(L to R) Peter Boyle, Michael Horton, Hervé de Luze, Robert Rosen, Thelma Schoonmaker and Martin Walsh. Photo by Steve Cohen.

The day before the Academy Awards, the five people nominated for this year’s Film Editing Oscar gathered at the Egyptian Theater for the third annual Invisible Art/Visible Artists seminar. Contributing to the growing attention given to editing, the seminar offers the nominees a chance to discuss their work in front of a diverse audience. This year, the theater was filled to capacity with a crowd eager to see clips from the films and hear insights from Peter Boyle, Hervé de Luze, Michael Horton, Thelma Schoonmaker and Martin Walsh.

Their work was fascinating in its diversity, ranging from the epic challenges of Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and Gangs of New York to the musical vibrancy of Chicago, the intimacy of The Hours and the almost documentary-like immediacy of The Pianist.
But, however varied their work may have been, the editors expressed some common concerns. Several lamented the current trend toward fewer film screenings and the fact that studio executives often tend to see and evaluate movies on tape, making them less able to understand how a picture will play on the big screen in front of an audience. They spoke of the pressure of shorter schedules, and how that translates into a lack of time in the editing room.

The audience this year consisted of Guild members, film students and many others. The moderator was Robert Rosen, Dean of UCLA’s School of Theatre, Film and Television and a former film critic for radio station KCRW.

The lasting impression was of five editors at the top of their game, advancing the craft in imaginative and artistic ways. Presented by the American Cinema Editors, Invisible Art/Visible Artists was co-sponsored by American Cinematheque, the Editors Guild, Runway, the Hollywood Reporter and Plus 8 Digital. The event was co-produced by Linda Kuckuk and Nancy Richardson. A group of volunteers helped record the event on video, and a number of Guild members volunteered as ushers. A video and DVD will be available for purchase this summer. Contact the ACE office for more information: (818) 777-2900.