EXT - DAY - NYC STREET
One of my first great jobs in NY was as an apprentice
editor. I was hired to "schlep" dailies from the lab to
the office, then off for coding, then back for syncing,
then out for telecine and off to sixth avenue and 2 drops
for the network pouches (ABC and CBS) to the west coast.
In the morning I'd pick up the transferred mag stripe from
the transfer house for syncing, but I digress.
I was fortunate to overhear a fascinating conversation one
day between the assistant editor I worked for and her
mentor, the picture editor on the film.
GUARDIAN ANGEL?
He had edited this incredibly complex sequence. It was a
wonderfully choreographed confrontation between a gang of
subway thugs and a fictional version of the Guardian
Angels, a group of kids from the Bronx led by Curtis Sliwa
, who put on red berets and did their best to combat crime
in their neighborhood. (Mostly the Bronx, but I saw them
in Manhattan occasionally.)
Anyhow. The editor had created this incredible sequence. A
gang of do-gooders meets a gang of bad guys in the
labyrinth of tunnels known as the New York City subway
system.
(This scene was later recreated in Michael Jackson's "Beat
it" video. Minus the choreographed dancing.)
WHAT'S THE SECRET?
So. The assistant said to the editor. "This scene is so
amazing. It's got shape, and drama and it builds
incredibly and keeps the suspense up and the ends
incredibly." She obviously noticed something spectacular
working in how the scene achieved it's magic, from an
editorial point of view.
Finally she asked him, "How did you plan that sequence so
that it would build so well and have so much structure and
flow?"
He was silent for a minute taking it all in, thinking
about how to answer her question. He was appreciative of
her feedback and compliment, and truly wanting to answer
her question in meaningful way.
Recent Comments