australian screen editors guild - resources

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ase mentor scheme ase mentors editsearch editing culture & history documents of interest theatre links	\|\| editing culture & history There is a rich history of culture in editing in Australia. The Australian Screen Editors Guild has a great deal of information about the progression, development and culture of our industry in our Editing History and Art of Editing forums. When planning to set up this site, the Executive Committee approached a few of our Accredited members and asked them (in a sentence or two) to either describe what editing is for them or what they've learnt as an editor. This is what Fiona Strain ASE, Brian Kavanagh ASE, Alexandre de Franceschi ASE and Mark Atkin ASE had to say: Don’t ever consider your first cut to be "the one". It may be a great assembly but it is a rare thing that a first cut remains unsullied through to the lock-off. Screen your cut to an audience - not just the Director - because an audience is for whom the film is being made. It may be the Producer, the DOP or your mum, it doesn't really matter. The fact of presenting the film to other eyes puts you in a more critical and objective frame of mind. Suddenly you realise that scene you spent a week on is overlong & overindulgent, and oops, you forgot to set up a character or critical part of the story. A screening can energise you and help you make the film what it should be. Fiona Strain A.S.E. Know when not to intrude in the link between an actor's performance and the audience - but also know when to intrude, and help or create that performance. Brian Kavanagh A.S.E. Many years ago, when we were still cutting on film, I finished work as an assistant with Spanish editor Eduardo Biurrun, one of the kindest men I have ever met. In those days work was hard and the pay was low (not that things have changed much). To palliate, an editor would work on two jobs at the same time (one from 8.00 AM to 3.00 PM and the other one from 3.00 PM to 8.00 PM, 6 days a week) with just 3 assistants. We did everything ourselves, from syncing to track-lay, there were no sound editors in those days. As I was living then, ready to edit my first solo project, full of fear and youth, I thanked Eduardo for everything he taught me (and he really taught me everything). He smiled with his candid smile and said: "There is nothing to fear. Just remember that the frame has 4 sprockets. Don't cut in-between and make sure you keep the film in sync with your mag. The rest is entirely up to you". He was right. Alexandre de Franceschi A.S.E. When I'm editing I need lots of time to talk to the director about anything and everything. Once we understand each better the work becomes more fluid and very little needs to be said. Mark Atkin A.S.E.