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ACE's 9th Annual Invisible Art Visible Artist Seminar

American Cinema Editors (ACE or A.C.E. as you see after some editor’s credits) the honorary society of motion picture editors, puts on an annual event every pre-Oscar Sunday Saturday, the Invisible Art Visible Artist Seminar.

This event is a free event but it’s a first-come-first-seated event.

Thanks to Norman Hollyn (http://normanhollyn.com), I found about this event and I ended up attending.

My attendance to this event was a series of luck that’s for sure. I had first thought the seminar was a paid event but because Norman Hollyn asked if anyone was going to this free event, I quickly realized it was free and hustled to take the morning away from my day job to attend.

I happened to leave early to go to L.A. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have gotten in. The line into The Egyptian Theatre, where it was this year, wrapped around the block and I got one of the last 40 tickets to get in. Somehow, I also got to tenth row center of the room. I zigged when others zagged.

BTW, Hollywood Blvd. is now halfway closed because of the Oscars tomorrow. The street is all a buzz with Oscar fever.

To find out more about the ACE event go to this webpage: http://www.ace-filmeditors.org/newace/mag_invisible_art.html. Basically it’s the 2009 Academy Award nominees for best achievement in editing discussing the art of editing. Each editor or team presents one particular clip from their nominated film and talks about the particular challenges of it.

Today, it was Lee Smith (The Dark Knight), Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Chris Dickens (Slumdog Millionaire), Elliot Graham (Milk) and Mike Hill A.C.E. and Dan Hanley A.C.E. (Frost/Nixon). The moderator was Alan Heim A.C.E.

The first question that went around the panel was, “How did you get started?” Some of the good ones:

“…the piece of advice that I give out which I’ll get in trouble for because the police don’t like it. My advice to people getting into editing is to stalk someone!” — Elliot Graham (then he gives his examples) I think he just created a theatre room full of stalkers!

“I went from being a prison guard to an editor.” — Mike Hill, A.C.E. (true story)

The first clip played was from The Dark Night. This was the big truck chase when the bat vehicle turns into a motorcycle and all the explosions and stuff. It was a long clip. This part of the movie was shot on a 65mm IMAX camera and cut on an AVID. There were a lot of special effects and Lee Smith described the timeline having lots of “skyscrapers” on it. (this is to describe the tons of layers/tracks on it)

He also described the lack of music as a choice they decided to use for this scene to play up the action and effects of the scene, which others agreed was a refreshing aspect to the scene. (And a point that my Uncle would love, Lee commented on the center sound channel being low in the theatre.)

There’s no CGI in the scene but there was model work. (1/6th scale models were used on the truck blowing up part of the clip).

The next question for the group: “How do you structure a scene?”

“I approach each scene as it’s own little mini movie and treat it like that with it’s own beginning, middle and end.” — Mike Hill, A.C.E.

“I’m a nervous wreck when I cut a scene.”
“You go with your instincts and you muddle your way through.” — Dan Hanley, A.C.E.

A scene from Milk was the second clip to be shown. This was one that started with Harvey Milk and Dan White (drunk) and ends with Harvey at the podium of the Gay Pride Day Parade/Celebration, 1978. This was a very moving clip. There weren’t too many cuts in the confrontation scene because both actors were just riveting. Elliot talked about the pain of losing great performances with a cut. Dan Hanley and Mike Hill talked about the same and about leaving good performances in. Chris Dickens talked about doc style shooting and holding shots.

The third clip is from Frost/Nixon, when Frost turns the tables on Nixon during the interview. Again, a really great clip. Mike lists some of the great actors Ron Howard has used in his movies. Robert Duvall is in the list. I really like Mr. Duvall, so that was a nice moment for me.

Next overall question was: “Length of the movie, How do you negotiate the length of the film?”
For example, Benjamin Button was 2 hours and 45 minutes long. (This discussion makes me want to listen to the Creative Screenwriting podcast for Benjamin Button!) The Benjamin Button editors and Alan Heim talk about how this movie and Zodiac were both long movies. Lee Smith, whose Dark Knight film was 2 hours and 30 minutes, quips, “Yeah! Those were both really long movies!” He goes on to say that you just have to work to find the “sweet spot”.

