Editor Jay Evans is the founder and owner of Montaj 9, a post-production facility in Honolulu. Previously he was vice president, creative services for Pacific Focus (now 1013 Integrated). He brings many years of experience to his presentation on editing for our Elements of Film and Video Production workshop series on Tuesday, July 31 from 6:30 to 9:00 pm.
Jay worked on The Short List, Chief, and Goodbye Paradise among many other films. His client experience includes Nike, CBS news promotions, Kodak, Continental Airlines, Sheraton Hotels, Bank of America, Hawaiian Airlines, BHP, American Savings Bank, Honda Scooters, and Exxon. His awards include Golden Cine, Questar, Tellys, and Golden Monitor.
Here’s a glimpse into the mind of an experienced editing professional.
What’s your favorite movie?
My fave film(s): Apocalypse Now, Bonnie & Clyde and JFK, and not necessarily in any order.
What are your thoughts on Final Cut Pro X?
That’s a loaded issue. Judging from all outward appearances, Apple now seems more interested in devoting its resources to a larger customer base rather than the small niche professional editors represent. And that stands to reason – there’s a lot more money in it. That’s not to say that FCP X isn’t good. In many ways it is, and getting better; and from what I understand it’s fast. But waiting for FCP X to be the editorial application with all the bells & whistles that the well-established platforms like Avid & Adobe Premier Pro contain could be a bit of a wait. So for now, it doesn’t appear to be ready for prime time as the foundation of a professional, multi-user work environment. However editors today should consider being multi-lingual when it comes to editorial platforms, with FCP X being another tool in the belt. As Mr. Natural says “use the right tool for the job”.
What’s your reaction to the following statement, “We can fix it in post.”
The expression “we can fix it in post” is more often than not preceded by “don’t worry”. And I’ve always wanted to know just exactly to whom the “we” refers because you can sure that the editor wasn’t around when it was offered. The subtext is that one better have the money and/or the time to cover some negligence or oversight because it’s probably going to take both. Editors can make magic happen and that’s a big portion of what we do, but to handcuff an editor by giving him or her anything less than the very best effort in production is only going to add time and stress to a process where both creative energy and time are at a premium. I believe that energy should be used to create something great as opposed to head-scratching and scrambling to “fix” what should have been attended to on set. My response to the phrase: “I can’t edit what you guys didn’t shoot.”
What do you see on the horizon for Hawaii’s film and video industry?
As for Hawaii’s film and video industry… big budget features & series get a lot of press from local “critics” as it’s much cooler to be around the beautiful people. And as long as Hawaii continues to encourage these projects with incentives, support, good people, up-to-date equipment, and accessibility to beautiful locations, this type of work will continue to be done. But the local independent film & video movement needs more support from both the state and the press by offering venues for the work to be seen by wider audiences coupled with the much-needed attention it deserves by local media & critics. There’s great talent here, it just needs to get the recognition and promotion it deserves. When that happens the two very different yet similar worlds will begin to coexist and grow with equal respect and appreciation.