‘We might be the invisible art, but we can’t be invisible at the Oscars.’
4 Editors share their perspectives on the decision to not air the Best Film Editing Award as part of the Oscars live broadcast.
Amy Duddleston ACE, Stephanie Filo ACE, Yuan Elizabeth Liang and Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir ACE
On the 22nd of February 2022 members of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) received an email from David Rubin, The Academy President, explaining a change to the live broadcast of the Oscars that would result in the following categories not being broadcast live;
Documentary Short, Film Editing, Hair and Makeup, Original Score, Production Design, Animated Short, Live-Action Short and Sound.
The decision has been met with strong resistance and we wanted to dig into why such a decision can be a huge step backward for the editing profession.
We spoke with four Film/ TV Editors; Amy Duddleston ACE, Stephanie Filo ACE, Yuan Elizabeth Liang and Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir ACE about their reaction to the decision.
How do you feel about The Academy’s decision to not air live the award for Best Film Editing (alongside the other omitted craft categories)?
Amy Duddleston: I was very upset when I heard the news. The Academy Awards aren’t just a TV show, and that’s how they’re being treated. By pushing categories out of the “main event” where people can’t see it happen live, is demeaning. I’m an AMPAS member—why should I pay dues to the Academy every year, if they think the show ratings are a bigger deal than our craft?
Stephanie Filo: I think it’s rude and disrespectful to all of the omitted categories, to be honest. None of the films that are being honored could exist without Film Editing or the other omitted categories, and to not recognize the people in these positions that are already so minimally recognized is extremely disheartening. Often, the only time you even hear about some of these roles is at ceremonies like this - a lot of times it’s where people aspiring to work in TV/Film might even discover that these are career options. This decision is tragic in that it keeps people from seeing others in roles that they might aspire to one day.
Yuan Elizabeth Liang: When I first heard the news, I was like: "Seriously? Again?!", since I remember it happened once in 2019, and with massive objection, The Academy finally decided to air all the categories, including the award for Best Film Editing. Never have I imagined this arrangement would be put back on the table again.
Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir: I find it devastating and disrespectful to all who now will receive, what The Academy calls “the highest honour in filmmaking”, but will not be treated with honour, and will not be able to celebrate with their peers. The AMPAS is a professional, honorary organisation with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion pictures, not run after tv ratings.
What message do you feel it sends?
Amy: It sends the message that these crafts aren’t as important as the other ones. They can explain away as much as they want, but that’s what it says.
Stephanie: I think it highlights a bigger issue in that a lot of people fundamentally don’t understand what it is that an editor does. It implies that the role is less important, less interesting, and therefore not worth watching or caring about.
Yuan: To simply cut out these categories is such a weak move to spoon-feed the audience what they already know they wanted. The Academy should dig into how to interest and educate the audience so they have a different perspective for filmmaking so that they will stick to the channel and watch every category all the way to the end with delight, appreciation, and respect. There're so many ways we can make it more attractive - by playing a pre-made creative illustration video, by a short interesting stage show, etc. there so many art forms can be used, the sky's the limit.
Elísabet: It sends a clear message of a class system, that I’m not sure is rooted or follows leadership that is pressured into rating frenzy, but it’s absolutely not useful for the Academy to reach their stated goal.
What common misconceptions about the role of the Film Editor do you hear/ face?
Amy: That “we just cut out the bad and boring parts.” Our jobs are so much more than that. I mean, you’d just be watching hours of dailies if it wasn’t for us.
Stephanie: I think the biggest misconception about the role of the Film Editor is that they just push buttons and that it’s just a tech/IT type of job. The Film Editor is a major storyteller of the film. The editor is responsible for combining the written story with the hours and hours of footage that was filmed to make the final story come to life. They are responsible not only for finding the best takes and editing out unusable footage, but they’re also responsible for the tone that’s set, the pacing that’s set, the way music and sound may land, finding cuts that may tell more about the story than the words might, figuring out what is visually the most interesting or impactful way to convey a story, and sometimes even condensing or restructuring the whole story in the edit bay. Once they’ve initially assembled the film, their role isn’t even close to done. They’re guiding the film to the final product you see on screen through countless iterations and translating sometimes many conflicting notes or ideas. Editors can spend years cutting a single project, with really long hours and fully immersed in the world they’re trying to create. I’d say that’s worthy of recognition.