Did I mention the kid next to me has “shaky leg syndrome” and can’t sit still to save his life!

Chris Dickens states that Slumdog Millionaire was always intended to be two hours. First it was a contractual situation but when Fox(?) pulled out, it just became a desired time. Especially when screening audiences are fidgeting.

Then comes the Benjamin Button clip. This is the clip where he is a 7 yr-old old man at the revival tent. Kirk and Angus talk about the scene and how it was to cut without the star in the scene. They felt it was flat. They said that Brad Pitt was great at coming in and fitting his movements to the already body-modeled scenes, very few takes. Also talked about the back and forth when there is two editors.

There was some banter about do we really need actors and Alan Heil quotes The Producers, “Next time I do a film, no actors!”

Last clip of the day, Slumdog Millionaire. Chris apologized for the “downer” clip in the company of all these upbeat clips.

This was an amazing clip and made me want to see this movie more than ever! Chris Dickens talked about how much beautiful footage/scenes there were and how it was hard to see them go. Slumdog is from the book Q & A.

That was that on the clips and so the last portion was questions from the audience but were questions read from a woman (Diane Adler maybe?) (Answers are paraphrased here.)

“What was your most memorable day on your film?”

Mike and Dan - the end of the film and the screening
Chris - 1st day in mumbai with the star getting his head dipped in a water bucket.
Angus - the day they screened and I was late and when the lights came up, all the animators were in the room!
Lee - The day they had heard Heath had passed.

“Scenes dropped you regretted losing”
Lee - no, none were dropped! (a joke about how long the film was, I think.)
Kirk - No, we didn’t cut anything.
Chris - Hated cutting the kids’ scenes.
Elliot - No, but glad that some were cut, like this one long montage scene.
Dan and Mike - No

“How has your passion for editing affected your personal life?” (This was my favorite question, as a new editor, I am learning a lot about this sacrifice and am very glad that I have an understanding wife!)

Lee - Lucky to have a supportive wife.
Kirk - You don’ want to be home all the time. My daughter still doesn’t get it though.
Angus - Works with his wife but has two sons. “It’s hard.”
Chris - Wife likes the idea of it but hates the reality of it. It’s hard.
Elliot - I have no life, so no compromise.
Mike - Lives in Omaha, NE so treats being home like being on vacation.
Dan - My wife is probably glad I’m away a lot. Actually, she’s a saint.

“Most re-worked scene?”
Dan and Mike - The opening and all the mixed footage.
Elliot - The scene that starts between Harvey and Scott then to Dan White and to the phone call and then Dan in his underwear, etc. The whole interaction there.
Chris - The opera scene. First it’s in and then it’s out. Back and forth a lot. In the end it’s not there. Just a little tiny bit of it.
Angus - The Mr Cake clock scene
Kirk - Same (It was the first shot, so I think that has something to do with it.
Lee - Joker plants bombs on ferries scene. There was 22,000 feet of just crowd reactions for that scene. There would have been no way to get that (edited) on film. Thank God for non-linear editing!

And that was that.

So, thank you to Norman Hollyn for letting me know that it was a free event and for the contact you directed me to and thank you to ACE for putting on such a great event.

P.S. Since I like free stuff so much, it should be noted that we were handed not only a program but also an And The Winner Is… Insider guide to the Oscars 2009 and an Editors Guild magazine!

LAFCPUG, a Year of FCP and Confessions of a Seminar Junkie

Well, it’s almost been a whole year since I started this whole FCP and video editing journey.

I started my first FCP class Feb 18, 2008.  And started Final Cut Pro (the software program) for the first time on March 10th.

It was at that class that I learned about the Los Angeles Final Cut Pro Users Group and I attended my first meeting March 26th.  I’ve gone to every one since and because I love seminars and presentations and lectures, I’ve added many other events to my itinerary over the past year as well.

I’ve long been a fan of seminar-style learning, heck isn’t that what it was like in Kindergarten?  Someone who knows something much better than I, up there telling me how it all works.  Raise your hand, ask a question and get an answer or better yet, raise your hand, give an answer and feel all warm because you’re being praised for such a good job of understanding!

