Get to know 2017’s Oscar-nominated film editors as they discuss the challenges of cutting everything from high-brow sci-fi to old-school song and dance.
Some say the most important part of what makes a film truly great is not the director, the studio, or the big name stars — it’s the post-production process. Just ask any editor. They’ll likely tell you the same.
Film editors may not get the attention on the red carpet, but it’s a well-known industry fact that film editing can make or break a movie. The old adage of “when it’s done well, you hardly notice it” gets thrown around a lot, and while the adage certainly rings true, I assure you there are moments within each of these Academy-nominated films that will make any aspiring video editor rewind and rewatch again and again.
Let’s meet this year’s nominees, admire their amazing work, and get a peek behind how they worked their craft.
Arrival — Joe Walker
While Amy Adams may have been snubbed for best actress for her role in Arrival, Joe Walker was an obvious nomination choice and is perhaps the frontrunner to win the category.
Honing his chops editing for television and the BBC, Walker has worked his way up in Hollywood as a partner of Arrival and Sicario director Denis Villeneuve, a partnership that continues on the upcoming Blade Runner 2049. In an interview with Deadline, Walker gives insight into the challenges and freedoms of working on a project which featured CGI aliens.
You can also watch a podcast interview (below) from Cinema Pla’net in which Walker talks about his career and working on Sicario.
Hacksaw Ridge — John Gilbert
John Gilbert is a New Zealand-based film editor who is perhaps best known for taking on the enormous task of editing the first Lord of the Rings film, The Fellowship of the Ring.
His work can be seen as paving the way for the cinematic editing style of the rest of the series. He has since established himself within the action and adventure genres with The November Man and the upcoming Sean McNamara vehicle, The King’s Daughter.
When talking about some of the nuances of editing in an excellent interview on the Art of the Cut, Gilbert gives some terrific insight into how he used eye contact as a way to build scenes and define characters in Hacksaw Ridge.
Hell or High Water — Jake Roberts
After starting in corporate and commercial editing, Roberts bounced around between London and Glasgow chasing his dream of being a director. He found his first brushes with film and video editing success with the breakthrough hits The Riot Club and Brooklyn.
In an interview with Film Doctor, Roberts gives insight into the brave new world which digital editing offers in terms of digital adjustments and storytelling dimensions.
La La Land — Tom Cross
One of the most celebrated elements of La La Land’s recent success is the tight-knit trio of relatively new and unknown director, composer, and editor — Damien Chazelle, Justin Hurwitz and Tom Cross. Cross spent most of his early career as an assistant editor before becoming an Oscar-winner for his work on Chazelle’s Whiplash.
With a growing speciality in music-centric edits, Cross talks about how to edit to the beat while working with Chazelle on both Whiplash and La La Land.
You can also watch Cross talk more in depth about his cinematic editing decisions, homages, and workflows in a conversation with Glenn Garland for the American Cinema Editors channel below.
Moonlight — Nat Sanders and Joi McMillon
Moonlight editing collaborators Sanders and McMillon are already a historic team, as Joi McMillon is the first ever African American woman to be nominated in the category.
It’s also quite notable for being one of the few situations where a film is aided by dual editors, as it’s so distinctively broken into separate sections.
When talking about the shared process in an interview on The Moveable Fest, Sanders and McMillon share how they were able to work.
You can also watch a longer interview with the two on DP/30: The Oral History Of Hollywood channel on how they were able to break into the industry and work together so well.
Who is your pick for best film editor in the Oscars? Let us know in the comments.