ShapingPhysicalityandFormingRhythm:Technology,Gender,andthePulseof

Editing

Owingtothechallengeinvolvedinconceptualisingacut,editingisoftencalledthe“invisibleart”.1Thismonikerisespeciallyappropriategiventhelackofanalysisonthematerialspacesinwhicheditorswork,andhowthisimpactstheircraft.Theissueispartlysymptomaticofawidergapinthestudyofcinema.AsSiânReynoldspointsout,filmanalysistendstofocusontheculturalmeaningsthatfilmscreate.2Whilstfilmhistorianshaveexpandedtheirscopetothecontextsinwhichfilmsaremade,theirworktendstofocusonthefinancialstructuresoffilmmakingratherthanthephysicalspacesinwhichfilmmakerscreate.Evenconsideringthis,literatureontheeditor’sworkspaceisstrikinglysparse.Thisisagainconnectedtoascholarlygap,thistimeonthepractiseofediting.ManyotherwiseextensiveFilmHistoriescontainonlysparingmentionsofeditingandmontage.AsValerieOrpenpointsout,theOxfordHistoryofWorldCinemas,“doesnotevencontainthewords‘editing’or‘montageintheindexorthetableofcontents”.3BarrySalt’sFilmStyleandTechnology,generallyanexcellentsourceonthefilmmaker’stools,haslittletosayaboutaneditor’sutensils.4It’sevidentthatthesegapsinacademicknowledge-onbotheditingandthefilmmaker’sartisticspace-combinetocreateaparticulardearthofinformationontheeditor’screativeenvironment.

DonFairserviceprovidesarareandinformativesummaryoftheeditor’sworkstationandhowithasdevelopedovertime,butherelegatesthisworktotheappendixofhisbook,FilmEditing:History,TheoryandPractice:LookingattheInvisible.Hisreasonforthemarginalisationistelling:

InthemaintextofLookingattheInvisibleIhaveavoidedasmuchaspossibleanydetailedreferencetothetechnologicalaspectsoffilmediting,largelybecausemuchofthisisnotrelevanttothecreativeconsiderationswhichhavebeenmyprincipalconcern.5

Fairservice’sbeliefthattechnologyismostlyirrelevantto“creativeconsiderations”doesnotaccountfortheimpacttechnologieshaveonaneditor’sworkingspace.Aneditor’sworkingspacesmattersbecauseeditingissucharhythmicprocess.Editinginvolvesbuildinganalmostsubconscioussenseoftempo.Assuch,theprocessofeditingisjustasmuchaboutfeelingafilmasitisthinkingthroughit.CelebratededitorDedeAllen(BonnieandClyde)saysthatshenevertriesto“intellectuallyfigure”hercuts,insteadworkingto“getintothespirit”ofafilm.6LouLombardo–editorofTheWildBunch–sharesasimilarsentiment,describingeditingas“allfeeling”.7Cuttingafilminvolvessensingandshapingthetangiblerhythmofone’ssourcematerial,andwhereandhowyoufeelthefilmimpactsthisprocess.ThisessaywillbeginbyanalysingthephysicalcontextsinwhicheditorsintheAmericanfilmindustryhaveworked,andhowthishasshapedtheirrelationshiptotheperceivedphysicalityoftheirwork.Itwillbecomeclearthatwiderculturaldiscoursescaninfluencethewayaneditor1Fairservice,Don.FilmEditing:History,TheoryandPractice:LookingattheInvisible.Manchester:ManchesterUniversityPress,2001.2Reynolds,Siân."TheFaceontheCutting-roomFloor:WomenEditorsintheFrenchCinemaofthe1930s."LabourHistoryReview1stser.63(1998):67.Ebscohost.Web.30Apr.2016.3Orpen,Valerie."Introduction."Introduction.FilmEditing:TheArtoftheExpressive.London:Wallflower,2003,2.4Salt,Barry.FilmStyleandTechnology:HistoryandAnalysis.London:Starword,1992.5Fairservice,330.6Lobrutto,Vincent."DedeAllen."SelectedTakes:FilmEditorsonEditing.NewYork:Praeger,1991,73-87.7Lobrutto,Vincent."LouLombardo”SelectedTakes:FilmEditorsonEditing.NewYork:Praeger,1991,125-134.

interpretsthematerialityoftheirworkingspace,anddirectlyimpacthowtheygoabouttheircraft.Iwillconcludethispiecewithanalysisofhowtheeditor’sspacehasbeenculturallyrepresentedintheAmericanfilmindustry,andhowthishasshapedtheperceivedmaterialityofediting.