I’ve always been kind of a “brain” and “teacher’s pet” in the eyes of my schoolmates.  But one thing I was bad at was homework.  I procrastinated like nobody’s business!  Report due next month?  Why I’d wait until the morning of and copy stuff out of the encyclopedia, being very careful to “use my own words” for fear of being charged with plagiarism!  Despite all of that I made it through school fairly well and only partied my GPA down to a B+ my senior year of high school, when I figured I was just going to have fun.

I’ve given up partying and have improved my study ability in the years hence.  And now at an advanced age of forty-one, am filed with purpose and drive.

The motif of people who do well at what they do seems to be, “I’ve always wanted to do _____!  Ever since I was a wee lad/lass, I’ve been doing this in one form or another!”  I’ve done lots of things from childhood and I have to admit those things I’m pretty damn good at.  But there’s another type that I hope I am.  One that has always wanted to do something and then when he is finally able to put all of his resources together, he goes and does it and he excels a it.

Well, that’s my plan for editing and maybe a bit of film making.  I fully intend to win an Oscar for editing, even if it takes me to eighty years old.  Hopefully not that long but I’ll keep doing it until I do and beyond, (Insert your favorite deity or force here) willing.  I haven’t always done editing nor film making but I’ve always had a desire. (I even took a year off of high school to try to pursue cinematography.  Long story and I didn’t even get close to doing it but the desire has been there for a long time.)

Now, my love for seminars even transcends to tape and CD lectures.  I buy business related “infomercial” products too.  One of the best I ever bought was a business and marketing kit by E. Joseph Cossman.  Just amazing stuff.  When I go to lectures, I try to record, either by video or audio the event too.  Usually via a pocket recorder, these days it’s been with my Palm TREO 700p.  It can record video for hours.  What a great feature.  Heck, I have all my FCP classes and all of my LAFCPUG meetings on video.

I guess I would lump conferences and conventions in to my “lectureous” desires too.  I especially love to get swag at conventions.  I’ve been to three eBay Lives!  You don’t want to see my embarrassing collection of eBay trading cards!  The funny thing is that the free swag at the events always ended up paying for the trip to the conventions with more left over!

In addition to the LAFCPUG meetings this last year, I have attended the Apple Final Cut Server World Tour in L.A., where my wife won an 8G iPod nano; DV Expo; FCPUG Supermeet; Birns & Sawyer lighting seminar; Digital Cinema Society green/blue screen event and the HD Expo.

In addition to my FCP Editing class, I took Intro to Pro HD with Discovery and History Channel Producer/Director Jim Lindsay.  An amazing life experience where I learned a lot not only about shooting professional HD but also a lot about the business as a whole.  In this class, Shane Ross taught a couple days, we went to EFILM and to Plaster City Post.

This year, I also was able to be on set for Prison Break and meet with the director, DP, editors and an assistant editor of the show.

Truly, LAFCPUG has been “bery bery” good to me!  Not only do they have great presentations and great people to meet but also they have a raffle that, if you actually go ahead and buy some extra tickets for you will very likely win something.  Like I said, I have attended the last ten LAFCPUG meetings (they didn’t have a December meeting).  And I have won something from the raffle eight times and of the two times I didn’t, once was because I got there late and couldn’t get any tickets but even then I got some free pass to an expo!

This new year, I have been doing a lot of webinars and eseminars and podcast watching/listening and streaming video watching.  There is unlimited data in this vein.  And I plan on going to a lot of events.  I have to take a four month hiatus from LAFCPUG because of a class commitment, but it’s killing me….  I guess I’ll have to order those meetings off of iTunes!

If you are into FCP and are in the L.A. area, definitely check out the LAFCPUG meetings.  Here’s a link for more info: http://www.lafcpug.org/user_schedule.html

Next Blog: Norman Hollyn and why you need to buy and READ his book, The Lean Forward Moment.  BTW, he’s going to be presenting at LAFCPUG in Feb, so go see that for sure!!!!