I wrote and directed The Climb.
I also happen to be a professional editor and I love to cut short films but I was worried about falling into a well known trap.
The Singular Vision Trap
When I’m at work, I’m editing based on a producer’s vision and executing that vision.
In my office at home, I play both roles and a lot of the creative decisions fall on me. This type of freedom can be a positive and a negative.
- On the one hand, I don’t have to answer to anyone so I can edit the movie I want to see.
- On the other, I don’t have to answer to anyone and the movie may not be any good.
Essentially, I have to be sure to distance myself from the material from time to time and make sure to listen to people’s suggestions when they see finished scenes.
At the same time, I have to make sure that the movie remains mine. It’s a tough balance but I equate editing to writing and I love revisions.
I started editing The Climb last week. I stayed away from the footage for a while so I would look at the footage with fresh eyes. This paid off while I was logging the clips. Watching everything we shot gave me a good idea of the final shape of the movie.
The first thing I laid down on the timeline was the 17 West logo and began with the opening scene.
Normally, I like to edit in sequence. This isn’t always the case but it’s a good place to start isn’t it?
Unfortunately, the opening scene wasn’t really working the way I originally planned it to be. This is a perfect example of the dilemma Director/Editors can sometimes face.
At what point do I abandon my first instinct and try a new approach?
Tough call…
Indeed, I was stuck but the solution was simple:
Edit something else.
Try and shape the following scene and apply the pacing and tone to the one giving you problems.
Cutting scenes out of sequence ultimately led me away from the troubled opening scene.
The Result?
Clarity. A new approach to the scene arrived naturally and I’m back on track.
This is editing. I enjoy editing.
