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Rule of Threes
October 9, 2023
Here’s a terrific editing tip that I learned from a fellow journalism teacher at UC Berkeley. Have you ever heard of the “Rule of Threes”? I’m not talking about the composition principle of dividing your frame into thirds horizontally and vertically. “Rule of Threes” originated as a writing tenet. It means that three of something is better than two of something. Why? Because “three” creates a rhythm (in the shortest amount of time), whereas “two” does not. In film editing, try using three consecutive elements such as three photographs, three brief news clips, three consecutive soundbites, and three text cards…
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Prune Until It Pops
October 2, 2023
Earlier this year I consulted with Bay Area director Mark Decena on a documentary called “Farming While Black”. I silently wondered, “Why have I never heard about Black farmers?” Reviewing the rough cut, I realized it was an important topic integral to the founding of America. In 1910, 14 percent of U.S. farmland was owned by Black farmers. Today, it is less than 2 percent. Why the attrition? What can be done? And who’s doing it? The cut was taking too long to answer these vital questions. I knew that pruning the repetition and irrelevant tangents would make the remaining material pop. But how…
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Tiffany’s Feminist History Tree Ring
September 28, 2023
One of my favorite filmmaker/clients is Tiffany Shlain, a prolific artist with immeasurable moxie. We met when story consulting on her film Connected, which premiered at Sundance. Her latest (non-film) project is the Feminist History Tree Ring Project, created with her talented trans producer Sawyer Steele. It will tickle your feminist funny bones. Mazel tov! And in case you missed my blog last week, investigate my popular Story Focusing Exercise.
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Invitation to see film “Carol Doda Topless at the Condor’
September 14, 2023
I’d like to invite you to a fun and inspiring documentary! Carol Doda Topless at the Condor was edited by my business New Doc Editing. It is premiering at the SF Roxie Cinema on TUE, October 10, at 8:45 pm, as part of the Mill Valley Film Festival. (It’s the film that I went to Telluride for.) Created by Parker Films, this is a fascinating and emotional film for anyone interested in San Francisco history, sexuality, and feminism of all flavors (from earnest to subversive)! Buy tix here ASAP as they will definitely sell out! On the link, you’ll also see a screening in San…
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Our Q&A at Telluride: Was She Exploited or Empowered?
September 7, 2023
I’m just back from the world premiere of a film we edited, Carol Doda Topless at the Condor. (If you haven’t been to the astonishingly beautiful Telluride, add it to your bucket list.) The Q&A provoked a debate about whether the protagonist, a white sex worker, was exploited or empowered. In 1964, Carol Doda became the first dancer to perform topless–which incited trials that helped paved the way for the sexual revolution. Viewers split over whether Carol’s life was happy or not. “When she was not on stage, she was not happy,” said Jonathan Parker, the documentary’s co-director. “That’s all…
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Our Dirty Little Secret Is Out!
September 2, 2023
Part of the mystique of the Telluride Film Festival involves keeping selections top secret until the very last minute. Now our dirty little secret is out! A feature documentary that we edited premieres today! And you can guess why I said “dirty” from the title. Carol Doda Topless at the Condor tells the story of the nation’s first topless entertainer. As Parker Films puts it, “She not only made history, she became a San Francisco tourist attraction second only to the Golden Gate Bridge.” I’m very proud of our editorial team–Jennifer, Marlo and Jonathan–who crafted an extraordinary story. It follows…
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Vet Your Editor’s Ego
August 29, 2023
One of the biggest reasons directors fire their editors is role confusion. Either the director thinks they’re an editor, or the editor is a closet director. (The saddest story I’ve heard about a malfunctioning relationship involved a director who went through four editors, blaming each editor for not listening to his ideas.) Envision the director as the film’s captain and ultimate creative decision-maker. The editor is the first mate, a structural navigator, and storytelling specialist. How do you trust your editor to steer the right course while you maintain control of the ship? Do your due diligence and don’t stop…
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Choosing a Documentary Title
August 22, 2023
I’ve just finished working on several ITVS applications and was struck by how some of the doc titles were memorable, some not so much. Here are some tips for creating an enticing documentary title: Seek a word or words that are specific, memorable, even metaphoric. Examples include “Tongues Untied”, “Last Train Home,” “Finding Joe”, “Bull In A China Shop”, “Born in Goma”. Note the use of proper nouns and specific images. Both are memorable. One word and two-word titles are popular because they are also easy to remember: “Honeyland”, “Capitalism”, “Connected”, “CitizenFour”, “Outfoxed”, “Icarus”, “The Secret”, “Senna”, “Freakonomics”, “Crip Camp”.…
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We Have Lowered Our Rates
August 12, 2023
This summer we’re experimenting with lowering our rates for editing and story consulting. See rates here. We will likely raise rates back this Fall, or when the writer’s strike ends. Can you lock in a summer discount for future work in 2023? Yes, at least for the rest of this month!
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Editors Are A Dime A Dozen
July 26, 2023
Last weekend one of our editors won gold at the 75th Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards! This talented cutter does not fall into the “editors are a dime a dozen” category. Which is the topic of today’s blog. During the writer’s strike, we are lowering our editing rates significantly to be more competitive with the cut-rate crew. Still, I often worry that first-time documentary filmmakers will choose an inexpensive editor over a talented veteran because they think it will save them money. They may not understand the difference between scripted and unscripted editing. “Editing a documentary is akin to someone…
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