OSCARS - BEST FILM EDITING

The Oscars are quickly approaching and it seems like everyone is following "The Road to the Ocars" in one capacity or another.  With IMDB and their amazing featurette video collection that gives you amazing looks behind the scenes of this years nominees it is hard not to get distracted while at work as it is easy to spend hours watching all of the videos they have posted.  On top of that almost every entertainment outlet is jumping to post as many articles as they can about who they feel will take home the golden man this year.  I myself even jumped at the opportunity to write an article on the nominees for Best Film Editing.  Whether you are a working professional in the industry or just a fellow film go-er I hope to share a little insight into a catagory that has a tendency to go unnoticed for the true amount of work that goes into editing a feature length film.  I hope you enjoy the read...

BEST FILM EDITING NOMINEES - WHO WILL WIN?

When it comes to filmmaking I feel that there are three key points in production that can ultimately make or break a film. The first is with writing in the pre-production phase, the second is directing during the production phase and the third is with editing during the post-production phase. I know that sounds like an easy concept, but I feel that within the last few years this knowledge has been forgotten. It is not just a good story that is need or a talented director and cast, but let’s say one of those are missing, who then becomes the one person that can make something amazing or show it for what it truly is… the editor.

A skilled editor that has become a master to their craft can make a struggling actor look amazing, can turn a lack-luster story into something completely unusual by rearranging scenes or dialog, and with a little help from additional pieces within the post-production world (visual effects, color correction, audio mixing, etc) an editor can create something potentially so great that even a seasoned director might be surprised by the outcome. This year’s Oscar nominees are all pretty similar in genre, but it is no doubt that they are deserving of the recognition for their long hours in a dark room....

Black Swan is a psychological thriller that is set within the backdrop of a prestigious NYC ballet company. If you had watched the trailers closely, this film seemed to have many different faces. It was the job of an editor to create a short television spot that threw in as many interesting points to make people want to see the movie. Some thought it would be a dance film. Some thought it would have romance. While others saw it for what it was, a beautiful thriller that got under your skin and festered through our heads driving us mad by the ending credits. With so many amazing scenes, and I’m sure hundreds of hours of footage that never found their way off the cutting room floor, editor Andrew Weisblum masterfully cut together sequences that left the audience squirming in their seats from start to finish and scratching our heads as we walked out of the theater.

Giving us suspense and quick cuts when needed that drew us in to the madness that overtook the lead character. Using quick cuts and image manipulation for subliminal messaging, there seems to be nothing that this editor is not capable of doing. Having to structure his editing from scratch (as it was said in an interview the Aronofsky did not use storyboards for this film), one can only image the number of house Andrew spent staring at a computer going through sequences, fine tuning his cuts and putting finish touches on some of the most elaborate scenes to hit the big screen in several years. The scenes that most impressed me were the ballet scenes. Having come from a dance background and knowing what goes into performing Swan Lake, it was impressive to see the ballet from Weisblum prospective as an editor which the editing choices he made from wide or medium shots and cutting to close-ups to give us an impression of the stress and strain that Nina (Natalie Portman) went through and then interweaving the actual story into the ballet and still making it appear as seamless as the ballet routines themself. Director Darren Aronosky could not have asked for a more skilled editor to bring this film to life. This is Andrew Weisblum’s first Oscar nomination, but I’m sure it will not be his last.

The Fighter is a boxing drama based on real life boxer Micky Ward and his brother Dicky Eklund. Not that there is much to say about the drama portion of the story, but it was the boxing scenes that were the true giveaway to the skill and talent of editor Pamela Martin. Just imagine having to shift through 70 hours of footage that came from the 5 “HBO” cameras and then the 2-3 film cameras used to capture the action taking place outside of the ring – and that was just for the boxing scenes.

