David denbys pan in the new yorker thrice mentions its threehour duration, while michael phillips of the chicago tribune describes a scene that goes on two minutes too long, before lamenting that those minutes add up. Editing techniques in the films of martin scorsese, featuring examples from taxi driver, raging bull, goodfellas, the departed and more. The acclaimed film editor thelma schoonmaker has been honoured with the bafta fellowship for a career that has spanned more than 50 years. Thelma schoonmaker is very well known to the ones who like to dig into the craft of filmmaking and an unknown person who does not see beyond the onscreen performances. A look at the influential editing techniques of martin. Spielbergs editor michael kahn on editing jonny elwyn. Sally menke on editing all of quentin tarantinos films. Thelma colbert schoonmaker is an american film editor who has worked with director martin scorsese for over fifty years. Director martin scorsese has worked with editor thelma schoonmaker for four decades, resulting in editing. Adapted from the charles brandt book i heard you paint houses, the threeand ahalf.
How has scorseses shooting style changed on this production, in your view. Thelma schoonmaker has been a close collaborator with martin scorsese as the editor for most of his films. Jan 19, 2014 thelma schoonmaker, martin scorseses longtime editor, and the filmmakers frederick wiseman and joshua oppenheimer talk about the art of editing movies long movies. Interview with editor thelma schoonmaker wide angle closeup. In the history of cinema, there havent been many collaborations like the one between director martin scorsese and his longtime film editor thelma schoonmaker. I can only think of scorcese and thelma schoonmaker as another example of an editor and director having that kind of working history. She started working with scorsese on his debut feature film whos that knocking at my door 1967, and edited all of scorseses films since raging bull 1980. Now the duo are working to preserve the films of her late husband and scorseses hero, the director michael powell. Iconic editor thelma schoonmaker shares what shes learned. Education entrepreneurship recruitment business books business travel. Schoonmaker visits the seattle art museum thursday and friday, however.
Nouvelle vague, music videos, classical continuity editing particularly shotreverse shot dialogue editing, long takes and intrasequence cutting, montage, freeze frames, dissolves, jump cuts, temporal ellipses, extreme closeups, and irises. In this exclusive short, she goes behindthescenes of editing the irishman. Martin scorseses editor thelma schoonmaker honoured with. Wolf of wall streets editor, thelma schoonmaker on editing.
Thelma schoonmaker was born on january 3, 1940 in algiers, algeria as thelma colbert schoonmaker. Making history thelma schoonmakers editing for the irishman. What we in the audience got was a granular breakdown of the editing and film techniques, as well as other production information, about the painstaking work that went into making raging bull. Thelma schoonmaker and martin scorsese when they were editing. This is in part because of the unprecedented plaudits that schoonmaker has received in her field, winning three academy awards, out of a total of seven nominations. How does the editing shape the different performance styles.
What are the editing techniques used by thelma schoonmaker in. Thelma schoonmaker on the technicolor magic of a matter of. Scorsese film editor thelma schoonmaker is coming to sam. Simply put, schoonmaker has been scorseses goto editor and key collaborator over the course of some 25 films, winning oscars for raging bull, the aviator and the departed. Thelma colbert schoonmaker born january 3, 1940 is an algerianborn american film editor who has worked with director martin scorsese for over fifty years. Thelma schoonmaker is one of the industrys most famous editors and one of its most celebrated. Nov 01, 2011 thelma schoonmaker and martin scorsese when they were editing woodstock together in 1969. Threetime oscar winner and current nominee thelma schoonmaker, who has edited every martin scorsese film since raging bull, dissects a sequence in. A problem like this occurs often and it is a testament to great work ethic that an editor can be there to respond when things dont go smoothly.
What are the editing techniques used by thelma schoonmaker. Nominations for this award are closely correlated with the academy award for best picture. Scorsese plays with the temporality of film, the continuous illusion, what john gardner called, in the novel, the fictive dream. Legendary editor thelma schoonmaker has collaborated with martin. The three academy awards were for the martin scorcese directed films raging bull, in 1981, the aviator, in 2005, and the departed, in 2007. Thelma schoonmaker, the acclaimed longtime editor for martin scorsese, has now added another recognition to. Thelma schoonmaker, scorseses favorite editor she won an oscar for her editing work on raging bull and thelma schoonmaker has edited each of martin scorseses movies since. Thelma needs to know which audio takes can and cant be used for specific lines. Shes also worked with director martin scorsese for well over forty years, editing all of his films since raging bull in 1981.
Thelma schoonmaker cuts things down to size november 30, 1982. You get to contribute so significantly in the editing room because you shape the movie and the performances, she says. Regardless of decades of technological shifts and sea changes in the film industry, schoonmaker. Schoonmaker has received seven academy award nominations for best editing, and has won three times for raging bull, the aviator, and the departed. Shes won best editing oscars for the departed, the aviator and raging bull. Thelma schoonmaker born january 3, 1940 is an american film editor. In the clip, scorsese has lunch with his hero and friend michael powell, debates with schoonmaker over whether an eric clapton solo or.
