I just finished watching “The Cutting Edge, The Magic of Movie Editing.” I already knew I needed a good editor. I’ve read a book on it, not to mention books on directing, all hammering home the importance of the editor. But watching this 99 minute show (it felt much longer, perhaps because I was so hyper aware and tuned in) transformed my thoughts on editing. I know I need a good DP (cinematographer) and expect that to be the next biggest challenge (after getting the damn script done). I know I need someone who understands sound, but haven’t (yet?) internalized how important the right guy (or gal) would be. But this show explained how some pivotal scenes I know and love from movies I cherish were entirely the product of the editor. Many of these scenes were not written or filmed (intentionally; obviously, for them to be edited they had to be filmed) and only exist because the editor saw the little nuggets of gold scattered around and collected them into an artistic tapestry.
Now I need to add finding a good editor to finding a good DP in order to feel the confidence to find good actors. That being said, the prospects excite me, rather than cause any sort of dread. Maybe that manic part of the manic depressive (which, btw, I like better than boring bipolar; so much more expressive) that has me so convinced I can not just assemble a team capable of making movie magic, but to do so with a $2K budget, essentially asking all these people to pour their hearts out for free.
I guess if I weren’t crazy, I’d never take something like this on. Only time will tell if my crazy is actually genius.