Formanyeditors,beingclosetothephysicalmaterialsoffilmmakingisakeypartofmouldingtherhythmsofafilm.Often,technologicaladvancementsseemtoplaceawedgebetweeneditorsandtheirmaterial,andbyextensionthetempotheyaretryingtoshape.WhensynchronisedsoundwasadoptedinHollywood,editorsinthesilenterafacedthissenseofdistance.Silenteraeditors,referredtoas“Cutters”,workedwithaverybasicsetoftools.8AsanarticleinPicturePlayMagazine(1916)pointsout,acutterworkedwith“apairofscissorsandacanofcementglue”.9Theirworkinvolvedanintimaterelationshipwiththefilmwhichtheywererefashioning.Cutterswouldholdthethin,blackcelluloidfilmoveralightfixturesothattheycouldseetheimagesitstored.10Somecuttersusedmagnifyingglasses,sothattheycouldbetterviewthedetailshiddenwithinthe35mmfilm.11Itwaspossibletoreadthedurationofascenebylookingathowmuchfilmitspanned.12Inthisway,thefilmtapeprovidedcutterswithaphysicalindexofthecadencestheywerecreating.Theywouldliterallycutoutthepartsofthefilmreelthatwouldbescreened,andjointhesecutimagestogetherusingasolvent.13Whenthefilmwasedited,cutterscheckedthelengthoftheirworkbyweighingiton“finelybalancedscales”–oneounceequalledtwelveandahalffeetoffilm.14ForMargaretBooth–aneditorwhosecareerbeganinthesilentera–thiswasatimewheneditorswereespeciallyconnectedtotheartistryandpulseoftheircraft:

Whenyouworkedinthesilentdays,youlearnedaboutrhythm,andyoulearnedtocutfilmlikepoetry.Ithinkthat'soneofthegreataccomplishments.Justtolearntocutfromsound,youcanbecomechoppy.15

8Hatch,Kristen."CuttingWomen:MargaretBoothandHollywood’sPioneeringFemaleFilmEditors."InJaneGaines,RadhaVatsal,andMonicaDall’Asta,eds.WomenFilmPioneersProject.CenterforDigitalResearchandScholarship.NewYork,NY:ColumbiaUniversityLibraries,2013.Web.September27,2013.<https://wfpp.cdrs.columbia.edu/essay/cutting-women/>9Fairservice,330.10Ibid.11Ibid.12Ibid,331.13Ibid.14Ibid15Atkins,IreneKahn.“InterviewwithMargaretBooth.”FocusonFilm#25(Summer-Autumn1975),52.

Fig1AcutterworkingwithaMoviola. Fig1.1.Themagnifyinglensonanearlymoviolahighlightstheimage.

