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Star Wars
to Star Editor
Fireside Chat with Bruce Green, A.C.E.
by Liza McDonald
May 27 was the one-year anniversary of the Fireside Chat "Conversation with..." series, at which assistant editors get the opportunity to interact with successful editors. In a nice bit of symmetry, the speaker for the milestone was Bruce Green, A.C.E., not only a successful editor, but also the person who suggested the concept for the Chats in the first place.
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with his mentor, Michael Kahn. |
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"Michael took teaching as seriously as editing," Bruce told the attendees at his Fireside Chat. "He would show the assistants his first cut and his successive cuts, and explain why he did what he did."
To illustrate his point, Bruce played a scene from "Raiders" in which a group of men are walking and talking in the desert. Playing it a second time, he pointed out the previously "invisible" jump cut Michael had made in the middle of a long tracking shot. "He encouraged us to have the attitude, 'This cut's never gonna work; that's why I've got to try it.' He taught me to let go of my preconceptions, to see the material in a new way, and to free myself up from the rules.
"In the picture I just cut, 'Runaway Bride'," Bruce added, "I wanted to add more energy to a scene where the two main characters are arguing. The footage was shot with handheld cameras, with the camera operators crossing back and forth in front of each other. One piece I ended up using actually had an operator going by in it, but he's out of focus enough to look like part of the set decoration. I was a little nervous the first time we screened it for an audience. Garry Marshall [the film's director] offered to try a trick he used to use when he screened his television shows for executives: have his sister Penny drop an ashtray just before the questionable cut. The distraction will last long enough for the cut to go by unnoticed."
In addition to watching examples of Bruce's work on other films - including "Home Alone 3", "Punchline", "Cool Runnings" and "While You Were Sleeping" - the assistants in attendance had plenty of time to ask him questions. Here's a sampling:
How did you get your first union job?
I had been a camera assistant for Haskell Wexler, but I started in editorial at Roger Corman's company. A friend of mine was an assistant on "Star Wars" and asked me to come on and handle the opticals. The Guild got involved and unionized the show, so all the assistants got into the union that way.
When did you get your first feature editing job?
I went on a cattle call for "Friday the 13th, Part 5", at Paramount, in the middle of assisting on "Temple of Doom." Up to that point, Michael, who had just won the Academy Award for "Raiders of the Lost Ark", had said, "Stay with me, and when I think you're ready to cut I'll help you get a job and I'll guarantee your work. I'll tell the people: If you're not happy, I'll come in and cut the film myself for free." All my friends looked down their noses at the project, but the studio didn't and neither did Michael. I ended up doing three horror pictures in a row: "Friday the 13th, Parts 5 and 6" and "April Fool's Day".
My first A-list picture was "Punchline" with Sally Field and Tom Hanks. The studio had called Michael about it, but he said, "I can't do it, why don't you hire Bruce?" His recommendation, plus the fact that I had just signed with a well-respected agent, ultimately convinced them. "Punchline" had both comedy and dramatic scenes, so it showed off my abilities.
So it's important to have an agent?
Having an agent gives you a stamp of approval. The people who employ you don't want to talk to you about money. They're used to talking to agents.
Once you have the job, how do you approach the editing?
I come up with a point of view about each scene. What is the basic story I need to tell? Is there a subtext in the story or the actor's performance that I can weave in? Then, I cut it together quickly to get the overall structure, using what I consider to be the correct angles. Then I go back and make sure I got the best performance in each of those angles. If there's a better reading in another angle, I see if I can steal the reading.
A lot of editing is temperament - as well as talent and the knowledge you gain each time you cut a film. Some directors, like Steven Spielberg, could probably do a brilliant job cutting a film, but most don't have the time or the temperament to do it. They don't "get" the rhythm of cutting. Fortunately, they've got other things to do.
What's the main difference between cutting drama and comedy?
Adding five frames to the head or tail of a dramatic close-up of William Hurt in "The Doctor" wouldn't have hurt the shot. But in comedy, with a setup and punchline, five frames can ruin the rhythm of the joke. Comedy is the only editing that is frame specific.
Does working on the Avid make things easier?
Yes and no. You don't have little two-frame trims everywhere, but you're expected do more sound and music editing. I'm not a better editor on the Avid than I was on the Moviola. Also, the Avid is easier on you, physically, so the older editors have longer careers. That's tough on the younger editors coming up.
How do you like to work with your assistants?
I try to run a fairly open cutting room - a sort of "benevolent dictatorship" - except when the director is in the room. Then there is a definite hierarchy.
I like to have an open environment for ideas. After I cut a sequence, I'll show it to an assistant and get feedback and advice. I think it's fun for them. I know it was fun for me when Michael would show us what he was working on. I work very hard, but I like to have fun. I just like being around people who like being in the cutting room.
Liza McDonald has worked with Bruce Green as additional editor on
"The Other Sister" and "Runaway Bride".
Reprinted from
The Motion Picture Editors Guild Newsletter
Vol. 20, No. 4 - July/August1999
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