Southampton Film Week: SolentPost Presents…

Post-production Day with Mags Arnold, Mick Audsley, Caroline Bleakley, Eddie Hamilton, Zane Hayward, Eddy Joseph, Andy Morrison, Richard Morrison, Mark Sanger and John Wilson

Thursday 9 November 2017

by BRENNAN BACKS and EAMMON JACOBS

Last week, SolentPost brought several Hollywood filmmakers to Southampton Solent University to speak to students and the public about their vital roles in post-production and how they honed their craft. The group of creatives boast work on titles such as: MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (2017), KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE (2017), GRAVITY (2013), KICK-ASS (2010), HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE (2001)  and BILLY ELLIOT (2000), which have seen them work alongside high profile directors such as Terry Gilliam, Matthew Vaughn, Tim Burton and Edgar Wright. Across four panels, they discussed their work, how they broke into the industry, provided interesting film facts and even presented footage not seen before by the public. 
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Film Openings and Titles
A Discussion with Mags Arnold, Mick Audsley, Eddie Hamilton, Richard Morrison and Mark Sanger

It was clear from the opening showreel that we were being treated to a discussion with some of the most talented editors, title designers and sound designers working in film today. They imparted invaluable knowledge to an audience vying for a look at how the magic of cinema is created. Editor Mick Audsley, known for his work on TWELVE MONKEYS (1995), HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (2005) and MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, charismatically explained some key components to a successful and engaging opening to a film. Within the crucial first few minutes of a story, the film has to give the audience a character to invest in, what they are trying to achieve and who else is involved. Richard Morrison (title designer on SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD 2010 and SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET 2007) explained that during post-production the original opening design might be replaced at the last minute by the powers that be. Editor Mags Arnold (THE KILLER INSIDE ME 2010, THE TRIP 2010-2014) showed us the original version of her opening from MY LITTLE EYE (2002) compared to the finished iteration. As she delved into the process of how the introduction to each character changed over time, it was clear that the method of grabbing the audience's attention is a meticulous process. While the meticulous editing process usually starts after shooting, Mark Sanger explained that he and Alfonso Cuarón edited GRAVITY in pre-visual form before the actors even stepped foot on set / EJ
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From SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD (Edgar Wright 2010)

Use of Sound and Foley
​With Zane Hayward and Eddy Joseph

Without sound, the scope, perspective and even plot points of a film would be lost. Sound editor Eddy Joseph, whose work includes HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE and CASINO ROYALE (2006), discussed the impact of distancing sound effects in building the world of the film. In CASINO ROYALE, the sound effects in the distance provide depth, especially during the pulse-pounding parkour scene at the beginning of the film. With his work on the first Potter instalment, Joseph crafted an intricate piece of metallic sound design for the chess piece sequence, but it was removed in favour of the score composed by John Williams. Sound editor Zane Hayward also pointed out that when it comes to sound, sometimes less is more. When Hayward worked on BILLY ELLIOT, he used the simple sound effect of a bus pulling away to mute Tony’s (Jamie Draven) last words and provoke an emotional ending between two brothers. The sound supports the story in such a simplistic way that it is hard not to be impressed by the choice not to include a score in that scene. Although the audience might not realise it instantly, sound has been used to generate a powerful emotional response / EJ
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Drama on Film and Television
​With Caroline Bleakley, Andy Morrison and John Wilson

The showreels of three editors flickered upon the screen while they sat in front of the audience: Caroline Bleakley’s plethora of TV dramas, including HOLBY CITY (1999-) and MIDSOMER MURDERS (1997-); Andy Morrison’s THE MUSKETEERS (2014-) and WATERLOO ROAD (2006-2015); before finally a handful of John Wilson’s many editorial credits, such as ME BEFORE YOU (2016) and THE BOOK THIEF (2013). It quickly became obvious that their own creative journeys started when they were themselves awe-struck members of the audience. As the discussion developed, the dark side of drama editing started to seep through in anecdotes about time constraints, budget cuts, nightmare producers and horrible directors. However, the visible passion for their craft meant those problems dwindled to minor insignificance. 

Bleakley enthused about editors being the “last author”. Likewise, Morrison discussed editing as an art. Interestingly, both editors found their way into the craft through different means. Morrison had been a self-confessed “nerd”, making films in his youth. At university, he experimented with multiple aspects of the film industry, settling on editing when he got his first big break on a TV show. Bleakley, however, studied mechanical engineering at university. Her love of performance and the theatre meant that when the BBC came recruiting, they saw an opportunity she previously never thought of. The conversation seamlessly transitioned from personal experience, to general aspects of the editor’s job; the life of an editor was eloquently portrayed / BB