It takes true talent to be able to capture the feel of a film within a film (the HBO documentary within the come-back story) and have it flow as though it is the most natural thing in the world. It turned out that not only were we given a one-two punch by the cinematography, but the editing choices truly make us feel each of the hits taken by the seasoned actors. Pamela Martin created her own choreography through editing that made the fighting sequences flow so smoothly that it created reaction from the audience with each throw. Even the characters in-your-face attitude was made more obvious by the choices made while cutting together this film. Although I am a bit partial to Boston based films (especially when it tells an amazing story) but seeing Pamela Martin’s final cut just brings a smile to my face. The Fighter is definitely worthy of the nomination as it kept pace with other amazing boxing films that have come before (Rocky and Raging Bull).

The King’s Speech is a drama that tells the story of an English royal with a troublesome speech impediment. Under most circumstances a story of that follows someone with a stutter would come across with little potential of being anything but a bore, but that is not the case. Editor Tariq Anwar tears apart the boring and sprinkles in life and laughter to make a soon to be king’s journey to overcome his speaking challenge one that draw in the audience and holds on straight through til the end.

The combination of cutting in close-ups and quick cuts to match the rhythm and beat of the speech lessons, along with the humor of seeing a king swear profusely to get through a complicated speech is so skillfully pieced together that it keeps the story moving smoothly. It is these lessons and the final scene of the film that showcase the skill of Tariq Anwar. The King’s Speech is a film that could have rendered the audience silent, but with some creative editing left the audience with a smile and fully entertained. This is Tariq Anwar’s second nomination – he was previously nominated for American Beauty.

The Social Network is a drama based on a specific time in the life of the man behind Facebook. The dialog heavy film challenged editing team Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter to the fullest extent with grueling hours behind a computer finding the perfect combination and balance between entertainment and story. I recall an introduction for a clip at one of the previous award shows mentioning that it is a true challenge to make a story that focuses on a guy typing on a keyboard interesting, but that is just what Wall and Baxter did. The combination of a writer and director that could be called perfectionists with a unique view on story telling, and then teaming them up with amazing editors who can match the talent level across the board is truly amazing.

After sitting on set for hours taking notes and editing along the way, the overall outcome is summed up in the utter perfection seen during the opening sequence of the film. The editing combination of cuts between various takes of a multi-camera shot is something that takes time and practice, but Wall and Baxter present a scene that is flawless and set the pace for what the audience would be in for, a perfect edit. This is the second nomination for editing team Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter – they were previously nominated for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

127 Hours is a drama that tells the story of Aron Ralston’s struggle to make it through a potential deadly situation. With a story that follows the typical survival story, there is little wiggle room to make the story unique but with a creative editor on your side there is far more room to move. Keeping the pattern flowing between the story in the cave and Aron’s memories is no easy feat, and using images that are interesting to keep the story moving is one of the overall challenges. The sequencing and image choices needed to make the audience feel what Aron was going through hit home with subliminal messaging with the use of beverages or food interwoven throughout the memories, using image inserts to make the effect stronger ultimately leaving your mouth watering for something to eat or drink.

Jon Harris’ skill with the trim tool finds the perfect balance and timing for scenes that would otherwise be nothing more than another Wilson hanging out on Cast Away island. Danny Boyle’s fluid style of filming and never repeating a setup make the editing process that much more complicated and give the opportunity of any slip of the knife that much more obvious, but it did not happen. This is Jon Harris’ first Oscar nomination.

This year’s five contenders are all heavy hitters, but for many years the Film Editing category has been linked to the Best Picture of the Year winner. Right now things are leaning in favor of Tariq Anwar for The King’s Speech. I have a difficult time arguing with this choice as I myself feel the true competition this year is only between The King’s Speech, The Social Network and Black Swan. Personally I feel the talent that went into editing Black Swan should win out over all others, but due to the artistry of the film I sadly feel it has little chance if the two categories are truly tied in any way. However with The Social Network having swept much of the award season already, I wonder if it has the strength to sweep one last time. Time will only tell but I will be keeping my fingers crossed for an upset and Black Swan taking the award.
TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE THIS ARTICLE IS PUBLISHED AND LET ME KNOW WHO YOU THINK WILL WIN...
http://www.picktainment.com/blog/2011/02/road-to-the-oscars-best-film-editing/