Secrets of Film Editors

Why Are We Still Talking about Editing Secrets?

Read original article HERE

by Suzanne Raga

mental_floss

Nice article, but continues to say that editors rely on instinct and that our work, when done well, is invisible. That instinct is more about feeling the rhythm and emotional pull of each scene. Editors guide the viewer by showing them what to care about. It is similar to a composer creating a symphony.

As to being invisible, some of our most iconic films bring the editing front and center, such as Easy Rider. The biggest tent pole films in the last few years do the same. Think of the Marvel films and any other action film that jumps everywhere especially during fight scenes. The cutting there is more about ramping up the emotions of the audience than being invisible.

Sure, we don't want to call attention to the editing, that would damage the story and throw our audience out of the experience. Editing is not invisible, it is a shorthand that audiences today have internalized from a young age. If anything, editors are pushed to cut more frequently and give the impression that a story is moving along at a faster clip than in decades past.

We need to stop talking about the secrets and expose our work for what it is. We must internalize the language of film such that we can bend the rules to get the most out each moment. In collaboration with our partners, the director, producers, and composer we are the last storyteller. We guide the audience, showing them who and what to care about.