 |
| Tools for frantic editing |
Deadlines are a good thing. With deadlines come pressure and a sense of urgency. Pressure and urgency not only get things done; they inspire creativity. However, if not managed well, a deadline too tight can lead to frantic decision making.
I’ve been editing on my first feature documentary since July, a music documentary about Brooklyn-based folk singer Ana Egge. The director is Jesse Lyda, the producer is Jason Wehling. Jesse followed Ana on and off for about two and a half years, capturing somewhere in the neighborhood of 140 hours of footage.
Our deadline was to have a decent rough cut by November/December. That’s five to six months to cull 140 hours down to a feature length run time. An editor we sought advice from told us she spends three to four months watching/logging/marking up footage, then a month of hardcore editing to get to a first assembly on a feature doc.
We needed an assembly in half that time.