AsFairservicepointsout,spectatorsdidnotexpectsilentfilmstomaintainthesamelevelsofcontinuityastheir(synchronised)soundsuccessors.Asaresult,therewerenotmanylimitsonhowonehadtoedit.16AsBoothpointsout,Cuttersinthesilenteracould“throwthefilmaroundinanyway”aslongastheymaintainedasenseoftempoandspatialclarityintheirwork.17Thedevelopmentofsynchronisedsound,coupledwiththeautomationoftheeditingprocess,seemedtothreatenboththeflexibilityandthematerialintimacythatdefinededitinginthesilentera.Thefirstsynchronisedsoundtechnologies–MovietoneandVitaphone–majorlyrestrictedthefreedomaneditorhad.18Bothofthemrequiredthatsoundandimagetracksbekepttogetheratalltimes.Cutterscouldnolongereditwiththesamefreedom,becausetheyriskeddisruptingthecontinuityofdialogueorbackgroundsound.ForBooth,thisrestrictionobscuredthe“poetry”andcadenceoffilmediting.19Thecreationofeditingviewersseemedtocompoundthisissue.In1924–justthreeyearsbeforethewidespreadadventofsynchronisedsound–anengineernamedIwanSurriercreatedthe“Moviolaeditingmachine”thefirsteditingviewertobewidelyusedintheAmericanfilmindustry.20Originallydesignedasaprojector,theMoviolaautomatedtheprocessoffeedingthefilmreeloverlightsoitcouldbeviewed.21Editorswouldattachafilmontoareel,loopingthefilmtoasecondreeljustasonewouldwithaprojector.22Theywouldthenfeedandcatchthefilmoverthelightfixture(whichwouldlaterbereplacedbyaninternalbulb).Amagnifyinglenswasfittedabovethefilm,sothattheeditorcouldseetheimagesmoreclearly.Onecouldrunthefilmoverthelightbyturningacrankhandle.Themachinedidnottotallydisconnecttheeditorfromtheirfilm,buttheynolongerspentasmuchtimerunningthecelluloidthroughtheirfingers.Asaresult,manyeditorschosenottomovetotheapparentlymoreefficienttechnology.Introducedjustbeforetheonsetofsound,theMoviolamayhaveseemedthemechanicalemblemofrestrictededitingforcutterswhohadworkedinthesilentera.

Forothereditorsworkinginthe1960s,manyofwhomgrewupworkingontheMoviola,themachinehascometoholdaverydifferentsignificance.Ratherthancuttingedgeengineering,theMoviolaspeakstoalost,non-technologisederaofediting.Thisshiftinattitudesispartlyconnectedtootherchangesintheeditor’sworkspace.Firstly,synchronisedsoundtechnologyhadevolvedsinceitsinception.BythispointFilmandsoundtrackswerenolongerlockedtogether.23Editorscouldnowcutandweavethesoundtrackintomovementpatternsandcontinuousflows,justastheywouldthevisualtrack.Secondly,theMoviolahadbeenreplacedbymoreefficienteditingplatforms.“Flat-Bed”systems–suchasthe“KEM”andthe“Steenbeck”–becamepopularwitheditorsinthe1950sand60s.24Flat-bedswerequieter,faster,anddisplayedbetterqualityimageandsoundthantheMoviola.25Inareversalofroles,someeditorsnonethelesschosetocontinueusingthe

16Fairservice,228.17Atkins,53.18Fairservice,228-29.19Atkins,53.20Steckler,Eric."God,DeMilleandtheMoviolaHQ."YouTube.YouTube,01Feb.2012.Web.30Apr.2016.21Fairservice,33022Miller,Jesse."Carl'theSurgeon'Kesser'sMoviolaEp.14."YouTube.YouTube,20Sept.2010.Web.30Apr.2016.23Fairservice,229.24Ibid,331.25"Steenbeck."Weblogpost.DeadMediaArchive.NYUDept.ofMedia,CultureandCommunication,30Apr.2016.Web.30Apr.2016.

mechanicalviewer.ForDedeAllen–whodidnotmigrate-theMoviolaputyou“veryclosetothefilm”,andallowedyoumoretimeto“feelthebitsandpieces”oftheeditingprocess.26GivenAllen’sfocusonfeelingthespiritofafilm,itmakessensethatshewouldprioritiseanoticeablytangibleeditingexperience.TheideathattheMoviolaincreasedthephysicalityofeditingwouldseemstrangetocuttersfromthesilentera.IncomparisontoaFlat-bedsystem,however,itsmoreunderstandable.AneditorsatinfrontofaFlat-bed–mountedonatable-andturnedaswitchtomovethereel.27Bycontrast,theMoviola’scrankhandleseemstobeaveryphysicalthing.

Indeed,theMoviola’smechanicalqualitiesdidnotappeartotechnologicalwhencomparedtotheelectronicFlat-bedsofthe60s.28MichealKnue–editorofSleepyHollow-eveninvokestheMoviola’sindustrialqualityasaproofitsmateriality,

Itisamachinethathastobehandled.Youhadabrake,andyouhitthatbrake...itvariesthekindofmotion,it’smuchmorephysical.29

JackTucker(editorofBrothersatWar)reaffirmsthisnon-technicalperceptionwhenhedescribeshow“organic”itistoworkwiththeMoviola.30AsKnuereferences,laterversionsoftheMoviolaincludedapairofpedalswithwhichyoucouldcontrolthemotionofthereel.Workingthesepedalsbecameanimportantpartoffashioningafilm’stempoformanyeditors.ForSandyGendler(soundeditorofIndependenceDay),theMoviolahaditsownrhythmwhichyouhadtoadaptto–likeacowboyonthesaddleofahorse.31TheseeditorssawtheMoviolaasmorethanjustalesstechnologicalobstructionthantheFlat-bed.Forthem,itbecameanintrinsicpartofediting’smateriality.