Yuan: A lot of people still think editing a film is simply stitching footage together in the order of action and doing some trims, and a lot think editors are just tech-savvies that will just follow the script and the director's orders to put a film together.
Elísabet: That it’s a technical job, it’s not. No more than writing is. That editing has nothing to do with storytelling, character arch, and acting, it happens to be our main focus.
Do you have a favourite speech from an Oscars Best Film Editing Award winner?
Amy: I don’t remember people’s speeches that well, but I do remember when Tom Cross won for WHIPLASH. Tom is a good friend, someone who I had once given the advice of “DON’T GIVE UP” to when he was struggling to make it as an editor. I was so proud and happy for him in that moment, I almost exploded. I still have a photo of him giving his speech on my phone.
Stephanie: I’m always excited to see this category, but one that has always stood out to me is when Margaret Sixel won for Mad Max: Fury Road. I remember watching that movie and really loving how it was cut, and seeing that a woman cut this hard-hitting action film and was being recognized for how well it was cut was just really exciting.
Yuan: Not so far to be honest. Maybe it is something the Oscars can work with the nominees for the speech. Right now mostly what we hear is a lot of thanks and appreciation - and I totally get that. However the speeches can be more attractive if the winner shares a little story when he/she edits the film, or the most inspiring moment he/she had in the editing career, etc.
Elísabet: Still waiting for it. Editors tend to be too polite and make sure they thank everyone, but keep it short. But I truly enjoy seeing editors rewarded with an Oscar statue, knowing the hard work behind their success, especially if they’re women.
What do you want for the future of the Best Film Editing Award at the Oscars?
Amy: I want the category to be as respected as cinematography. Editing was the craft that was CREATED by cinema. They needed someone to put together all of the film they shot, so the FILM EDITOR was born. We might be the invisible art, but we can’t be invisible at the Oscars.
Stephanie: I’d love for it to be televised live with the rest of the categories, for starters. I’d also love for it to be highlighted more (as well as the other omitted categories) throughout the ceremony. There are so many packages that talk about what the other televised categories do, that I think it would be really cool to be able to see short packages about what a Sound Mixer does, for example, what a Production Designer does, a visual representation of what all of these crafts are, and throughout the program. and maybe expose people watching to career opportunities that they otherwise would never know exist.
Yuan: I'd like to see the Oscars present what editors do to make magic moments happen, and how editors and directors collaborate. There actually are some really good interviews done by Oscar-winning directors talking about how important editors are. Here is one example https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/film-editors-storytelling-gatekeepers . Editing can be tough, but it is also a very fun process. I truly believe that by showing people what we do to make their favorite movies not only can raise awareness and create a tighter bond between the editors and audience, it can also be a way to help Oscar audiences find their interest in editing so that more people see themselves becoming a film editor and have this career. This will help attach importance to the editing category so editors will get the attention and respect they always deserve.
Elísabet: That it keeps it image of achievement and honour.
For anyone who does not know much about the role of a Film Editor what is the one thing you’d want them to know?
Amy: I mean, we have the most important job.
Stephanie: The reason that a film feels seamless and that you are able to be immersed in what you’re watching has a lot to do with the hard work that the editor put in to create that experience. One bad edit can pull you out of the story immediately. It should feel seamless, but the only way that can happen is with good editing.
Yuan: It's interesting and a bit sad that the better an editor gets, the more invisible he or she becomes. All final decisions are made during the editing stage, and by cutting the scenes a bit differently, a character can totally become a different person that changes the direction of the whole story.
Elísabet: You would not have a favourite movie without editors.
You can read Stephanie’s career story here and Elísabet’s career story here.