EDITOR'S NOTE
The DIY Initiative
by Tomm Carroll
 Tomm Carroll |
The DIY (Do It Yourself) ethic is one that is shared by many successful artists,
craftsmen and entrepreneurs in the entertainment industry. They are self-starters
who have decided to take the responsibility for their careers into their own
hands. They determine what it is they want to do, and then figure out a way
to do it.
The Motion Picture Editors Guild membership is full of such initiative; individuals
with the drive and determination to make their mark in the post-production
arena. Take, for example, our cover subject, Joe Hutshing, ACE. He’s
cut features for such top directors as Oliver Stone, Cameron Crowe, John Woo,
Lawrence Kasdan, Nancy Meyers and now, with the new Lions for Lambs,
Robert Redford––and won several awards in the process, including
two Best Editing Oscars. Yet, he got his start just over a quarter century
ago with, as he readily admits, “zero experience.” Hutshing taught
himself the craft by offering himself as an editor for hire, working on films
for UCLA and AFI students––and learning on the job.
Hutshing talks to Robin Rowe about his career, the changes in post-production technology and working with Redford on Lions for Lambs. Rowe also interviews Hutshing’s loyal first assistant editor, David Bilow, as well as the film’s sound editing crew at Skywalker Sound: Richard Hymns, Frank Eulner and Andre Fenley.
Re-recording mixers Chris David and Leslie Shatz also took control of their employment destinies. Frequently working at Wilshire Stages, a non-union facility, in the past, the pair got fed up with the treatment of employees there and led an organizing effort that resulted in the sound house becoming a signatory to the IA agreement in 2001. Not content to stop there, David and Shatz purchased Wilshire Stages when it was put up for sale earlier this year an turned it into a proudly union mixing house, rechristening it Wildfire Studios. Debra Kaufman speaks to the mixers about their new business endeavor.
Another do-it-yourselfer who identified her goal early on and then proceeded to achieve it––even if that meant crossing an ocean––is Naomi Geraghty. Like many of her Irish heritage, she found her career choice (picture editor) in New York City. Geraghty’s latest film, Terry George’s Reservation Road, just opened in mid-October and will be followed by Neil Burger’s The Lucky Ones in December. She tells Rob Feld how she got her start and talks about her collaborative work with filmmakers––chiefly director George, with whom she works most frequently. Feld also checks in with George, as well as Reservation Road’s music editor, Joseph DeBeasi, about how they collaborate with Geraghty.
Elsewhere in this issue, our recurring spotlight on different Guild classifications shines on technical directors, a discipline that harkens back to the early days of live television. Beth Stiller––who represents the classification on the Guild’s Board of Directors––along with other TDs, explain to Michael Kunkes how drastically their jobs have changed since the advent of digital technology, high-definition video and the increased demands of sports and entertainment programming.
Speaking of ever-changing technology, Kunkes reports on the future of sound––at least as the many exhibitors at the 123rd Audio Engineering Society (AES) Conference and Exhibit, held in New York City in early October, see (and hear) it. And this being our NOV-DEC, issue, you will find our book reviewer Ray Zone’s picks for the best film-related tomes in our annual “Cut/Print” gift guide.
As always, thanks for reading––as the current Editors Guild Magazine staff begins its fourth year of publication.