Hi Lisa, many thanks for letting me interview you for The Reelshow.

it's a pleasure!

I have read a number of interviews with you and in an attempt not to bore you rigid I will try to ask some questions that you may not have faced before.Some of our film student members have contributed some questions as well.
As a working DOP I ask the Script Superviser on the set to make a lot of notes to the editor, usually about future grades or where a shot will be picked up from another angle. As an editor do you find these notes useful or just arrogant nonsense from the DOP and ignore them?

not at all. any information is useful and unless i'm in a terrible rush to get a scene cut i'll usually read through the notes and absorb as much as i can!

I try to have as many trainees on my crews as possible. All of them want to eventually Direct or DP. None of them have expressed a desire to be an editor, why do you think that is?

not sure. perhaps a lot of people think that the shoot is where all the film making happens so it might not be an obvious choice for someone starting out. editing is a mysterious and (if done well) invisible craft.

i suppose it's a bit like trying to make a perfect meal. some people are better at shopping for the ingredients then the actual cooking! for me, cooking is the best part. it's where all the ingredients come together, picture, sound, music. it's where the story gets told by bending time and space to create an illusion. what could be more exciting then that?!

Working with Antony Minghella must have been an amazing experience, is there any great piece of info or advice he gave you that has stood the test of time re film making?

he was my hero and i learnt pretty much everything from him. i think the best thing he used to say, and i have it ringing in my ears often, is to always try to be 'open'.

no one really understands film. it's such an unknown quantity. if there was a formula that worked then every film made would be a hit. as film makers we just have to feel our way using our instincts and feeling people's reactions, adjusting and crafting the film accordingly. if you listen carefully, the film actually tells you what it wants to be!

it's important to know what the heart and soul of the story you're trying to tell is and to always be true to that BUT you always have to question if you're telling the story in the best possible way. everyone's opinion is valid and you have to decode what they are saying and be open to it. anthony was always open to what people said about his films and took their opinions very much to heart. i remember him stopping a fedex man walking past the cutting room and asked his opinion on a sequence. then we recut it and made it better!

when a sequence appears to be working it is very hard to break it apart and think of another way it could work. he taught me how to break it apart and start again. usually, and always to my great annoyance i have to admit that i've greatly improved the sequence! by the way, it's also important to know when to leave things alone, to stop messing around when there's no more improvement.

i don't think great films are made by sticking to the script. once the film is shot, you have a whole world of options beyond that. that's the film language. the editing process is where we tell the story with that. listen to what the film is telling you and push the material to it's limit. that's the only way to do a film justice.

When I was young the cutting rooms had pieces of film stuck on pins and the editor’s assistant would frantically scramble amongst them trying to find the appropriate clip! (shows how long ago that was!) I know you are not a technocrat, but could you tell us what equipment you use and why?

i use avid. but it might as well be any system. the important thing is to become so familiar with it that it becomes invisible. that way there's nothing between you and the film. i often cut sequences in my head, or while i'm sleeping. the storytelling happens in a floaty world beyond buttons and mouses!

At present I am working on a long running TV series, on a fixed set, this gives me the opportunity to visit the edit suite the day after shooting to watch the previous day’s rushes. Usually they are loosely assembled, its a very rapid process. Doing this helps me as a DOP but do editors in general find it intrusive? What do you think?

i love a deadline but i would find that intrusive! i have great respect for the way TV series are put together so quickly. i'm usually under a huge amount of pressure to produce something for director/producer to look at but i think it's important to be able to sit with the material for a little bit and have time to do a few passes before other people become involved in the process. it's important to be firm about how much time you need to do a good job. people can often be freaked out if they see the cut before it's ready!

having said that, of course everyone should have an opportunity to look at the rushes and i usually suggest pick-ups or let production know if something is missing.

How soon into pre-production are you contracted?

i'm asked to read the script and give notes usually. sometimes i go to the read through rehersals to get a sense of what is to come. usually we set up the cutting room 1 week before shooting starts.

Do you work to a storyboard and do you stick to it rigidly?

i very rarely look at the storyboard other than for technical set pieces. once the film has been shot it's my job to find a new language the film speaks in!

I know you studied English Literature at University but do you think a film course at a good film school would have been useful to you technically or for contacts/networking once you began your career?

well. because i did it a different way i'm not sure. i don't know enough about film schools and their curriculum. i think it's a great thing to learn about film theory as long as it doesn't interfere with an individual approach to making film. it's such an instinctive thing, it would be a shame to follow too many rules.

film school seems a great way of finding out which film discipline to persue, to learn technical skills and to meet people from the film world who can share their experience. BUT i'd say the fast track to making films is to actually be involved in making them. whether it be at film school or not, on whatever scale, on whatever budget. that's the best way. luckily nowdays this is becoming easier and easier with cheaper technology. i think being a trainee is a great way to start. i always encourage as many as possible to work in my cutting room!

i think learning how to use the machine represents about 5% of what it means to be an editor. i only realised how much i learnt a lot from my english degree once i started cutting features. i'd learnt a lot about narrative structure, character development, rhythm and syntax from studying literature. it set me up very well.

since i've been editing film i've learned about using things like sound, colour, pace, timing and music to tell a story. i learnt these things by first assisting on and then cutting pop videos, wedding videos, commercials and short films over the years. needless to say, i feel like i've still got an enormous amount to learn!

What was your first job as an editor and how did you get it?

15 years ago i left university. all i knew was that i was interested in storytelling, loved film and had a passion for music. i decided that film editing was something i'd like to explore. 12 years ago, i stalked a man called rick lawley who cut very brilliant commercials around soho, london. he'd started an editing company called the whitehouse. he cut commericals for people like michel gondry and jonathan glazer. after a terrible interview and being rejected 3 times (i still have the letters) he finally hired me as an assistant. i worked obsessively on whatever i could get my hands on. soon after that, a charity job that none of the other editors wanted to do came my way. we didn't know who the director was but i jumped at the chance. in walked anthony minghella and i never looked back! it was a dream come true!

Would you recommend Film Editing as a career?

yes!

If you were to take on a trainee or assistant what qualities would you look for?

i think the following things are essential qualities for an editor so i'd look for these things.

1. sense of humour. absolutely a priority.

2. calm under pressure.

3. patience and sensitivity. people are vulnerable when they're being creative so being able to take care of them is important.

4. passion for music.

5. being able to listen.

6. stamina and commitment!

Finally, a question I love to ask – What have you been working on recently and what have you got lined up for the future?

i've just finished a film called 'nowhere boy' about john lennon as a boy. directed by sam taylor-wood and starring aaron johnson, kristen scott thomas and anne marie duff.

a few things are lining up for the future but right now i just want to curl up in the foetal position and sleep for 10 days! i'm exhausted!

Lisa Gunning IMdB

A Reelshow International Interview 2009

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