How does an editor think and feel? That’s a tricky question, for a number of reasons. Mostly because, while there are some rules and structures when putting together a film, it ultimately comes down to instinct. The approach is mostly about how a film feels, or, more specifically, how a cut feels. And that’s at the heart of the appropriately-titled “How Does An Editor Think and Feel?,” the newest video from Taylor Ramos and Tony Zhou, the folks behind Every Frame a Painting.
More than anything else, editing is all about the eyes. The eyes are the windows into the scene, and the key to the emotion laid within. The greatest actors can convey more with their eyes than they can with a single line of dialogue. And changes within their eyes are key for an editor, specifically ones where their thoughts are in a state of change. Using clips from Woody Allen’s “Hannah and Her Sisters,” edited by Allen’s longtime editor Susan E. Moore, this video helps convey how that’s the cause, specifically through Michael Caine’s Oscar-winning performance.
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From there, it’s important to know that emotions take time, and audience members feel a connection to characters because we have the time to develop one. This is something editors often have to learn, rather than know immediately. Through clips from Wong Kar Wai’s “In the Mood For Love,” edited by William Chang Suk Ping, we can see how it’s important to have emotions seen not only during the moment, but after — which lets them breathe. And one of the most important lessons editors need to learn is how much time does an editor need to give an emotion. There are no right and wrong answers, and this is where feelings come into play. Four seconds can make a huge difference, and sometimes it’s up to editors to decide if those four seconds make the difference that matters or not. Sometimes, the answer comes down to an unusual cut or two. In the end, though, it all comes down to practice.
These are only a mere few lessons learned throughout the video, and there are quite a few worthwhile tips gleamed throughout. Clips from films new and old, including “The Empire Strikes Back,” “Ant-Man,” “For a Few Dollars More,” “Tampopo,” “Creed,” “Late Autumn,” “A Brighter Sunny Day,” “Only Angels Have Wings,” “Taxi Driver,” “Hana-bi,” “Pierrot le Fou,” “All That Jazz,” “Jurassic Park” and “Possession,” really drive the point home and illustrate the thesis. Every scene has a distinct rhythm and needed amount of space, and not a lot of working editors today value the art of time — according to these editors, at least. So if you’re a film fan, but especially if you’re an editor yourself, it’s worth the time to give this video a look. It might just change how you approach films altogether. And, specifically, how you cut them.