Edge Codes.com: The Art of Motion Picture Editing
directed and edited by Alex Shuper
featuring George Lucas, Norman Jewison, Michael Ondaatje, Thelma Schoonmaker, Doy Dorn, Sarah Flack, Andrew Mondshein, Zach Staenberg, Susan Shipton, Ron Sanders

           For general audiences film editing is one of the least noticed and understood aspects of the movies, but to many involved in the craft of filmmaking it is what separates the medium from all other art forms. Orson Welles claimed that it was “THE aspect” of his cinematic vision and directors from Eisenstein to Godard to Tarantino became legends particularly for their editing techniques. General audiences don’t really need to notice or understand film editing, though, and so a documentary about the basics of the job has little appeal for anybody except novice students.
          Edge Codes.com: The Art of Motion Picture Editing showcases many of the best living film editors as they discuss the history and technology and styles of their occupation, but if that sounds interesting to you then chances are you already know everything they have to say. Anyone with the slightest background in cinema studies could tell you the most important films as far as editing goes. Sure, it makes sense for those interviewed to mention Battleship Potemkin, Breathless and the love scene from Don’t Look Now, but somebody should be able to reference something that I’m unaware of. If not, I can stop feeling guilty about being a film school dropout.
          Occasionally there is a short anecdote from one of the editors about a specific example they worked on. Sarah Flack tells of how The Limey was originally more linear and Thelma Schoonmaker gives the origins of Woodstock’s split-screen concept. What they don’t talk about is why so many of their field’s best are women. And I feel that some of these trivia bits are more appropriately found on commentary tracks of those movies. I also didn’t need to know Andrew Mondshein’s motivation for inserting flashbacks in the end of The Sixth Sense, because I doubt that it was specifically his and Shyamalan’s choice, plus it is obvious.
           I’ll agree that too few director’s today have enough appreciation for the editing process and their coverage of scenes are evident of this; those examples should watch this documentary. Film students should maybe watch it on their first day of class as a general introduction. Mondshein’s family should watch it, for they’re likely as excited for him to be on camera as much as he is. But you, the person reading this, who likely knows about how stunning the editing is in Raging Bull, Bonnie & Clyde, Psycho and The Matrix, has nothing to gain from it. But the person who has the least to gain is the editor who prefers “invisible editing”, which is the common kind of cutting that is intentionally unnoticeable, for his work is completely ignored for all these obvious sequences.
         Edge Codes.com: The Art of Motion Picture Editing will have a one-week exclusive run at the Two Boots Pioneer Theater, September 8 to September 14. Anyone else who is interested may order a DVD or download the film on EdgeCodes.com.

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