Editor Becomes A Director
An Interview With Raja Gosnell
When John Hughes hired editor Raja Gosnell to make his directing debut on 'Home
Alone 3' it was a good bet. In addition to editing the first two 'Home Alone' films Raja had also worked on over fifteen other pictures including hits like 'Mrs. Doubtfire' and 'Pretty Woman'. He follows in a long line of Guild editors turned directors, from Edward Dmytryk who helped found the Society of Motion Picture Editors in 1937 and later directed Oscar-nominated films like 'Crossfire' and 'The Cain Mutiny' to more recently, Stuart Baird who, having edited hit films like 'Lethal Weapon' and 'Gorillas in the Mist', was given the opportunity to direct 'Executive Action' and is now directing 'U.S. Marshals'. The Newsletter spoke to Raja about his directing experiences:
Editor-turned-director Raja Gosnell with Alex D. Linz, star of 'Home Alone 3'. How did you get the job?
Two words. John Hughes. He gave me a fantastic opportunity. How many first time directors get a franchise movie to direct? I had been pursuing other projects and there was some positive momentum around town. I saw a snippet in the trades about 'Home Alone 3' and said, "I can do that!" My U.T.A. agents made some inquiries and next thing I knew I was flying to Chicago to meet with John.
Do you have any new insights you could share with folks who are still editors?
As an editor I was used to communicating my ideas with pictures, sound and music. As a director you can only use your words, because the others don't exist yet. You have to be a good communicator because you are dealing with several department heads, production manager, the studio, producers, cast, etc. answering literally hundreds of questions a day. It's that old thing where sometimes you know what you said, but it's nothing like what they heard. You also need to be a good listener. You hire creative people to be creative. Some great ideas come from the crew and department heads. As a director, you're inundated with ideas. Using the good ones and passing on the bad ones are a big part of the job.
Do you want to direct again or was one taste enough?
I'd love to keep directing, yes. I had a lot of fun and found it very rewarding. Of course, much depends on how 'H.A.3' is received. It's been screening great, but the competition this season is ferocious.
Was it hard not to edit in the camera?
Not at all. As an editor, I like to have as many cutting and performance options as possible. As a director, the battle is making the time to shoot all the options you'll want in post production. Per-hour production costs are astounding so you have to choose your battles wisely. When I was planning and blocking scenes I was very aware of how each scene would begin and end. Transitions are really important to me. But I basically let the editors figure out the interior cutting pattern of each scene.
What was working with actors like?
I had a terrific cast. Everyone wanted to have fun and do great work. I have a lot of respect for the actors. They are the ones putting themselves out there, and you have to be sensitive to that. My approach was to let the actors do it their way the first time, then we'd adjust the performance from there. I'm big on options too, so once we nailed the scene, I'd tell the actor, 'Listen. That last take was perfect and we could walk away right now-but let's do a couple more. Cut loose, do whatever you want and let's see what happens." This took all the pressure off and gave them the freedom to just go for it. I got a lot of great stuff that way.
What was thinking about lighting and framing like?
I had a great cinematographer so our lighting discussions went like me saying, "Julio, this should be warm and fuzzy feeling, okay?" Or "edgy and cool" or "creepy" or whatever the emotion, and he turned it into beautiful lighting. 'H.A.3' is much more of an action movie than its predecessors, so I was very focused on the energy and movement of the camera and the actors. We shot a lot of Steadicam for the look and the versatility. It was great. Some of my favorite moments are the high energy, action set-pieces.
Did you look at cut footage during shooting?
A little bit. But we were shooting six days a week for many weeks on end. And I used Sunday to meet with the second-unit crew or mentally prepare for the coming week. I had very little time to spend in the cutting room. However my lead editor, Bruce Green, was very helpful during the shooting process. Because we're both editors, we can communicate in shorthand. I would describe a second unit shot to him, or he would suggest a shot, then he would meet with the second unit director or insert unit crew. He'd put the cut sequence on the Avid so everyone could visualize how the shot would work in the sequence. It was a great system that allowed us to solve problems and accent jokes while we were still shooting. The cutting rooms were right at the set so that made it all possible.
How did you choose an editor?
It was really weird because I suddenly realized that I didn't actually know many editors personally. I'd generally worked solo, hadn't done a lot of "team" movies and I'd worked out of town a lot. So I did what everybody else does. I went by credits. The picture was originally slated to release in early July with a very tight post schedule so I needed a great team. Suddenly Bruce Green became available, I called him, and three weeks later we were shooting. The stars were really smiling on me because I ended up getting the comedy dream team of Bruce Green, Malcolm Campbell, and Bruce's protégé, Dave Rennie.
What was it like for you once you got into the editing room as a director?
It was great! I was in the safety of the cutting room with a great team and plenty of time to do the work. If I ever complain about that, smack me! I actually did have a machine so I could try out stuff without slowing everybody else down, but those guys really did the bulk of the work. The studio was incredibly supportive too. With the possible exception of Bruce and I trading good-natured barbs about the finer points of Lightworks vs. Avid, it was really a perfect situation.
Some editors feel their contribution to a movie is so great they should share authorship (credit) with the director and producer. Do you have an opinion on that now?
That's a tough question. From a blank page to an answer print there are so many creative decisions made by so many people. For myself, I'm very proud of my "Edited by..." credits.
