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Being a Film Editor


            I never intended to get into film editing. Four years ago, I was interested in graphic design and traditional animation. One day, I was asked to make a short animated film and it was during the process of doing that when I first discovered editing. As an editor, it's my job to help directors realize their creative vision. I'm also able to put my own ideas into the film, helping shape the story and the pace of a film.
             In some cases, I start editing to sound effects and music tracks, for instance, in the "Telling Lies"" project, I cut shots to the rhythm of music, allowing music to provide formal and rhythmic continuity between shots. However, this concept isn't suitable for every film; the typical starting point in understanding the pace of a film is working alongside the sound production team in order to sync the tracks. .
             A number of things need to be done at the beginning of a film edit. "Syncing up" is a first step in the process because the shots are often taken separately from the sound. Editing without sound is a learned skill - especially when there is no dialogue - which requires matching sound with the filmed image, choosing the desired takes and putting it all together.
             Choosing what frame(s) to use at a particular point in the film is an important element of pace-timing. During the first cut, I consider questions such as: where in a sequence should a particular cutaway or close-up be positioned for a maximum impact? In "working with acting" projects, there are a lot of interactions between two main characters." (Kate and Ray). First, I cut scenes, taking out redundant pauses of actors for "brew" dialogue. Each editor should learn to distinguish performances from error (dead space) and it's not as simple as following the action to its conclusion. It's much more complex. When cutting into the performance, I pay attention to the sequence, being careful not to break the rhythm established by the characters in the scene.


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