On January 20th, DGC Ontario and TIFF Industry Program hosted a lively and engaging panel titled “The Art of Editing: Crafting Stories with Iconic Directors,” highlighting the integral role Picture Editors play in working with Directors to shape cinematic narratives. Moderated by fellow Picture Editor Sandy Pereira, the panel featured accomplished Picture Editors Chris Donaldson (The Shrouds, Women Talking), Cam McLauchlin (Megalopolis, Nightmare Alley), and Jay Prychidny (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Wednesday). Together, they reflected on their career paths, unique collaborations with visionary Directors, and the creative process behind the edit room door.
All three Editors spoke about balancing personal creativity with the Director’s vision and the unique challenges of editing films with intricate world-building. Says Donaldson who has nurtured a longstanding professional relationship with David Cronenberg and Sarah Polley, “People come into your edit room, they’re exhausted, they’re frustrated, and you’re like a port in the storm. You learn to how to adapt to different personalities and different visions. And the more you can adapt, the more of yourself you can put into the work. These Directors, they want your craziest idea. They want your biggest swing.”
Adds Prychidny, on his experience working with Tim Burton, “One of the amazing things I did find was that he [Burton] was so willing. He wanted me to bring myself and my own perspective, and he didn’t want to tamp that down. He wanted me to be my best creative self. And you don’t have to go crazy and completely redo something from scratch. Little, minor changes, can have an overall, cumulative effect on an audience.”
McLauchlin, who has worked with Francis Ford Coppola and Guillermo del Toro on such visually and narratively ambitious films as Megalopolis and Nightmare Alley, offered advice on how to edit these kinds of stories: “The script, and that initial conceit of what the story the Director is trying to tell, is your north star. With effects and opinions and screenings, it can get muddy, but as long as you have that first impression in mind, that’s the most valuable thing.”
The panel ended with reflections on trust, collaboration, and the evolving craft of editing. Pereira summed it up best: “Once you’ve worked with someone enough, there’s a bit of a mind meld. They trust that you’re a few steps ahead. And once you get into the edit, everything becomes plastic and experimental. You can really dig into the ideas and not be afraid to ask, ‘What about this?’”
Thank you to TIFF Industry for collaborating with us on this special event, panelists Jay Prychidny, Chris Donaldson, and Cam McLauchlin, moderator Sandy Pereira, and everyone who attended on this chilly winter evening!
For the full panel featuring Picture Editors Chris Donaldson, Cam McLauchlin, and Jay Prychidny discussing their experiences working with acclaimed Directors, meshing their personal style with an auteur’s creative vision, and more, watch the video below.
(Photo credit: CL Becker Photography)
