All language subtitles for Module 10

So now

let's talk about the relationship
between the editor and the director.

He does not like
to look at first cuts of movies.

Some directors don't like to do it,
and I don't push them.

I don't insist that they do
it. Some editors do.

I don't because I feel like
if it's too painful for them,

that may more do more damage than than
good.

After he saw the first cut,
he was so depressed, he was so discouraged

that when he turned to me and asked me,
So do you think we have a movie?

I thought he was just half joking.

He literally did not know.

Based on looking at my cut,
he did not know whether we had a movie

at all.

He thought that
he had failed as a director.

He didn't blame me,

but he just felt that he didn't
get what he wanted to get.

He thought that it would be
this was a great opportunity for him.

He was given money to make his his second
feature film.

And he thought that he blew it

and he didn't blow it,
but he thought that he had ruined it.

Again,
I like to keep the process constructive.

I like to move things forward.

If I force a director
to look at my first cut, if I say,

are you really going to look at it?

So we both know how much work
we have to do.

Well, I might be able to step back

and be objective and say, Yeah,
this is bad, it doesn't work.

But you know what? We'll fix it.

My director might not be able to do that
in that moment.

My director
might might lock himself in the bathroom

and say, I'm never coming out
because I failed.

And then I have to call the producers
and say,

you know,
we're not going to make our schedule

because my director hasn't been working
for a week because he's too depressed.

So you always have to do whatever it takes

to keep the process moving forward.

And what that often means is
you have to remember to be constructive.

You have to remember to

to not

spend time on things that are negative
and waste time.

So I like to not force my director to

to look at things
when he doesn't want to look at things.

In terms of agreeing
or disagreeing with the director.

I always remember that it is a
it's a director's medium.

And that's something that has come about
from the early days

of of of of Hollywood movies.

It wasn't always considered that way

when when we were
with the old Hollywood studios,

it was really into the 1950s

and 1960s and seventies, where

most people started to think of movies
as a director's medium

and the director's the auteur.

So but I always that's the way
I look at it now.

I always remember
that it's the director that hires me

to collaborate.

And so it's the director's vision.

And so I might feel very passionate
about something.

And I think good editors are passionate
and are invested.

If you believe in something,

if you believe that this is the right way
for the story,

I think you have to stand
by your opinions.

But at the same time,
there does come a point where I feel like

I do need to step aside.

To allow.

The Director's vision.

In other words, my opinions can never,
I feel, can never get in the way

of the director's vision.

It's always what the director wants.

And so that takes a certain amount of

a certain type of ego,
because you have to have enough ego

to be strong with your opinions,
to have confidence in your opinions.

But at the same time, you have to be able
to let them go for the director.

Every director is different.

So I've worked with directors
like Damien who are very passionate

and they know what they want.

And I've worked with some other directors
who are passionate about certain areas,

but they might not be as detailed,
they might not do storyboards.

And those directors

often rely on their editors.

They rely on their cinematographers
to help them envision the movie.

And likewise
they rely on the editors to help give it

pace, give it rhythm,
bring certain emotional elements to it.

So especially first time directors

or directors who aren't that experienced,
or even directors

who don't want to get too close to it
the way an editor does.

They really need editors
who have strong opinions

and who are there to

to bring

to bring the rest of the equation
to the table.

In terms of how do you manage

the differing, differing opinions?

You know, in the case of Damien Chazelle,
he and I are so close in some ways

that often we have the same opinion
or similar opinion.

But I will admit there are times where.

He'll say to me, Isn't this great?

This is fantastic.

What do you think?

And I'll say in my head, I'll say,

I'm not so sure.

And maybe I'm not really sure, but to

to Damien.

I don't necessarily
have a better idea in that moment,

so I don't necessarily
want to stop the process

unless I have a really great idea
or a great solution.

So I, Damian and I have a process
and we trust it.

And by that I mean that sometimes

we'll do something
and we won't be certain about it.

Is this exactly the right thing to do?

You don't have to solve.

I feel that you don't have to solve
every problem in that moment.

You can try something.

And I feel if it feels okay,
you try it and you let it go

because we believe the process
will actually help you find the solution.

So in the case of me and Damien, often
we'll do something

and maybe we're not 100% certain,
but we like it.

So we'll leave it in the movie.

We'll know if it's right or wrong
the next time we screen it.

The rough cut for our friends and family.

That's part of our process.

And that's something that
that he and I have experienced together.

And it's something that that I trust.

So I think the thing I remember
is that not every not every conflict

has to be resolved
in that moment immediately.