Watching an editor cut -- even if you’re hellbent on becoming one yourself -- is excruciating, like watching paint dry. A veteran comedy editor changed that all for me. In 1985 I was hired to assist Dann Cahn on Ediflex, a new non-linear VHS-based editing. Danny had cut on the original Beaver series which is why he was hired to edit The New Leave it to Beaver series. When he couldn’t quite hack Ediflex, Universal hired an apprentice to do most of my job so I was free to operate the system for Dann. It was nerve wracking since I was learning the system myself but it made me get inside his head. I began to anticipate where he would cut next. What better way to learn editing! He shared his knowledge liberally, left two shows for me to cut, and our finished shows pleased the producers.

So what did I learn?

Timing

Comedy, as is often said, is all in the timing. Usually, you want to cut lean -- no lingering on frames -- but sometimes you want to milk the moment, “cut around the horn” as Dann called it. This means you extend “the laugh” (audience’s enjoyment of the scene) by cutting to people’s reactions -- maybe even the dog’s. Just think of how a pie-throwing scene builds. A classic example occurs toward the end of the deli scene in When Harry Met Sally.

Stay tuned for Part 2: Three important truths about editing comedy.

admin Editing practices, Editor’s role, Television