Below is a movie trailer I cut for Dirty Habit a creepy feature film that I also edited (using the pseudonym Will Dailyrest). I have done a lot of editing since cutting this trailer, but trailers really are the editor’s bailiwick, which is why I’m posting this here.
Skip this if you have problems with profanity.
Editing is not as sexy as the lights! camera! action! part of the process and generally (though not in our case) takes place in a dark room that smells like dead skin. But it’s where the movie takes shape.
I have been annoyed at times by people who think movies are made entirely with cameras. If you use the architectural model, it’s the editor’s job to build the house, while the cameraman and the rest of the crew just draw the plans and go to the lumber yard.
I can edit something that I’ve shot with one camera by about 6pm if I stop shooting by noon.
I am very at home with editing, particularly when I’m editing my own, recently-shot footage. Most of the time in editing is spent simply watching what’s been shot. If I just shot it, I already know what parts I am going to use and I can buzz through the stuff pretty quick (not long enough to develop that “closeness” that you’ll find at other post houses).
I’ve worked on shows where just watching the footage, without cutting anything, would take days. A selective shooting plan is the best way to keep post-production on budget.