin. “We basically had four days to assemble after they finished best to tell the story. Very few internal scene changes were shooting our episode but most of the time we were still dealing with ever done after the fact. It was mostly bigger story points to the previous episode as well. So, we could have three episodes all in accentuate, minimize or expand upon in the director’s cut stages the air at one time. We often showed each other scenes for feedback and producer’s cut stages. Chris and I bounced ideas off each and we screened each other’s episodes as well.” other and screened each other’s shows for input. The best part Donaldson visited the set once, on a day where they were shooting was that each department (including post) were all on the same Elisabeth Moss alone in her room. “I hadn’t seen any footage yet, page creatively so nothing was too far out of the palette that but watching her and Reed work was incredibly inspiring,” he says. Reed and Bruce created.” “It was literally a day of watching Lizzie ‘think’ on screen. And it The Handmaid’s Tale is disturbing and psychologically violent was transfixing. I knew we were on to something. with most of the physical violence (which includes hanging, eyes

46 CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 Left: Life in the oppressive Republic of Gilead. Right top: Alexis Bledel. Right bottom: Ann Dowd and Elisabeth Moss. Photos by George Kraychyk/Hulu. being gouged out and a literal kicking to death) left off-screen. (she can reproduce but she can’t have sex) and she goes through a The fulcrum of the violence, however, is the ritual rape, called the range of intense emotions. Ceremony, which handmaids are forced to endure. “I was given one CU where Alexis starts in shock and ends in a “We wanted to tell this from Offred’s point of view and how it scream. It took too long to play it in one shot, so I ended up doing a was affecting her directly,” says Hallam Martin. “Most of the time series of jump-cuts to showcase the progression. It was very effective we didn’t show the specific act of violence; it was mainly the event as and became a signature of the show when emotions are just too seen by the women. For example, in the first episode the handmaids overwhelming for a character. I did it again at the end of episode 7. have the chance to beat up a [alleged] ‘rapist’ and we never see They need to be earned, so we use this technique very sparingly.” the violence on the victim although we see the blood flying around Donaldson selects the Ceremony scene in episode 2. By design, the handmaids and their expressions. The Ceremony itself is shot it’s a very different kind of horror than the [more psychologically from Offred’s POV and shows heightened moments during the act. violent] Ceremony in episode 1. “Offred has disassociated from the The midwife’s hand on her arm, for example, a ceiling detail, the act,” he explains. “The first part of the scene is her stream of con- lower extremity of the commander. These details are shown before sciousness, played against abstract details of the ceiling above her. revealing what is happening to her and makes it much scarier since I built the sound design to be completely incongruous, natural and your mind has to fill in .” idyllic, the complete opposite of the same scene in the episode 1. Hallam Martin’s favorite scene to cut is the final scene in The trick was to move from this expressionistic portion, to the episode 3 where Ofglen (Alexis Bledel) wakes up and doesn’t almost completely flat second half of the scene, where Offred says know what happened to her. Aunt Lydia enters the hospital she wishes the Commander would ‘hurry the f*** up.’” room and explains that she “won’t want what she can’t have.” Critically acclaimed, the series has been recommissioned for It takes Ofglen a few moments to realize what has happened to her a second season.

Above: Life in the oppressive Republic of Gilead. Photos by George Kraychyk/Hulu. CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 47 BY ADRIAN PENNINGTON

Season One | Episode 10 “The Cost” | Directed by Brad Anderson

HBO crime drama The Wire ran for 60 episodes over five seasons (2002-08) peeling back layers of Baltimore society. Politics, police, social welfare, media, education and the city’s dock workers were united in crisscrossing storylines featuring dozens of characters. The final five minutes from season 1, episode 10, “The Cost,” directed by Brad Anderson are examined by Kate Sanford, ACE, who edited 19 of the episodes. “[Show creator] David Simon and the team of writers had such a unique, special voice, with an urgent political agenda,” says Sanford. “We needed to make sure that multiple, complex beats within each scene were clear while making room for more contemplative moments without any dialogue. Episode 10 is a good example of this balance.”

In this sequence, Officer Kima Greggs and club owner Orlando have gone undercover to carry out a ‘buy-bust,’ an operation where money and drugs are exchanged and law enforcement can make an immediate arrest.

“The scene is particularly effective in building tension and also making the point that an undercover ‘buy-bust’ can be extremely dangerous,” says Sanford. “Throughout the series there has been a great dispute over this strategy of policing. Our main characters always advocate for the more patient, information-gathering strategy of audio and video surveillance in order to build a case – via the wire.

“We begin by establishing Kima, Orlando and the dealer in their car, then check in with characters McNulty and Daniels in their car, and Carver and Sydnor in another.

“A shot of Kima’s car, through the foreground piles of tires and trash, is typical of The Wire’s visual style, implying surveillance. In this case, it also implies the suspicion of an unseen observer.

48 CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 The Wire title artwork and images © Home Box Office, Inc. All rights reserved. “After the dealer gets out of the car, Kima tries to assess her location and let the other ‘backup’ cars know. We cut back to a tracking shot behind two mysterious figures who are approaching Kima’s car.

“The omniscient perspective we usually employ on the series shifts dramatically as soon as shots are fired. The audience is no longer privileged to know what occurred. We shift into a more subjective point of view, aligned with the officers who have been listening on the wire and were in radio communication with Kima, but have now lost contact and must scramble desperately to reach her to bring help.”

She continues: “Our characters and more backup cars arrive at the scene, and McNulty pulls Kima’s body out of the car. The roar of the helicopter and the approaching backup cars remain the dominant soundtrack, with dialogue shouted over the backgrounds and sound effects. Cutting continues to be fast and build tension as our characters wait. These shots include moves and focus pulls, reinforcing a documentary shooting style.

“Music in the series is only used diegetically, or as scripted montage, usually at the end of each season. Sound effects, layered backgrounds and dialogue must drive all of the action. This was a strategy that began in the pilot episode.

“The sequence ends in suspense, with an overhead tableau through the helicopter POV, and the audience must wait until next week to find out if Kima has survived,” she adds. “Pulling back to find a perspective of Baltimore is also how the series ends in season 5. An impersonal radio dispatch voice reminds us that this is another day in the life of the city.”

CINEMAEDITOR QTR 3 / 2017 / VOL 67 49 PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE 100 UNIVERSAL CITY PLAZA PAID BUILDING 9128, ROOM 260 SANTA ANA, CA UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIFORNIA 91608 PERMIT NO. 1882

INCLUDING OUTSTANDING SINGLE-CAMERA PICTURE EDITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES “CHAPTER ONE: THE VANISHING OF WILL BYERS” - DEAN ZIMMERMAN “CHAPTER SEVEN: THE BATHTUB” - KEVIN D. ROSS

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