Fig2.AFlatbedEditor.

HowcanwereconcilethesetwounderstandingsoftheMoviolaanditsimpactontheeditingspace?Forsomesilenteracutters,theMoviolawaspartofaseriesoftechnologicaladvancementswhich

26Lobrutto.67.27Ibid.28"History."Steenbeck.Steenbeck,n.d.Web.30Apr.2016.29Steckler30Ibid.31Ibid.

robbededitorsoftheircreativityandmaterialclosenesstothefilm.Forothersinthe50sand60s,itembodiedtheorganicphysicalityofadisappearingeditingstyle.Itisclearthattheimpactofaneditor’sworkstationisinflectedbytheculturalcontextinwhichthisstationexists.Ifatoolmakesaneditorfeelalienatedfromthephysicalityoftheirprocess,itisreadandexperiencedasanalientechnology.Ifeditorsbecomeusedtoatechnology,orforanyreasondonotseeitasoutsideoftheeditingprocess,itbecomespartofthatphysicality.

TheseunstablemeaningsdonotonlyrelatetotheMoviola.TacitaDean–anAvant-Gardeartist–understandsthephysicalityofeditingfilmverydifferentlytothoseworkingwithinHollywood.ForDean,theexperienceofworkingwithanaloguefilmwasdefinedbytheslowlabourofviewingandsplicingit.Shedescribeseditingwithfilmasa“methodicalandmulledover”experience.32Suchareflectiveconceptiondoesnotchimewiththehighpaced,factorylikeconditionsunderwhichMargaretBoothworked.Boothbeganworkingin1915,atimewhenAmericanstudioswerebeginningtobuild“filmplants”basedontheprinciplesoffactorylineproduction.3334In1920,Foxbuiltasinglestudiocapableofthehandlingtheentirefilmmakingprocess–frommakingthecelluloidtofilmingandeditingfootage.35The“FoxFactory”-capableofprocessing3000metresoffilmperweek–isemblematicoftheproductionlineworkingstylethatHollywoodstudiosinthiseraaspiredto.36Atthetime,editingwasunderstoodtobeamenialratherthancreativetask.Asaresult,editorswereverymuchapartofthisfactorylineofproduction.Cuttersworkedtotightdeadlinesthatdidnotalwaysallowforreflection.Attimes,theywouldstillbemakingthefinalchangestothelastreelofafilmwhilstthefirstoneswerebeingprojectedatthetitle’sopeningpreviewscreening.37EvenafterHollywood’sfactorylineproductionmethodsfadedout,editorsstillworkedwithdeadlinesinmind.DedeAllenadmitsthatthereweretimeswhenshewasrushingtocompleteafirstedit,andshewouldhavetocutwithoutplayingthesoundtrack.38Clearly,thephysicaltexturesthatlinkedDean,BoothandAllen’sworkingspacedidnotguaranteeasharedexperienceofediting.

It’sclearthateditingtechnologiesdonothaveintrinsicallysetimpactsontheworkofaneditor,butthatdoesnotmeanthattheireffectisimaginary.Theeditorsquotedinthisessayhavehadinfluentialcareerswithintheirchosengenresandindustries.Itwouldberemisstodownplaytheirperspectives,andeachofthemmakesaconnectionbetweenthespaceinwhichtheyeditandthepaceoftheircraft.Some,likeDedeAllen,evenworkedwithinconvenienttechnologiestomaintaintheenergytheirworkspacecreated.TacitaDean’sexactingrelationshipwithfilmmaynotbeuniversallyapplicable,butthere’snoreasontodoubtthatitshapedtheartshemade.Thereisnothingcontradictoryaboutseeingthataneditorfindstangiblerhythmthroughandwithintheirworkingspace,andthatthequalitiesofthatspace(whetheritistechnologicalororganic,forexample)aresomewhatunstableandculturallyconstructed.Sofar,wehaveexploredthewaysinwhichtheperceivedphysicalityofanenvironmentisreliantondiscourseandcomparisononthesubjectoftechnologyforasenseofmeaning.Theeditor’sspaceisalsoshapedinrelationtowiderculturalconcepts,andthisimpactshowthefilmiscut.Forexample,women’seditingspacesare

