Oscar-nominated film editor Jon Harris – who has edited 127 Hours, Kick Ass, and The Woman in Black, (to name but a few…) took to the Arts Theatre to share his knowledge, and give us a glimpse into the life of a successful editor.
Jon grew up making short films as a child, all of which he acted in, filmed, and edited himself. His passion grew from there, and he went on to complete a film course at Harrow in London.
He then spent a year assisting on films, where he met Guy Richie. Gaining editing work through him, he’s now lucky enough to earn a living doing what he enjoys.
Jon explained how he achieves his edits and how different cuts create different effects, to enhance the storyline of the film. “I’m always studying story-telling, as that’s what it’s all about.” He showed examples of scenes from his different films, and how each scene revealed part of the story. With each draft, the edit progressed to get to that ‘perfect’ final cut.
Jon expressed – “Editing is a broad canvas – it’s not all about matching shots together, but it’s about the over-all structure of the edit, and what you can bring out of it. Nothing ever works on screen as it does on the script – it’s one continuous, organic process. The final draft of the edit is the final draft of the script.”
He finished by explaining that editing is all about engaging the audience, as they have the ultimate say of the film – no matter what the director, editor, or otherwise think.
Ellie Kemp – Level 3 TV & Film Production
