Rocco Rocco
Forum Replies Created
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Haha – maybe I should quit! I’m kinda broke now as it is…
I like your description of how to apply the things you have learned to what you are doing and I absolutely admire your ability to keep that alive in everything you do.
But I still struggle with the notion that film theory is relevant to most of the content that’s out there.
Please tell me: if you were to get a seat cutting Jersey Shore and a producer said “this sequence needs more oomph!” how would you draw from your “high” education and produce results in a timely manor? I just don’t think it applies in this case. Or many, many cases. In fact, you’d get laughed out of town if you said “For this sequence I was inspired by Dziga Vertov’s Man with a Movie Camera”
I keep coming back to the OP’s statement “I just don’t understand the relevance of any of this to anything I do, and its driving me crazy” and I want to point out that it will drive you crazy if you expect it to be relevant. Allow me to rephrase that: IF an editor had absolutely zero formal education and/or interest in film theory, he or she could still cut that comedy pilot through self discipline and practice alone.
We basically agree: I adore film theory as much as you, but where we differ is unless you’re cutting the next Terrence Malick (which I would die for by the way) it is mostly irrelevant, like the Parisian-educated chef hurling well done T-bones on a grill.
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I’ve struggled with this myself. I’m an avid reader of editing books (excuse the pun) and film theory. I soak that stuff up like a sponge. After I got my degree studying film, media, semiotics, film noir aesthetics and all that jazz I spent six months peeling stickers of VHS tapes. Seriously.
More recently, it was about Walter Murch vs Me. Specifically, I’d read all of Mr. Murch’s genius insights then jump back into the edit suite ready to rock it like a pro and get feedback like “make her look less fat” or “I don’t care, just do it” or “how about a jump cut?”
You said: “I’m currently editing a pilot for a new comedy tv show … I just don’t understand the relevance of any of this to anything I do, and its driving me crazy” – you’re over thinking it.
And that’s the thing, 90% of all media you – and I – cut requires no or little insight into anything remotely cerebral. It’s LOW END. Our fluffy, artsy-fartsy, liberal-arts, euro-posing education means nothing when it comes to “editing a comedy pilot” or pretty much anything else for a big audience. Not to say that a university education isn’t worthwhile; you just have to weed out the relevant from the irrelevant.
The only analogy I can think of is of someone taking three years of culinary school in Paris, then working at Mr. Meat in South End: “she said well done, this is medium you idiot!” Sigh.
HOWEVER, if you meet and team up with a director or production company who appreciates the same kinds of things you, such as a Coppola or a Murch and you end up at the Cannes Film Festival, then you might have a place for your film theory, sociology and post structuralism. We’re talking high art here.
When you’re a hired professional, there’s not a lot you can do. It simply isn’t your job to find meaning in the subtext as it relates to the socio economic status and whatnot. It’s your job to entertain and/or inform.
If you are one of those people who desire to create deeper, more meaningful, subtexual, symbolic work (aka “art”) – and draw upon a diverse literary background, you’re probably going to have to suck it up and become your own auter. After all, that’s what those people we studied were.
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I bet you accidentally clicked on the video image at least once thinking it was your timeline! “why won’t the playhead move?! Oh right…”
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You’ve been dumped. Accept it and move on. Hit the gym.
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I see a market for extremely long thunderbolt cables.
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“It does seem kind of crazy to abandon the pro market when… ”
It’s obvious – they’re building 2K video cameras!
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Be basically sums it up at 3:08
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The original from Vimeo got pulled. This is a damn good video; I guess the moral of the story is don’t piss off the story tellers!
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Looks like the editors on Conan’s show aren’t afraid either: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sRzLP0FJ82I
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Gone for me too. CUSTOMER REVIEWS Current Version (0) All Versions (0) but the ratings counter remains with 561 (270 are one star).