32Dean,Tacita.Film.London:TatePub.,2011.33Hatch34Koszarski,Richard."StudioCity."HollywoodontheHudson:FilmandTelevisioninNewYorkfromGriffithtoSarnoff.NewBrunswick,NJ:RutgersUP,2008,101-41.35Ibid,101.36Ibid.37Atkins,53.38Lobrutto,80.

ofteninflectedbydominantunderstandingsoffemininity,andthisimpactsthephysicalityoftheirprocess.

Sincethe1900s,theroleoftheeditorhasoftenbeenmoreavailabletowomenthanotherHollywoodbehind-the-cameraroles.Inthesilenteraofediting,themajorityofpreliminaryfilmeditors–orcutters–werewomen.39Thismajoritynolongerexists,butwomenmaintainasignificantpresenceinthecuttingroom.A2013studyfoundthat20%of2012’s250highestrevenuegrossingAmericanfilmshadbeeneditedbyawoman.40Thispercentageissignificantlyhigherthanthefiguresrelatingtowomenincinematography(4%)ordirecting(7%).41Whyeditinghasprovedtobeamoreachievableroleforwomenisunclear.AsReynoldspointsout,it’sasubjectthat’sstillinneedoffurther“historicalexplanationandanalysis”.42Weknowthatinthesilentera,womenwereabletoaccessrolesineditingbecauseitwasconsideredamenialprofession.Editingatempointoafilm–asdiscussedpreviously-hasnotalwaysbeenrecognisedasacreativejob,anditispossiblethatthisoversightcontinuestocreateanavenueforwomentotakeontherole.Ultimatelythough,thisisonlyconjecture.Whilstthehistoricalbasisforwomen’sprominenceineditingisanimportanttopicofresearch,itisnotthefocusofthisessay.Rather,Iaminterestedinhowthepresenceofwomeneditorsinflectsculturalunderstandingsoftheirworkspace–andhowthisunderstandingimpactsthephysicalityoftheirprocess.

Thepresenceofwomeneditorsinthesilenteraisoftenconnectedtotheapparentfemininityoftheworktheyweredoing.InTheCuttingEdge:TheMagicofMovieEditing,WalterMurchsuggeststhateditingwasseenasawoman’sjobbecauseitwas“somethinglikesewingorknitting”.43KimRoberts–editorofFoodInc–makesasimilarcomparisoninaninterviewfortheNewYorkTimes,saying“Earlyon,womenwerehiredtoeditbecauseitwasconsideredmeniallabor,[sic]somethinglikesewing.”44Theideaisthateditorswereweavingtogetherpiecesofcelluloidfilm“fabric”inmuchthesamewayaseamstresswould.Whilstthereisvalidityinthiscomparison,itisslightlyatoddswiththeactualprocessofjoiningfilmtogetherinthesilentera.Detailsofhowfilmswerejoinedtogetherarehardtotrace,butFairservicehassucceededinputtingtogetheratentativeunderstandingoftheprocess.45Itinvolvedisolatingtheframesjustbeforeyouwantedtomakeacut,andscrapingawaythephotographicsurfaceofthefilmatthispoint.Youwouldthenapplyasolventtothethinnedarea,andholdthefilmstripclosetothesecondpieceoffilmitwasbeingaddedto.Thesolventwouldquicklybondtogetherthetwofilmstrips.Whilstthisprocessbearssomesimilaritytosewing(itwasprobablydonebyhand),itseemsfairtosaythatthecomparisonhasbeenoveremphasised.Thisisnottheonlytimewhenthefemininityoftheeditingspacehasbeenoverstated.AsDominiqueVillainpointsout,womeneditorsintheearlyFrenchFilmIndustrywerepaintedasapartofa“cosy”workenvironmentthatwas“morelegendarythanreal”.46

