The Magic of Movie Editing

                The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing was a fascinating look at one of the most important components of the film industry, the editor. The job of the editor is an underappreciated one but is one of the most important ones.

            The first editors were mostly women because editing was seen as synonymous to tasks such as knitting. When audio was added to film, men came into the picture but still editors were only viewed as “highly skilled mechanics.” Today editors receive a lot more credit for the part they play in the film making process but are still underappreciated. Editing is why we like watching movies because it gives us a more intimate look at the action that is being played out before us. And none of this would exist without the work of the editor. They create the art and the magic and are really the last storytellers in the process of making a film. The editor is responsible for the pacing and the emotion of the movie. They also control the performance of the actor by selecting the best shots from every take. In the end, the editor is the one that actually assembles the film, which is an extremely important job. The average movie contains over two hundred hours of film and to be able to edit that material down to about two hours worth of material is remarkable. It is the editor’s job to not only know when it is necessary to cut but also when not to and when to keep the shots longer. This is why the editor’s role in film making should be greater appreciated. They are not just stringing or cutting scenes together but creating a work of art; an invisible art. The editor gets nowhere near the amount of praise and respect as they should be receiving and this should definitely change. Right along the director, the editor is the most important role in creating a film and it is time for this to be realized.