How to Give Better Editing Notes (and Why It Matters)

THE IMPORTANCE OF WHY

I like to know the "why" behind what I'm being asked to do.

For instance, if I'm walking on a trail and there's a sign that says "trail closed," I'm the kind of person that will go ahead, unless the sign also says why: as in, because there's endangered birds nesting, or rattlesnakes, or an epidemic of sinkholes opening up, or a rip in the space-time continuum. If it's just because they are a little behind on maintenance, I'll take my chances.

So it's no surprise that when I'm in my editor's hat, I love it when I get notes from a producer that tell me why they are asking for something. Knowing the goal helps me make the decisions on execution that are definitely going to come up, whatever the note.

It's not just me: giving effective notes to your editor is such an important part of collaborating and communicating in the edit.

Here's an example of the kind of note that sticks in my craw:

"Delete the shot of the people on the pier" — why? because there's too many shots here? Because it's the wrong pier? Because you're afraid of piers? Because the dog on the pier died in the previous scene?

Why I Need to Know the “Why”

I love a note that clearly states the issue the person is having: as in, this scene is getting bogged down, or I'm confused, or the client needs this scene at the top for their product placement contract, or the drum kit in the music drives me crazy — and then suggests a solution: tighten this scene, cut this idea, explain this more, move the scene even though it doesn't make sense, change the music to something more mysterious.

Here's what that extra step does for you, as the producer:

• It enlisted the help of your editor in solving the problem, and they might have an alternate, dare I say, even better suggestion

• It makes you think about it: sometimes answering the question 'why' takes you deeper into the the problem in a very revealing way. "Do this" is knee-jerk — "Do this because" makes you probe your perspective on reality for accuracy

• It doesn't insult your editor, who probably doesn't want to be just a button-pusher. You want them on your side

Final Thoughts on Stronger Editing Partnerships

I brought this up the other day to a producer I work with, telling him via email that I love the way he give editing notes and makes suggestions, and then tells me the reasoning behind his suggestion. He wrote back "Editing is such a collaborative process and if a director can't share the reasoning with their editor such that the editor can understand why they are being asked to do something (and have the opportunity to push back!) then it isn't a real collaboration and the director loses the added layer of creativity and insight that a human editor brings."

Damn straight

I have another post about the collaboration of editor and producer that you might enjoy