39Hatch.40TheCelluloidCeiling:Behind-the-ScenesEmploymentofWomenontheTop250Filmsof2012.Rep.CenterfortheStudyofWomeninTelevisionandFilm,SchoolofTheatre,TelevisionandFilm,SanDiegoUniversity,2013.Web.30Apr.2016.41Ibid.42Reynolds,83.43TheCuttingEdge:TheMagicofMovieEditing.Dir.WendyApple.Perf.WalterMurch.Warner,2005.DVD.44Anderson,John."The‘InvisibleArt’:AWoman’sTouchBehindtheScenes."NewYorkTimes.NewYorkTimes,25May2012.Web.30Apr.2016.45Fairservice,332.46Reynolds,79.

Fig3.Thewomeninthe“joiningroom”areverymuchapartofthefactorylineproductioninthisimage,whichappearsinHatch’sarticleaspartoftheWomenFilmPioneersProject.

Evenasthetechnologieseditorsusehavechanged,feminisedimagesofawoman’seditingspaceremaincompellingintheAmericanfilmindustry.Wheneditorsbeganworkinginclosercollaborationwithdirectors–increasingtheirinputontheoveralldirectionofafilm–therelationshipwasfiguredinthetermsofamarriedcouple.ThelmaSchoonmakerreferencesthisimage,comparingherselfanddirectorMartinScorseseto“anoldmarriedcouple”.47WhenaskedtodescribeherrelationshipwithQuentinTarantino,editorSallyMenkeresponded“Well,he’ssurvivedtwopregnancieswithme!”.48ThefilmcrewofJawstooktocallingVernaFields“MotherCutter”,becauseshecutthefilminaneditingroomatthebackofherhouse.49ThenamereferencesthematernaldomesticityofFields’workingspace.Whatisstrikinghereistheverydifferentmaterialcontextsinwhichmetaphorsoffemininityarise.Whetherworkinginfactorylikeconditions,studiocuttingroomsoreventheirownhome–awoman’sroleasaneditorislikelytobegenderedinpublicdiscourse.

InthecaseofVernaFields,thesefeminisingmetaphorsinflectedthephysicalityofherworkingspace.WhenFields’workeditingJawsisdiscussed,hermaternalnicknameisoftenthefirstthingtobementioned.5051DescriptionsofFields’editingroomareemployedtoevokethismaternalpersona.StephenSpielberg–thefilm’sdirector–fondlyrememberstheroomasbeyondthereachesoftechnology:

WeallreferredtoVernaFieldsasMotherCutter.Shewasveryearthy,verymaternal.Shecutherfilmsatherhouse,atherpoolhouseintheSanFernandoValley,anditwasaveryAmishkindofworkplace.52

Spielberg’sreferencetoAmishcultureisparticularlytelling,sinceAmishpeoplearefamousfortheirreluctancetoadoptmoderntechnologies.ForSpielberg,thereseemstobeanoverlapbetweenFields’maternityandtheapparentlynon-technologicalqualityofhereditingspace.HeimplicitlyrepositionsherFlat-bed–themostmodernavailabletechnologyatthetimeJawswasmade–aspartofthishomelyworkspace.Inthisway,domesticmetaphorsworkedtoelidethetechnologicalaspectsofField’seditingprocess–redefiningherworkspaceasan“earthy”tangibleplace.

