The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing
The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing | |
---|---|
Directed by | Wendy Apple |
Written by | Mark Jonathan Harris |
Produced by | Wendy Apple |
Starring | Zach Staenberg Jodie Foster Michael Tronick Anthony Minghella Sean Penn Martin Scorsese Steven Spielberg Quentin Tarantino |
Narrated by | Kathy Bates |
Cinematography | John Bailey |
Edited by | Tim Tobin |
Music by | Nic. tenBroek |
Production companies | TCEP, Inc. |
Distributed by | Starz Encore |
Release dates | October 12, 2004 (Hollywood Film Festival) October 20, 2004 (Japan) December 12, 2004 (United States) |
Running time | 97 minutes |
Language | English |
Budget | <$1,000,000[1] |
The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing is a 2004 documentary film about the history and art of film editing, directed by filmmaker Wendy Apple. The film brings up many topics, including the collaborative nature of filmmaking, female representation in the editing field, and emerging technologies of the 21st century. Clips shown in the documentary were taken from feature films of the past century noted for their innovations in editing, ranging from 1903's Life of an American Fireman to 2003's Cold Mountain.
The documentary was produced in response to the 1992 documentary film on cinematography, Visions of Light, and the lack of good documentaries focusing on film editors. Apple and her executive producer, Alan Heim, struck a deal with Warner Bros. to license nearly 300 film clips for free. The documentary was filmed all over California, featuring interviews with dozens of film editors, directors, actors, and producers. These interviews were later transcribed for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The Cutting Edge premiered at the Hollywood Film Festival on October 12, 2004. The documentary later aired on the Japanese television station NHK on October 20, 2004, and was released on the premium cable channel Encore on December 12, 2004. The documentary was well-received for its choice of interviewees, especially with the stories of its director-editor collaborations. However, the film was criticized for its choice of recent films and an oversimplified history of film editing. In later years, the documentary was used for education of people learning to be film editors.
Synopsis
The documentary features interviews with 30 contemporary film editors as well as 17 other individuals, including directors, actors, and producers.[2] Throughout these interviews, many personal stories between the directors and editors are mentioned, such as Steven Spielberg and the late Verna Fields, Quentin Tarantino and Sally Menke, Martin Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker, and Alexander Payne and Kevin Tent, among others.
The documentary also explores the history of editing techniques, bringing up pioneers of the field such as
The documentary also notes that many early film editors were women and that their tasks were seen as similar to sewing. In the words of editor Walter Murch, "you took these pieces of fabric...and you put them together". Since the rise of sound films in the 1930s, the editing field has become dominated by men since sound was seen as more technical and electrical. Despite this, some female editors thrived. The film highlights Margaret Booth's long career as a supervising film editor. The film also features interviews with several contemporary female film editors, such as Anne V. Coates, Tina Hirsch, Lynzee Klingman, Carol Littleton, Sally Menke, and Thelma Schoonmaker.
Near the end, the documentary cites filmmaking trends of the early
Production
The documentary was originally conceptualized by director Wendy Apple and executive producer Alan Heim in 2001 after being inspired by the 1992 documentary film Visions of Light. Apple attempted to find any books or documentaries about film editors, but could not find any useful sources. Heim, who was the president of American Cinema Editors at the time, told CineMontage Magazine that "[i]t's the editors' shot at getting some airtime."[1] In an attempt to secure the rights to the nearly 300 clips featured in the documentary, Apple and Heim were given the rights for free by Judith Singer. Singer, the head of clips at Warner Bros., thought the documentary was a great idea. Normally, the clips would have cost the production millions of dollars.[1]
The budget of the documentary was less than a million dollars. An additional $20,000 was added to secure the music rights, although the filmmakers had to remove a track from the 1980 film Raging Bull. The companies that helped fund the film included the Japanese broadcasting company NHK, the Dutch channel AVRO, the BBC, Warner Home Video, and Starz Encore.[1] NHK was particularly interested in the documentary because it was shot in high-definition. George Feltenstein, who led Warner Home Video, was extremely fascinated by the documentary due to the use of classic films.[1] The film also featured volunteer work from students at the University of Southern California as well as the sound department from the 2004 film, The Notebook.[5]
