Editing Yourself

“In your opinion, how long does a good movie last?”

This was the question I asked at a recent radio training workshop I led. Obviously, I thought it was a good question, but why would I talk about movies during a radio training session?

I am intrigued by the job of a movie editor. They weave the story together tightly from beginning to end so that the whole thing doesn’t just unravel.

According to Rotten Tomatoes, the public scored Spider-Man 3 at 51% and Forrest Gump at 95%. Why? They are both two hours 20 minutes long. So why have I watched Forrest Gump multiple times, and am sad that I saw Spider-Man 3 even once?

It’s the story and the editing of the story. They tried to cram too much in Spider-Man 3.

Good editors look for the right moment to cut the scene. They look for when the emotion or the purpose is complete in each shot.

In radio, we sometimes worry about the length of the break, and with good reason. But, if we focus on what is most relevant we don’t have to worry about the “time” we talk. Instead, we can concentrate on how effective we are when we communicate.

– Larry Castro, KSBJ Mentoring Team