If there’s anything Oscar knows how to do, it’s edit a movie! What’s the takeaway from the 2021 crop of nominees?
The 93rd Academy Award nominations are full of surprises as the entertainment industry still struggles to figure out the future of film releases. There were exceptions made for this year’s awards, though many potential Oscar hopefuls withdrew their releases entirely for a future theatrical release.
Certain streaming releases were nominated, like Soul for Best Animated Film, which debuted simultaneously in theaters and on Disney Plus. Other big films—like the latest Bond film—have abandoned their original release dates and even rescheduled dates. No Time To Die is currently slated for October 8th, 2021, nearly a full year after what was to be its release.
This gave the opportunity for many smaller films to shine and contend for an Oscar. Over on the PremiumBeat blog, we talked about how the Best Picture and Best Cinematography nominees were captured, but now let’s turn our focus on how those films came together in the edit.
Nomadland – Chloe Zhao
A filmmaker with many hats, Chloe Zhao helmed Nomadland as the producer, director, writer, and editor. Nomadland is nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Film Editing.
Zhao adapted the film from Jessica Bruder’s non-fiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the 21st Century. In keeping with the theme, Zhao and her partner/cinematographer Joshua James Richards took to the road in their Ford Transit van “Akira” to cross the U.S. and film over four months.
In an interview with fellow director Alfonso Cuarón, Zhao shared her telepathic type of relationship with cinematographer Richards and how they edit their films:
Sound of Metal – Mikkel E.G. Nielsen
Academy Award-nominated film Sound of Metal has earned much of its praise for the sound design being so well incorporated into the edit. The film earned six Oscar nominations—Best Picture, Best Editing (Mikkel E.G. Nielsen), Best Actor (Riz Ahmed), Best Supporting Actor (Paul Raci), Best Sound, and Best Screenplay.
Director Darius Marder was intensely passionate about how the film was shot and edited. As for finding the right collaborators, Oscar-nominated editor Mikkel E.G. Nielsen revealed:
As for the film’s rather unique focus on sound in the edit, Nielsen worked closely with the sound editors and engineers.
Nielsen often talks about finding a balance between the film’s visual edit and sound. Supervising Sound Editor Nicolas Becker gave Nielsen a lot of atmospheres that he would work with almost as a score, implementing feedback and reverb organically throughout the film.
Becker expands on the challenges of capturing this film, where he said:
The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Alan Baumgarten
Netflix’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 earned six nominations—Best Picture, Best Cinematography (Phedon Papamichael), Best Screenplay, Best Editing (Alan Baumgarten), Best Actor (Sacha Baron Cohen), and Best Original Song.
The film comes from the masterful writer, Aaron Sorkin, who also directed the feature. It is Sorkin’s second film as a director/writer, and editor Alan Baumgarten was impressed with Sorkin’s attention to detail.
After the first few weeks of production, the post team had to move into a remote workflow. Cuts were viewed on PIX and Sorkin would then send notes by email or Zoom.
As for cutting together intense moments with subtle reactions and silence, Baumgarten says:
Promising Young Woman – Frédéric Thoraval
The crime thriller Promising Young Woman earned five nominations for Best Picture, Best Director (Emerald Fennell), Best Editing (Frédéric Thoraval), Best Actress (Carey Mulligan), and Best Screenplay.
Director Emerald Fennell provided the production team with a very 1990s-driven moodboard. The pop-inspired color aesthetic pulled inspiration from films like Clueless and Sweet Valley High. She even provided a playlist of music that both inspired the film, and would be featured on the soundtrack.
Editor Fred Thoraval talks about the power of the boards:
As for the use of the music in the edit, Thoraval shares:
The Father – Yorgos Lamprinos
Florian Zeller‘s drama The Father earned six nominations for Best Picture, Best Editing (Yorgos Lamprinos), Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins), Best Actress (Olivia Colman), Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Production Design.
While an intense piece for viewers, the film also caused the production team to look at their own mortality. Editor Yorgos Lamprinos revealed:
As for his meetings with director Florian Zeller, Lamprinos recalls the film that played through his head as he read:
As for his favorite parts to edit, and his own realization of the relationship with his own aging father, Lamprinos said:
For more award-winning filmmaking tips and advice, check out these articles:
- The Variety of Cameras Used at the SXSW Film Festival 2021
- 6 Practical Tips for Better Cinema Vérité Filmmaking
- Why Video Content Creators Should Go to the Movies
- 9 Things Filmmakers Can Learn from the Star Wars Universe
- 6 Inspiring Women Filmmakers On YouTube You Should Check Out
Top image via Netflix/Moviestore/Shutterstock.