The documentary was shot in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Santa Barbara. Martin Scorsese and Thelma Schoonmaker, who were working on The Aviator at the time, recorded their interviews just as the film was locked in March 2004.[1] In an interview with CineMontage, Heim revealed that his favorite interview was with Steven Spielberg, who gave him around an hour of interesting stories for the documentary.[1] Apple recorded over a hundred hours of interviews and sent all the transcripts to the Margaret Herrick Library, which hosted research materials for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[1]
On March 22, 2004, the documentary was announced in a press release for the HD simulcast Encore HD. The press release writes, "Encore HD features star interviews, movie trivia between films, Encore original series geared towards movie lovers".[6]
Films examined
- Life of an American Fireman (1903)
- The Great Train Robbery (1903)
- The Birth of a Nation (1915)
- Battleship Potemkin (1925)
- Man with a Movie Camera (1929)
- Triumph of the Will (1935)
- The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
- Schichlegruber Doing the Lambeth Walk (1942)
- Why We Fight (1942–1945)
- Vertigo (1958)
- Psycho (1960)
- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
- Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
- 2001: A Space Odyssey(1968)
- Bullitt (1968)
- Easy Rider (1969)
- The French Connection (1971)
- Lenny (1974)
- Jaws (1975)
- The Last Tycoon (1976)
- Apocalypse Now (1979)
- Raging Bull (1980)
- Body Heat (1981)
- Places in the Heart (1984)
- The Untouchables (1987)
- The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
- JFK (1991)
- Grand Canyon (1991)
- Reservoir Dogs (1992)
- Basic Instinct (1992)
- Schindler's List (1993)
- Pulp Fiction (1994)
- Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995)
- Home for the Holidays (1995)
- Scream (1996)
- Dante's Peak (1997)
- Titanic (1997)
- Starship Troopers (1997)
- Kundun (1997)
- The Horse Whisperer (1998)
- Out of Sight (1998)
- Election (1999)
- The Matrix (1999)
- Sleepy Hollow (2000)
- Gladiator (2000)
- Black Hawk Down (2001)
- The Fast and the Furious (2001)
- The Pledge (2001)
- Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
- XXX (2002)
- The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
- Cold Mountain (2003)
Cast
Every interviewee (listed alphabetically below) appears as themselves.[2]
Actress Kathy Bates narrates the documentary.[2] Editors mentioned in the documentary include Margaret Booth, Verna Fields, and Owen Marks.
Release
The Cutting Edge premiered as the Hollywood Film Festival's opening film on the night of October 12, 2004.[2][7] The film was later screened at the Mill Valley Film Festival on October 15–16, 2004.[8] Afterwards, the film had a special screening at the Museum of Television & Radio on December 9, 2004. Panelists for the museum screening included director Wendy Apple with editors Carol Littleton, Craig McKay, Thelma Schoonmaker, and Tim Tobin.[9] The documentary later premiered on Encore on December 12, 2004.[10][11]
The special also premiered in Japan on October 20, 2004. It was broadcast on NHK as part of its Hi-Vision Special Feature program.[12]
Reception
The film was well received for its choice of interviewees. Jim Hemphill of American Cinematographer praised the choice of the film's interviewees. He also compared The Cutting Edge to the 1992 documentary Visions of Light, calling both films "an entertaining and inspiring overview of the history of an art form."[13] Writing for High-Def Digest, Peter M. Bracke also praised the interviewees featured in the documentary. He also notes that it is the only high-definition bonus feature included in the Bullitt Blu-ray.[14] Scott Foundas of Variety gave The Cutting Edge a positive review, calling it "a lively, occasionally illuminating tour" through its choice of interviewees. Foundas especially praised the documentary for highlighting director-editor collaborations, such as director Bob Fosse and editor Alan Heim in their film Lenny.[2]
Critics also liked the personal stories and opinions told in the documentary. Gerald Perry of
Matt Roush of
However, many critics felt that the history presented in the documentary was simplified. Scott Foundas noted that the choice of films weighed heavily towards the last thirty years. He also wrote that the film maintained "an academic distance" from film editing while not showcasing many possible ways to edit a single film.[2] In particular, critics did not like the documentary's focus on Walter Murch's work on Cold Mountain. Gerald Perry of the Boston Phoenix wrote that Murch was "a bit windy,"[10] while Christopher Null wrote, "I can't help but wish it hadn't been a more exciting scene in a more noteworthy movie." In addition, Null criticized director Wendy Apple's mixed choice of movies, such as Under Siege 2: Dark Territory and XXX. But mixed with his praises towards the documentary, Null gave the film 3.5/5 stars.[15]
Legacy
The documentary was featured on several "must-watch" lists, including
Home video
The documentary was originally included in a 2-disc release of the 1968 film Bullitt,[13] which was released on March 31, 2005.[23] The documentary was also included in the Blu-ray version of Bullitt, released on February 27, 2007.[14][24] The documentary was later released as a stand-alone DVD by Warner Home Video on September 6, 2005.[17][25][26]
