EDITOR'S NOTE
Advancing the Craft, Expanding the Role of the Editor
by Tomm Carroll
 Tomm Carroll |
Greetings, readers. And congratulations to all of our Oscar-, Eddie-, Golden Reel-, CAS Award- and BAFTA Award-winning members. Due to the vagaries of deadlines and publication schedules, Editors Guild Magazine was “put to bed” before the first of the awards ceremonies occurred but didn’t arrive in your mailbox until after the grand finale of kudo fests––the Academy Awards. Needless to say, our coverage of the various industry awards honoring the best work in 2004 will appear in the next issue.
This issue, however, does include a fond look back on an editorial competition of a very different sort. One of this year’s Oscar nominees, Paul Hirsch, ACE, recalls the glory days of the legendary events known as the “Droid Olympics,” held over two decades ago on the grounds of the Northern California farmhouse of Walter Murch, ACE, who also weighs in with his own comments.
If 20-some years ago the assistant editor “droids” were sharpening their editing skills––many of which are now arcane, thanks to the digital revolution––today’s cutters are advancing the craft of the editor in ways unimagined just a few years back.
For instance, consider the groundbreaking work of the editing staff on the recent holiday feature film The Polar Express. Writer Michael Kunkes does exactly that in his extensive interviews with Jeremiah O’Driscoll and Orlando Duenas, who were the forward-thinking editorial engineers driving this technological marvel of a train, journeying from their traditional homeland of post-production to a destination in the future: a place that could be called “nonlinear production.” In so doing, they have helped to break down the barrier between the production and the post in feature filmmaking.
Another area in which the editor’s role (and sometimes clout) is expanding is Reality Television. A behind-the-cutting-room-door peek at the inner workings of this controversial TV genre––including technical details, terminology, producer structure and the editing process itself––is provided by the pseudonymous “Tagi Brother VII.” Not so much a “Mole” (to borrow the moniker of a past Reality skein) as a messenger, this writer––who, in reality, is an editor in the Reality realm––reveals the ins and outs of Reality TV editing to give curious cutters an idea of what to expect should they decide to take the plunge.
As union-friendly employment opportunities go, however, many Reality shows leave a lot to be desired. The Guild’s National Organizer, Tris Carpenter, discusses the efforts to bring all those Reality production companies in line with the Basic Agreement in his regular column, “Getting Organized.”
Elsewhere in this issue, trade show junkie and assistant editor Scott Janush reports on the recent Digital Video Expo in Los Angeles, while editor Pam Malouf offers a preview of the annual National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) electronic media show in Las Vegas coming up in April. Speaking of which, the Guild office in Hollywood has a limited number of complimentary guest passes for members to attend NAB2005. They will be distributed first come, first served. Call Fred Arteaga at 323-876-4770, ext. 243 for more details.
Next issue, aside from recapping the awards season, we’ll take an in-depth look at the sound crew for the summer release Cinderella Man. Until then, keep reading––and let us know how we’re doing.