Top 10 Best Edited films?

Discuss the art and craft of editing here
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Paramvir Singh
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Top 10 Best Edited films?

Post by Paramvir Singh »

I was wonderign what an editing student's must watch list look like?
Anyone? In foreign films I can think of (not necessarily in order):

Black Hawk Down
Run Lola Run
The Godfather II
Powaqqatsi
The Limey
Snow Falling On Cedars
The Rules of Attraction
.. hmmm.... anyone to help me here...?
antara
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Re: Top 10 Best Edited films?

Post by antara »

I think that list kind of keeps changing...so difficult to pin down a constant top 10...for me at least.Over the top of my head...

- Early films-Lumiere,Melies,Griffith are a must watch...can't overlook these can we????

-Was watching Split Wide Open last night (after several years as a matter of fact)... i remember this film had really stayed with me....i think it was probably the first time I had seen a fairly non-linear narrative ('cyclic' would be more appropriate perhaps) in indian films...(editor: Renu Saluja)

-Also "Lord of War"...based on the video game of the same name...content is occasionally cheesy...but some pretty interesting edit work in there.(editor:Zach Staenberg)

-Guy Ritchie's Snatch and L,S and two smoking barrels (editor: Jon Harris and Niven Howie respectively)

-I'm a sucker for films based on biographical accounts of celebrity figures-Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Hector Lavoe....I enjoy the amalgamation of newsreel footage, newspaper snippets, concert footage, alongwith the filmed account of their story itself.

-Living in Oblivion (editors:Dana Congdon & Camilla Toniolo)

-In the Name of the Father (editor: Gerry Hambling)

-And of course, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron. One hears so much about what the rushes looked like and then how the edit just turned the film around! To quote Kundan Shah- on starting the edit: "the beginning and end of every shot worked, while the middle of it sagged.And of course there were no cutaways." (editor: Renu Saluja)

I think it would also be valid to discuss what makes a film "well-edited"... more often than not the editor will receive a bunch of shots that can be cut just so by the editor...with some variations if one is lucky. Worst case scenario, its going to be a salvage job (and the odd chance that something good comes of it). What then is the editor's contribution..making the best of a bad job?? cutting shots really fast and shuffling scenes around so it looks 'fast-paced' (and hence 'well-edited')...or following the director's vision, and adding some along the way...
or is it just about ensuring that the story is clear to the audience...geography of the location, 50% emotion,20% something else, eye match....etc etc....
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Paramvir Singh
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Re: Top 10 Best Edited films?

Post by Paramvir Singh »

think it would also be valid to discuss what makes a film "well-edited"... more often than not the editor will receive a bunch of shots that can be cut just so by the editor...with some variations if one is lucky. Worst case scenario, its going to be a salvage job (and the odd chance that something good comes of it). What then is the editor's contribution..making the best of a bad job?? cutting shots really fast and shuffling scenes around so it looks 'fast-paced' (and hence 'well-edited')...or following the director's vision, and adding some along the way...
or is it just about ensuring that the story is clear to the audience...geography of the location, 50% emotion,20% something else, eye match....etc etc....
you are so right, antara. I have often wondered, how can someone say if a film was badly edited? who knows what material the editor had to begin with (of course thats after taking for granted that there is technically nothing wrong with what you have done given the available rushes). how much of editing is dependent on shot taking and of course, the script... the shooting script.

do you know of anyone who took a linear script and made a non-linear edit out of it? or took a sloooow script and edited a pacy film out of it? have you felt the 'rhythm' of the edit when you watch a movie?

speaking of slow scripts, do check out 'Gerry', director : Gus Van Sant, Cinematography by Harris Savdies and starring Casey Affleck, Matt Damon, who ALSO share writing and editing credits with the director!

Its a beeeeeatiful looking film, (I am yet to complete seeing it) with an average shot duration of 60 seconds. If you want, holler and I shall get ya the movie...
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Saihmee Dara Singh
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Re: Top 10 Best Edited films?

Post by Saihmee Dara Singh »

One thing i really learnt from walter murch's workshop when he was in in the inst has been in my memory since then..when asked about the best edited film he had replied:

"Its that anonymous editor in some part of the world whom none of us might know ,a person who made a film out of the worst possible footage he /she got and made a film worth watching"


how true....


thats a fantastictic take..........
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Re: Top 10 Best Edited films?

Post by antara »

I think the above areas have been explored quite extensively by most of us in our FTII days, dont you think???for better or for worse.Also the project that I am working on currently is following a very interesting trajectory...more on this later.

As far as 'rhythm' is concerned, I have always found rhythm in editing to be largely dependent on the inherent rhythm of shots in their raw, uncut state....I could be terribly wrong...but I'm speaking from my limited experience and would love to be corrected on this. I am of the belief that the sense of rhythm between shots and between sequences is decided during the shooting stage itself. Rhythm of the dialogue, camera movement and actor movement. Its awful when during the edit (with a perfectly flowing sequence in hand) one gets tied up in knots because that one particular shot has a track in that was a little too fast or one particular dialogue that was delivered without the appropriate pauses. Sounds very textbook...but I find these to be quite valid.


P.S.What fun, Param...would love to see this film!
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Paramvir Singh
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Re: Top 10 Best Edited films?

Post by Paramvir Singh »

I am of the belief that the sense of rhythm between shots and between sequences is decided during the shooting stage itself. Rhythm of the dialogue, camera movement and actor movement. Its awful when during the edit (with a perfectly flowing sequence in hand) one gets tied up in knots because that one particular shot has a track in that was a little too fast or one particular dialogue that was delivered without the appropriate pauses.
thats a very interesting point, antara...
you are so right. in fact while shooting we must keep this in mind. however, so often , while shooting, we so wronglytend to look at shots in their individuality and not as in a sequence. nice point.

will get you 'Gerry'. I have it in myPowerBook bag anyway, so whenever you meet you shall have it!
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