Film Editing

Film editing "The Hurt Locker" Bob Murawski and Chris Innis The prize for best editing went to the husband-and-wife team of Bob Murawski and Chris Innis for their work on the whiplash tense "The Hurt Locker." It was the first nomination for both. "Thank you to the academy for giving this award to a movie that was made without compromise," Murawski said. "We didn't have any preview screenings or focus groups or studio notes. Everybody made the movie we wanted to make."

In the realm of Hollywood film editors, Avid Technology Inc., is king. But in recent weeks, some unsettling news about the company has its loyal users worried about the company's future. I came across some of these concerns while reporting a story this week about how Apple is making a push to get high-end professional editors to take another look at Final Cut Pro X. The story notes that there appears to be some opportunity for Apple to take a run at this market in part because Avid has had some financial issues.  PHOTOS: Top 10 must-have smartphone apps Earlier in the year, Avid  CEO Gary Greenfield said he was stepping down and the company replaced him with Louis Hernandez, a veteran member of Avid's board of directors.

In the realm of Hollywood film editors, Avid Technology Inc., is king. But in recent weeks, some unsettling news about the company has its loyal users worried about the company's future. I came across some of these concerns while reporting a story this week about how Apple is making a push to get high-end professional editors to take another look at Final Cut Pro X. The story notes that there appears to be some opportunity for Apple to take a run at this market in part because Avid has had some financial issues.  PHOTOS: Top 10 must-have smartphone apps Earlier in the year, Avid  CEO Gary Greenfield said he was stepping down and the company replaced him with Louis Hernandez, a veteran member of Avid's board of directors.

Gold Standard writer Glenn Whipp is sweeping through all 24 Oscar categories this week, assessing the races, predicting the winners and helping you prevail in your Oscar pools. Predictions so far: Short Films | Sound | Visual Crafts | Song and Score Today's predictions: ADAPTED SCREENPLAY The nominees “ Argo ,” Chris Terrio | Review “ Beasts of the Southern Wild ,” Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin | Review “ Life of Pi ,” David Magee | Review “ Lincoln ,” Tony Kushner | Review “ Silver Linings Playbook ,” David O. Russell | Review And the winner is ... "Argo.

If God is in the details, then technical crafts are what make movies divine: exceptional art direction, editing, music, effects, sound mixing and makeup. These categories may seem boring on Oscar night, but pay careful attention and keep count. Movies with the most nominations and wins here tend to claim the best picture top prize. FOR THE RECORD: Gold Derby: The Gold Derby column in the Dec. 7 Envelope section said that if songwriter Diane Warren should be nominated and then lose, she would become Oscar's most nominated woman without a win with seven nods.

Walter Murch walks to work over Primrose Hill, following Parkhill Road until it meets Fleet Road. There, set back from the gently curving corner, is the Old Chapel Studio. He lets himself in and goes upstairs to begin the 255th day of editing "Cold Mountain." The landing at the top of the stairs is a slab of translucent green glass. One doesn't walk so much as float across it into the realm of film editing. Murch opens a heavy wooden door to his room at the end of the hall and goes inside.

Since nearly every dance-related film and television project in this century has involved a contest or competition, however bogus, it was a good idea to make a documentary about the Youth America Grand Prix, a genuine, internationally recognized event where ballet hopefuls in a various age groups can win trophies, scholarships and contracts. But Bess Kargman's 90-minute “First Position” not only shows hundreds of dancers battling for recognition, it focuses on the professional ambitions and personal lives of seven participants, giving the film what we can call “Glee” appeal.

The American Cinema Editors 38th annual ACE "EDDIE" awards were celebrated Saturday night at the Beverly Hilton. Winners: Catherine Shields and John Soh for documentary editing on PBS' "Infinite Voyage--Unseen World"; Robert P. Seppey for editing on the "St.

Robert E. Swink, 82, award-winning film editor thrice nominated for Academy Awards. Born in Rocky Ford, Colo., Swink joined the editorial department of RKO Radio in 1936 and within five years worked his way into film editing. After working on training films as a member of the Army Signal Corps during World War II, he built his reputation at Paramount and other studios, primarily under director William Wyler.

