BAFTA CREW MASTERCLASS: MARK SANGER ON EDITING
This may or may not come as a shock to some of you but... I am a wee bit of a film enthusiast. The fact that since January 2013 a month has not gone by where I have not shared with you guys a film or TV show that caught my attention might serve as a teeny weeny bit of evidence to support my claim. I remember there was a time my parents had to cancel our cable subscription to stop me from watching "too much TV"; this consequently led to the steady growth of my VCD and DVD collection haha. Anyway, over the past few months my love for Film & TV fuelled my desire to understand a lot more about the ins and outs of filmmaking to what I thought was an all time high. It was this desire that led me to sign up for the 'BAFTA Crew Masterclass: Mark Sanger on Editing' event hosted by the Cornerhouse on the 14th of June. And my oh my was that one of the best decisions I've made so far.
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For those of you who do not know, Mark Sanger is an Oscar award winner for his role as the Editor for Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity; his second time working with the talented director. He has worked as a Visual Effects editor on a number of other projects - Die Another Day (2002), Troy (2004), Children of Men (2006) and Alice In Wonderland (2010) to name a few. And he has taken on the role of an assistant editor on projects such as Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The Mummy (1999), If Only (2004) and Stormbreaker (2006). I had no idea that he would actually be giving the class in person and that I would be sat a mere few rows of seats away from him. I thought that we'd be sat in a theatre watching a live stream but I was pleasantly surprised. Although the "class" lasted an 1hr and 30 mins and overran a bit, it felt like I'd only been sat there for 20 mins. The format of this session was essentially Mark Sanger being interviewed for about an hour, interjected with clips of movies he has worked on, by Ian Hayden Smith (a film journalist), followed by a Q&A session with us- the audience. I feel like I should point out, or at least make a note of the fact, that Creative Skillset and Creative England are the official partners of BAFTA Crew. I did not know much about these organisations before Saturday but rest assured I am becoming more familiar with them now.
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I had been in the Cornerhouse a total of 3 times before that day. My first time was the day I went to see The Great Gatsby in May last year; the second was when I signed up to be a member of the establishment and bought my ticket to attend this event; and third was when I went to get an updated ticket to the Masterclass event as it had to be rescheduled. But even though I am not a Cornerhouse veteran just yet, I have completely fallen in love with the place and I'm determined to become a human 'What's on in the Cornerhouse' guide.
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From working as a runner to working as a visual effects editor and now film editor, Mark Sanger (please excuse my dodgy photo of him :/ haha) has tried out a number of roles within the film industry which have permitted him to live out his childhood dream- be involved in the world of filmmaking. Listening to him answer questions like "What was your first editorial position?", "Best way to edit: Film or Digital?" and "Is pre-vis overshadowing the use of storyboards?" made my inner cineaste extremely happy, a bit confused, quite enlightened and even more eager to learn more about the world of film production. Now, don't go getting any ideas. I do not plan on making films any time soon. Writing screenplays on the other hand...
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If you are a budding set designer, composer, hair and make-up designer, editor, script co-ordinator, what have you and there is a BAFTA Crew Masterclass taking place near you, I really suggest you go and sit in on one of these. Even if you come away feeling like you did not learn anything you did not already know, which I doubt would be the case, I am sure you will at least leave the venue inspired by what was said and being surrounded by fellow creatives. I know I was. And if you are passionate about films and how they are produced and have something to share, please pop a comment (or 5) in the comment section below. Like I said, I want to know more.
What aspect of film piques your interest?
Mo x