Almost all of us remember the name of the director and the
producer of the movie but have we even given a thought to who the editor of the
movie is? The person who cuts the unnecessary part, adds needed effects,
compile the video in chronological order and makes the movie worth the watch,
the editor, is usually left unacknowledged.
The raw footage brought in by the director is given into the
capable hands of the editor. It is then his/her job to bring out the perfectly
presentable movie as per the director and audiences' liking. From the very
beginning till the end, a slightest of mistake by the editor could ruin the
movie.
Although the director brings life to the movie, the editor
hones its soul. It is them who make the movie presentable on the basis of
effects, perfection in the flow, chemistry between the sound and video. Even
the splits second delay could ruin the entire movie. The effects to be used at
the perfect moment, the selection of the background score for the frame, every
minute details that a normal viewer fails to detect should be perfectly
attainted so that even the experienced observant cannot find flaw in the
presentation.
From the moment the raw is handed over till the movie
releases, it is the editor's job to do everything to make the movie best.
Almost all of the post production phase revolves around them. They are to watch
whether the frame will go smooth or there will be disturbance in the pixels
while playing the movie in the big screen, designing the promo in a way that
lures the audiences to the theatre. And sometimes, they even have to work out
with the insufficient amount of footage for the video without repetition. This
is where they get to show their magic. With what little footage they have, they
bring out the best video without repeating the same scenes with the help of the
special effects.
Despite their efforts and contribution, they usually are the
ones who remain unknown to the audience like the cook in the kitchen of any
restaurants/ hotels. Staying behind the scene and serving their best to the
client. We remember the name of the place not the cook/chef similar to
remembering the directors and actors. We only acknowledge them who we see not
those behind the curtain. Hence, this article is dedication to all the video
editors, who work hard so we, the audience, could enjoy the movie.
Next time we go for a movie, let's try to observe how much
effort has been put in it by its editor and try to remember their names.
