This past Monday my friend and I went to see another friend of mine's film playing at STIFF, not to be confused with SIFF. This was the first full length film that my friend made, it is a story about a depressed man who takes advice from a mold growing in his bathroom. The premiss is good, though the depressed man looking for a new path has been over done, and the overall production quality was well done but something seemed off.
My friend who came with me, we had a long discussion as to why we did not like the film. While we both agreed about the positives of the film but what we couldn't get past was the editing or lack there of. The film's director was also the writer and film editor, do you see where this is going. In my personal belief you can write and direct a film and even do a little bit of editing, but what doesn't work is when you do it all. When you do it all the story and flow of the movie may make sense to you but will seem jumbled and long to the audience.
I looked on the IMDB page for this film and not one person is listed as a secondary editor or writer. There is a reason why you see five or ten different writers and editors for a major motion picture. Now I am in no way saying that having multiple people in one role makes a good film, what I am saying is that it is a good idea to have an outside view critic the film's story and over all flow before the final print. Even I as a sound editor will ask another editor to come listen to my work to see if I need to add or subtract some sounds.
This is essential to film editing, cut out all the unnecessary scenes. If it doesn't help progress the story or character build it does not need to be in there. The last thing you need is for your audience to be bored or walking out of the theater. Cut the fat!
See you on the other side.
No comments:
Post a Comment