Raging bull, cape fear, goodfellas the woman behind. T he threetime oscar winner, hailed as the queen of. Biography for thelma schoonmaker turner classic movies. It was a latenight television version of the 1943 powell and pressburger classic, rendered. Thelma schoonmaker foreword by of bertrand tavernier. Jan 01, 2003 thelma schoonmaker and martin scorsese when they were editing woodstock together in 1969.
Thelma schoonmaker on being the film legends editor, and the duos directorial debut, hugo. Thelma schoonmaker was 14 years old when she saw the life and death of colonel blimp for the first time. By iain blair editor thelma schoonmaker is a threetime academy award winner who has worked alongside filmmaker martin scorsese for almost 50 years. Thelma schoonmaker discusses editing martin scorseses. It was very important for marty and the visual effects team to follow the book, explains thelma schoonmaker, whos up for her fourth oscar this. Includes works focusing on grammar, style, punctuation, spelling, style, and more. On friday, as part of the tribeca film festival, martin scorseses longtime editor, thelma schoonmaker, sat down to discuss what was advertised as a look at her career. This recognition has come through the single most vital artistic relationship of her career, with director martin scorsese. Scorsese is forever manipulating this dream, and yet he does it so artfully that the audience, rather than b. Best books for editors books that help editors finetune their craft and enhance their editing knowledge. Thelma schoonmaker in honor of cofounder robert deniro, the festivals first masterclass is devoted to the classic, with the legendary directors longtime collaborator showing clips and detailing.
Thelma schoonmaker is an american film editor who has worked with director martin scorsese for over forty years. Jan 28, 2017 thelma schoonmaker, 77, who received a career achievement award at the american cinema editors 67th eddie awards on jan. Jan 06, 2008 from mtv on, the speed of editing has increased, and that is now entering into narrative editing, said martin scorseses longtime editor, thelma schoonmaker, who has won oscars for. Powell is the son of michael powell, a prominent film director to whom schoonmaker was married until his death in 1990. Thelma schoonmaker has edited every one of martin scorseses. Thelma schoonmaker was at the venice film festival today to accept the golden lion for lifetime achievement. Sound designer frank warner came up with a crackle to match the popping camera flashbulb sound from the 40s and 50s, and she. She started working with scorsese on his debut feature film whos that knocking at my door, and edited all of scorseses films since raging bull. Legendary editor thelma schoonmaker breaks down raging.
Nov 22, 2011 thelma schoonmaker is a softspoken, grayhaired, somewhat motherly 71yearold who, for the past 31 years, has spent up to 11 hours a day staring intently at mens skulls being bashed in, their. Mar 18, 2014 schoonmakers sharp eye and cutting skills have helped shape the rhythm and pacing of every one of scorseses movies from 1980s raging bull to last years the wolf of wall street, netting her three oscars and influencing two generations of filmmakers in the process. Some enterprising scorsese fan has isolated the minutes of the movie in which scorsese is in the editing room with his editor thelma schoonmaker, and the result is surprisingly engaging. Some editors feel that the way you have to cut for a stereo 3d release cramps their style, but not so with schoonmaker.
Editing, schoonmaker says, is the art of decisionmaking. Martin scorsese, jason reitman reveal how female film. Picture the quickcut transitions and comedic editing style of any edgar wright movie the work of editor chris dickens, usually, the flashbulb cuts and freeze frames of martin scorcese films editor thelma schoonmaker or the frantic and fabulous opening scene in city of god editor daniel rezende. She has been teamed with martin scorsese in one of the longestrunning directoreditor collaborations in film, helping to shape cinema masterpieces such as raging bull. Film editors are often women and menke was particularly inspired by thelma schoonmaker, who works with martinscorsese. With a background in documentary film she was one of the principal editors of. Dec 05, 2017 thelma schoonmaker with her oscar, in 2007. Mar 31, 2014 thelma schoonmaker is one exception who proves the rule. Thelma schoonmaker and the movie magic of hugo cinemontage. They met at nyc where schoonmaker was taking a six weeks class about cinema and scorsese needed some help to save a movie that had been savaged by a first editor. Oscarwinning editor thelma schoonmaker opens up about her approach to editing, as well as working with her partner in crime, martin. She was married to director michael powell until his death at 90.
She has worked with the renowned director, martin scorsese for over 50 years and has edited several of his films including blockbusters such as raging bull, the aviator, and. Thelma schoonmaker is one of the industrys most famous editors and one. Thelma schoonmaker, ace is an iconic presence in the world of editing. Thelma schoonmaker on the art of editing long movies. Schoonmaker s postmodern editing synthesizes a number of different influences, approaches, and devices. Situated in the heart of londons west end, 195 piccadilly is the home of bafta worldwide, as well as an awardwinning venue for hire that offers outstanding hospitality and a suite of flexible event spaces, which can be crafted to suit any occasion. She was also on the lido to present a restored version of her late husband michael. Thelma schoonmaker and martin scorsese when they were editing woodstock together in 1969. Schoonmaker has received eight academy award nominations for best film editing, and has won three.