Thefeminisationofawoman’seditingspacehasacompleximpactonherstatusinthecreativeprocess.Insomewaysitworkstolegitimiseherpresenceinthecuttingroom,andevenimbueherwithanownershipofthespace.AsKarenWardMaharpointsout,workinginHollywoodhasbeenconstructedasamasculinejob.53Thatmasculinisationwasnotaccidental:manymalefilmmakersinthe1930sexplicitlyworkedtodefineHollywoodasamalespace.AsAnthonyRotundoargues,“Theexclusionofwomenlinkedthebitterestofrivalsinthesolidarityofmaleprofessions.”54Thisexclusionwasachievedpartlybythecreationofallmalespaces,liketheMPDA(MotionPictureDirector’sAssociation).TheMPDAwasanall-malefraternitywheresomeofthemostpowerfulexecutivesanddirectorswouldmeettomakekeybusinessdecisions,freeoftheinfluenceof47TheOralHistoryofHollywood."DP/30:ThelmaSchoonmakerCutTheWolfofWallStreet."YouTube.YouTube,09Jan.2014.Web.30Apr.2016.48"TheGreenroom-EditorSallyMenkeInterview(Part1of2)."YouTube.YouTube,27Oct.2010.Web.30Apr.2016.49Apple.50Arnold,Jamie."Jaws:TheInsideStory-Documentary."YouTube.YouTube,04Aug.2015.Web.30Apr.2016.51"IntheTeethofJaws-BBCJawsDocumentary."YouTube.YouTube,18July2012.Web.30Apr.2016.52Apple.53Mahar,KarenWard.""DoingaMan'sWork":TheRiseoftheStudioSystemandtheRemasculinisationofFilmmaking."TheClassicalHollywoodReader.Ed.SteveNeale.Oxon:Routledge,2012,79-94.54QuotedinWard,83.

women.55Inthiscontext,theexistenceoffemininespacesfeelslikeanimportanttonic.VernaField’sfeminisedcuttingroom–situatedinherhouse–verymuchappearedtobeherspace.ItwasherethatshebattledwithSpielbergoverhowlongtoexposehisslightlyunrealisticsharkinJaws.Sheconvincedhimtokeepshotsofthesharktoaminimum,andbuildfearpartlythroughthetempoofherediting.56Additionally,Fieldsoriginallybuilttheeditingroomsothatshecouldstaynearherchildrenwhileshewascuttingfilm.57Clearly,thisfeminisedspacewaspivotaltoherlifeasamotherandtoshapingthetempoofhermaterial.

Unfortunately,thesedomesticmetaphorscanalsoworktoreduceawoman’seditingskillstofemininetraitsperceivedasinnate,andultimatelyexcludeherfromcertainpartsofthecreativeprocess.Comparisonswhichpaintthedirectorandthewomaneditorashusbandandwife,forexample,tendtopositiontheeditorinthesupportiverole.QuentinTarantino’sdesiretoworkwitha“nurturing”womaneditorwhowouldn’ttryto“winbattles”overcreativedirectionisagoodexampleofthis.58Tarantinospecificallywantstoworkwithafemaleeditor,butontheconditionthattheyworkunderhisvision.Inaddition,mythsaboutthesoftnessandinnatefemininityofeditingworkcanactuallyworkagainstwomenintheeventoftechnologicalchangestotheprocess.Atthecomingofsound,editingcametobeconsideredanelectronic,andthereforemoremasculinejob.59MGMeditorFrankLawrencewentasfarassayingthateditinghadbecome“toorough”forwomen.60Hisclaimishardtofathomconsideringthatfemalecuttersoftenworkedingenuinelyunsafe,factorylikeconditions.61ItmakesmoresensewhenwerememberthefeminisedlegendsofcosycuttingroomsthatVillainhasdiscussed.Inthisway,feminisedunderstandingsoftheeditingspacehaveworkedtoerasetherealworkthatwomeneditorsdoinshapingtherhythmsofafilm,andlimittheiropportunitytodosoagaininthefuture

Whatthisessayhasaimedtodemonstrateistheroleasenseofmaterialityplaysinshapingafilm’stempo,andtheprocessesthatcreatethisphysicality.Whatemergesisasymbioticinterchangebetweenthematerialqualitiesofanenvironmentandthediscoursesurroundingit.DiscourseandcomparisoncandefinetheMoviolaaseitheranoverbearingtechnologyoranorganicpartoftheeditingprocess.VernaFields’“Amish”cuttingroomisafascinatingreminderthatphysicalitycanevenbeinflectedbywiderculturalnotionsofgender.Vitally,theconceptionthatyouhaveimpartsrealimpactonthematerialityofyourenvironment,andthewayyougraspandcutafilm’srhythm.

SamMills

55Ibid,84.56Apple.57Fields,Verna."VernaFields."InterviewbyGeraldPeary.Webblogpost.GeraldPeary.GeraldPeary,n.d.Web.30Apr.2016.58Apple.59Hatch.60Ward,89.61Reynolds,75.

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