American Cinema Editors announced its nominees for the 63rd Annual ACE Eddie Awards Friday morning. The Eddies recognize outstanding editing in nine categories in film, TV and documentaries. Nominated for best-edited film are William Goldenberg for "Argo," Tim Squyres for "Life of Pi," Michael Kahn for "Lincoln," Stuart Baird for "Skyfall" and Dylan Tichenor for "Zero Dark Thirty. " Vying for best-edited feature film (comedy or musical) are Chris Gill for "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," Melanie Ann Oliver and Chris Dickens for "Les Miserables," Andrew Weisblum for "Moonrise Kingdom," Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers for "Silver Linings Playbook" and Jeff Freeman for "Ted.

Since nearly every dance-related film and television project in this century has involved a contest or competition, however bogus, it was a good idea to make a documentary about the Youth America Grand Prix, a genuine, internationally recognized event where ballet hopefuls in a various age groups can win trophies, scholarships and contracts. But Bess Kargman's 90-minute “First Position” not only shows hundreds of dancers battling for recognition, it focuses on the professional ambitions and personal lives of seven participants, giving the film what we can call “Glee” appeal.

It's a scene that gives the phrase "getting shelled at Fenway" a whole new meaning. In the crime thriller "The Town," a local heist crew attempts one of the riskiest jobs in recent memory: taking down the cash room at Fenway Park, home of Boston's beloved Red Sox baseball team. After FBI agents are tipped off to the caper, automatic weapons bark as violence spills from the stadium's bowels out onto the city's historic streets. The action sequence's well-known location certainly heightens the stakes of the heist (isn't it a cardinal sin to loot the Cathedral of Boston?

If God is in the details, then technical crafts are what make movies divine: exceptional art direction, editing, music, effects, sound mixing and makeup. These categories may seem boring on Oscar night, but pay careful attention and keep count. Movies with the most nominations and wins here tend to claim the best picture top prize. FOR THE RECORD: Gold Derby: The Gold Derby column in the Dec. 7 Envelope section said that if songwriter Diane Warren should be nominated and then lose, she would become Oscar's most nominated woman without a win with seven nods.

Edgar Andres caught the movie bug when he was 16 years old, after a filmmaker came to his high school to talk about the craft. Soon after, the teen joined a couple of programs, the Urban Oasis Film Academy and Inner City Filmmakers, which teach urban youth the basics of filmmaking. For Andres, who prefers classics such as "Casablanca" and "The Godfather," the programs were a chance to see how movies were put together. He was so eager to get started on his career that when he graduated from Santa Monica High in 2009 he decided to look for work immediately.

Film editing "The Hurt Locker" Bob Murawski and Chris Innis The prize for best editing went to the husband-and-wife team of Bob Murawski and Chris Innis for their work on the whiplash tense "The Hurt Locker." It was the first nomination for both. "Thank you to the academy for giving this award to a movie that was made without compromise," Murawski said. "We didn't have any preview screenings or focus groups or studio notes. Everybody made the movie we wanted to make."

"Dead Ringers," a somber psychological film about twin doctors who descend into madness, swept the Canadian Genie Awards Wednesday night in Toronto, taking 10 trophies, including one for best picture. Jeremy Irons, who played a dual role as gynecologists, was named best actor, while Toronto-born director David Cronenberg won as best director and co-writer (with Norman Snider). He also co-produced the film.

Ira P. Heymann, 87, award-winning editor for motion pictures and television. In his half-century career, Heymann edited films for MGM for three decades and then switched to CBS to work on television for 20 years. He earned two Golden Scissors Awards, in 1970 and 1972, from the American Cinema Editors for outstanding achievement in film editing. He earned an Eddy in 1972 for editing the best television special of the year, a movie production titled "Visions."

The Golden Globes' big winner, "Slumdog Millionaire," earned yet another nomination Monday morning for the 59th annual American Cinema Editors' Eddie Award. "Slumdog" editor Chris Dickens received a nomination in the best edited dramatic feature film category along with Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Lee Smith for "The Dark Knight," Mike Hill and Dan Hanley for "Frost/Nixon" and Elliot Graham for "Milk."

AS we know from decades of both anecdotes and common sense, film directing is a uniquely challenging art form. Some of the disciplines that feed into it, including poetry, fiction and, of course, screenwriting, can be done with simply a pencil, pad of paper and a light source, while shooting even a short narrative film requires time, money and the marshaling of a number of specialists. And that's not the hardest part. What it of course first requires -- to be done right -- is a vision.