See also
- In the Blink of an Eye (1992) – A non-fiction book about film editing by Walter Murch, one of the interviewees featured in The Cutting Edge
- Visions of Light (1992) – A similar documentary featuring interviews from cinematographers
- The Conversations (2002) – A non-fiction book by Michael Ondaatje featuring interviews with Walter Murch
- Score: A Film Music Documentary (2016) – A similar documentary featuring interviews from film composers
- 78/52: Hitchcock's Shower Scene (2017) – A film about the shower scene in the Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho, which was mentioned in The Cutting Edge
- Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (2019) – A similar documentary featuring interviews from sound designers
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Carroll, Tomm (November 1, 2004). "Editors Finally Get Their Close-Up: Alan Heim on 'The Cutting Edge'". CineMontage. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Foundas, Scott (October 15, 2004). "The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing". Variety. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ Hewitt, Chris (February 10, 2021). "What does a movie editor do? 7 great examples of their invisible art". Star Tribune. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ Skweres, Mary Ann (January 15, 2005). "Alan Heim and The Cutting Edge". Below the Line. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ "Starz Encore Group Announces March 22 Launch of Encore HD". PR Newswire. March 9, 2004. Archived from the original on March 11, 2004. Retrieved March 29, 2024 – via Yahoo!.
- ^ Welkos, Robert W. (October 9, 2004). "Hollywood Film Festival gets Tinseltown's attention". The Los Angeles Times. p. 59. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
- ^ Eddy, Cheryl (October 13, 2004). "San Francisco Bay Guardian". Bay Guardian Co.. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
- ^ The Museum of Television & Radio - 2004 Report (PDF). 2004. p. 19. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
- ^ a b c Perry, Gerald (December 10, 2004). "Cuts Above - Anya at the MFA; The Cutting Edge on STARZ". Boston Phoenix. p. 49. Retrieved March 29, 2024 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ Urbani, Laura (December 11, 2004). "'Cutting Edge' brings film editors to forefront". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
- ^ "ハイビジョン特集 「カッティング・エッジ」". NHKクロニクル (in Japanese). October 20, 2004. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
- ^ a b Hemphill, Jim. "DVD Playback - Bullitt (1968) Special Edition". American Cinematographer. No. October 2005. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ a b Bracke, Peter M. (February 27, 2007). "Bullitt Review". High-Def Digest. Archived from the original on August 28, 2007. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ a b Null, Christopher (September 17, 2005). "The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing". Contactmusic.com. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
- ^ Roush, Matt (December 12, 2004). "The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing". TV Guide Magazine. 52: 69.
It's a celebration and history of a highly technical yet fiercely intuitive craft, from D.W. Griffith's innovative use of close-ups and cross-cutting in the silent era to George Lucas's digital revolution...MY SCORE (0-10): 10/10
- ^ a b Korman, Ken (October 2, 2005). "DVD REVIEWS: The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing". Sound & Vision. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
- ^ Herbert, Jeremy (November 3, 2021). "15 Must-Watch Documentaries About Filmmaking". SlashFilm. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
- ^ Roldán, Eduardo (July 3, 2019). "Los 30 documentales sobre cine que tienes que ver". Cinemanía (in Spanish). Retrieved April 7, 2024.
- ^ "Videos on Editing". Retrieved March 29, 2024.
- ^ "Crew Call With Film Editor Alan Heim". KPBS Public Media. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
It's a feature-length film, it was released on Starz the TV network and it's available somewhere in the world. It...has been used for teaching purposes all over the world. It's taken me to Moscow and [unintelligible] and to Siberia. Willingly. It's a very good teaching tool.
- ^ Cherukuri, Abhilasha (May 18, 2023). "Srujana's journey from Engineering to editing films". The New Indian Express. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
- ^ Salas, Randy A. (May 25, 2005). "Double-dipping: Smark marketing or dirty pool?". Birmingham Post-Herald. p. 19. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
- ^ McCutcheon, David (January 18, 2007). "McQueen Goes HD". IGN. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
- ^ "This week's new releases - The Cutting Edge". The Toronto Star. September 3, 2005. p. 236. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
- ^ ""The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing" DVD from Warner Home Video". Warner Bros. May 31, 2005. Retrieved March 30, 2005.