The latest film project we've been working on is "The Statement of Randolph Carter," and we're in the midst of editing. For those that aren't familiar with the editing process, it's a little like listening to a cd skip, watching the same movie clip over and over, looking at one of those "can you spot the difference" pictures, telling a story, putting together a complex piece of furniture with no directions, which has several seemingly identical pieces but that only fit together in a very certain way, and performing surgery for hours on end. I know, sounds like a load of fun. Truth is, editing is one of the most time intensive and grueling parts of making a film. However, in both a very literal, as well as a figurative sense, it's where the movie really gets made.
It starts with culling through the raw footage, looking at different angles, different takes, and trying to get an idea of the shape of the scene. The first stages are like putting together a puzzle more than anything else, lining up different takes to give a rough idea of how the thing is going to be cut together in general. This shot comes first, then this one, then the next, then back to that first angle, and so on. This in an of itself isn't necessarily to terribly difficult if you've got a clear plan, and have the right raw goods to work with. The trouble comes in when you find out that you can't use this take because a boom was in frame, an actor dropped their line, there isn't enough light, or there's a continuity error. It comes when you realize that the only thing you have to cut to from where you are doesn't visually work, the shot is too similar, the actor positions on screen are reversed causing visual confusion, or some other issue. So, you go back, sifting through the raw footage looking for what is usable if you cut here instead of there. Trust me, it can be maddening, and I'm not even the editor.
