Two more scenes

Fascinating but physically exhausting work. In between making decisions about which take to use, or how to split together the first half of one take and the last half of a second there's just trying to learn the mechanics - which buttons do what?

I've found that I definitely need long breaks. I've been at it for 12 hours, but took three shifts with an hour or more between each - there's no way I could edit that many hours straight at this point.


But it's incredible to mold it into shape. Very different than editing words - feels more like the sculpting metaphor - broad strokes, then more and more definition and detail. Moving something, then moving it back - that part is like editing words!

With words, you're rarely just using what you've got. You keep thinking to yourself that maybe you can find a new way to say something. So editing film is somewhat freeing in that respect. What I have in my clip folders is what there is to work with. I can mix and match and manipulate, but this is not a big-budget film where I can go back and re-shoot. I see now why dailies on features are so important. There are definitely a few moments where now that I have the footage, I'd love another chance to get a slightly different angle. I will definitely have much more of an editor's mind next time I shoot.

I always thought of continuity as avoiding the broad errors - picking up a cup with different hands in different shots or wearing the wrong shirt. But I understand axis better now that I'm trying to fit together a medium and a close up - a shift too far in angle can be distracting. I get now why editors in interviews say ideally their work is invisible. You shouldn't see the jumps, the seams holding the clips together.

Definitely going to need some sound editing assistance - the buzzing of the camera is startlingly noticeable.

My editing music today was Glenn Gould's 82 recording of the Goldberg Variations - a brilliant sequence of moods and tempos - pure inspiration. His humming a reminder not to get too anticeptic and caught up in cutting to "perfection" whatever that is.