#3 in a Series Getting to Know You Introducing Ordinary Members of the Guild Joseph Butler Joseph Butler In only four years since entering the industry, I have been involved with many different aspects of editorial, from cutting promos and music videos to assisting on features. It's been an extremely enjoyable experience working on such a wide variety of projects, from family-oriented films like my current project, to the controversial, like some of the music videos I've edited. I know I've only been at this a short time, but I've been amazed by an aspect of the business that remains the rule and not the exception: the unspoken tradition of passing down the artistry and craft of filmmaking to those on their way up. With technology changing on a continual basis, sharing information is more essential than ever. The terms "updates," "new features," "bugs" and "fixes" are sources of both anticipation and frustration. I'm grateful that there exists a network that enables information to be passed among peers and handed down from established members of the community to newer members. Thinking back to the first week I worked on a feature, I remember being instructed on such disparate tasks as making daily-roll head and tail leaders to setting up the Avid. I felt like I was becoming part of the tradition, a process that continues when I call someone for ideas on temp music or when someone calls me for instruction on consolidating media. Although the dog-eat-dog aspect of the industry is well known, I think it is easy to overlook the reason why many of us have decided to spend much of our lives in this field. There is the constant challenge of change, and the formidable task of creating structure where none exists. More importantly, there are the people who motivate and inspire those of us in post production to challenge ourselves to make each project greater than the sum of its parts. It's strange to think of the "craft of editing" with button-pushing becoming more and more a part of the work. However, when the house lights dim at the movie theater and images dance on the screen, I still feel the same sense of wonder I did as a kid. Even though I've now seen the man behind the curtain, filmmaking remains a wonderful experience. This holiday season, I'd like to thank those who have given me the opportunity to be part of the experience, and to wish all members of the filmmaking community the best in the coming year. Birthplace: Sacramento, California Education: San Francisco State University Current home: Los Angeles Position: Avid Assistant Years in the business: 4 Hobbies: basketball, guitar   Reprinted from The Motion Picture Editors Guild Newsletter Vol. 19, No. 5 - September/October 1998   Guild Home | Newsletter Home | Top of Page   Copyright © 1998, All Rights Reserved by The Motion Picture Editors Guild, IATSE Local 700