At long last, Robin and I actually started editing the film together today. We got through eight or nine pages of the script, which is about a tenth of the film--not bad for a first day. The early scenes were all pretty easy to cut, though, so today may not be a fair indication of what lies ahead.
In theory, we can simply follow the detailed instructions in my storyboard and put the film together like a model airplane. In fact, the film never comes out exactly the way you plan it, and more than once we had to sweat to overcome unforeseen problems. But on the whole, we haven't got nearly as much editing work as we would if I'd shot the film in a more conventional fashion. My control-freak approach definitely has its drawbacks: most filmmakers shoot enough coverage that they can find a way to splice together all the best acting moments from different takes, whereas I lock myself into a visual plan that often prevents me from cutting and forces me to accept both good and bad acting moments together. But I like the solid visual structure that you get from sticking to a plan.
I'm so happy to be doing something again! I hope we can keep up a good pace.
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