“Any writer that’s listening to me right now, you’ll gain a lot more knowledge by studying editing than you will by studying screenwriting. Screenwriting is something inside of you, it’s what you’re going to do. It’s going to be dictated by so many other things. Watch how movies are built. That’s where it really comes together. Watch how movies evolve through the process of editing.”
—Writer/director Christopher McQuarrie (Mission: Impossible—Fallout)
The Inside Pitch Facebook live interview with Christopher Lockhart
7/11/2020
Of course, the catch—22 is how can you watch a movie be edited unless you”re working on the movie? Here are to three places to start:
1) Read the post: How Great movies are Made (and Why ‘The Godfather’ was Once a Pile of Spaghetti in the Edit Room)
2) Watch this video featuring Water Murch who was ADR supervisor on The Godfather.
3) Watch The Godfather once again.
4) Buy these books on editing:
In the Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing by Walter Murch
The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Film Editing by Michael Ondaatje
P.S. If you know if some resources showing how a movie evolves in the editing process send that info my way. If I recall correctly, the original script for Annie Hall and the finished film are one of the best examples of being radically different creations. A movie salvaged in the editing. It went on to win four Oscar awards including Best Picture and Best Writing.
This is such a good point! I’m always so screenplay oriented and need to study up on the editing aspects of filmmaking too since it can really make a difference between meh and great. Look at Marcia Lucas and her contributions to the Star Wars movies!