And he starts thinking about the style of the movie, camera work, editing. After supervising the editing on a personal journey with martin scorsese through american movies 1995, a threepart documentary chronicling the directors selfdiscovery as a filmmaker, came schoonmaker s master work on casino 1995, scorseses epic look at the mobs dying days in las vegas. Legendary editor thelma schoonmaker breaks down raging bull. Editing techniques in the films of scorsese youtube. Thelma schoonmaker has edited every film by martin scorsese since 1980. Thelma schoonmaker is a film editor who has adopted a dazzling array of styles and approaches to her craft, from early screen work on the landmark 1970 documentary woodstock to the present day, as she and martin scorsese complete the editing on his latest film, the irishman 2019. Thelma schoonmaker is an american film editor who has been nominated for six academy awards for best achievement in film editing, and out of the six, she won three academy awards.
She is an editor, known for the departed 2006, the irishman 2019 and raging bull 1980. Nov 02, 2012 thelma schoonmaker was 14 years old when she saw the life and death of colonel blimp for the first time. Thelma schoonmaker on the art of editing long movies the. Thelma schoonmaker talks of editing, aging, and endings in. Threetime oscar winner and current nominee thelma schoonmaker, who has edited every martin scorsese film since raging bull, dissects a sequence in hugo that prompts her to recall the process of. This goes back to our initial point about being on set.
I enter these dailies notes onto the card of the selects when i start carving out the footage in lightworks, and my assistant then prints out those notes onto a log i use during editing, i hardly ever go back to the dailies after that. Martin scorseses goto film editor thelma schoonmaker on the. Thelma schoonmaker, on the eve of receiving a bafta fellowship, discusses the art of film editing and her 50year career sun 10 feb 2019 03. Thelma schoonmaker discusses editing martin scorseses the. Taped to the wall in the room where thelma schoonmaker and director martin scorsese are editing the king of comedy.
Michael kahn has been spielbergs editor since close encounters of the third kind, collaborating together for over thirty years. She has edited all of scorseses films since raging bull. What we in the audience got was a granular breakdown of the editing and film techniques, as well as other production information, about the painstaking work that went into making raging bull, consistently voted one of the best. Apr 11, 2017 most editors would be thrilled to be able to work just one time with a master like martin scorsese. Thelma schoonmaker is one exception who proves the rule. Dec 05, 2009 sally menke, who has edited all of quentin tarantinos films, on their working relationship and the thrill of john travolta dancing in front of her during the making of pulp fiction. Thelma schoonmaker would make history as the first person to win four oscars for best film editing by amanda spears as the last shot of the irishman fades to black, it comes as no surprise that the first title card is for the director, martin scorsese, and the second for writer, steven zaillian.
Thelma schoonmaker talks about the art of editing and working. The irishman editor thelma schoonmaker postperspective. What can the iconic thelma schoonmaker teach us about editing. It was going to be more of a character development story than say goodfellas is. Thelma schoonmaker is a threetime oscar winner for bestediting and one of martin scorseses lifetime collaborator. The iconic editor and bafta fellowship recipient thelma schoonmaker shares priceless insights to her craft, reminiscing on how she got her start as an editor, her first ever meeting with martin. Thelma schoonmaker talks of editing, aging, and endings in martin. Scorsese even played matchmaker by setting up powell romantically with his friend thelma schoonmaker, a. For 33 consecutive years, 1981 to 20, every best picture winner had also been nominated for the film editing oscar, and about two thirds of the best. She has been teamed with martin scorsese in one of the longestrunning directoreditor collaborations in film, helping. That was very interesting for me to realize we were going to be able to pace the film the way it deserved to be paced. May 09, 2014 thelma schoonmaker has edited every film by martin scorsese since 1980. Editing the bourne ultimatum there will be blood no. As soon as scorsese starts shooting, schoonmaker starts editing.
From mtv on, the speed of editing has increased, and that is now entering into narrative editing, said martin scorseses longtime editor, thelma schoonmaker. The academy award for best film editing is one of the annual awards of the academy of motion picture arts and sciences ampas. Thelma schoonmaker has edited every one of director martin scorseses movies, from raging bull to the aviator. Find out what an editor does and what makes a good editor as martin scorseses oscarwinning editor thelma schoonmaker and. Jan 17, 2017 the american cinema editors have selected oscar winner thelma schoonmaker and emmy winner janet ashikaga to receive the groups career achievement awards during the 67th annual ace eddie awar. Thelma schoonmaker with her late husband michael powell, in 1987 credit. Thelma schoonmaker, martin scorseses longtime editor, and the filmmakers frederick wiseman and joshua oppenheimer talk about the art of editing movies long movies.
563 702 385 614 11 1397 1293 1335 1395 1543 314 1152 1164 75 673 417 1006 373 225 1116 549 379 608 704 1572 443 1246 167 210 1331 1454 810 138 1115 955 1477 668 643 1355 833 46 1163 1076 1057 1342