Finely Sliced: Emily Robb
Emily Robb, editor at Manimal Post talks all things cutting room floor, how life experiences effect inspiration and the importance of understanding story.
LBB > The first cut is the deepest: how do you like to start an editing project?
Emily> Well the start of any job, for me, is actually a tad meditative. I like to brew up a nice cuppa tea, organise all the rushes and make some notes.
When there’s the opportunity I like to have a quick chat with the director before I begin cutting. There are so many conversations prior to the shoot, and on the day, that can give a lot of insight into what the client and creatives are looking for. In saying that though, some edits it’s nice to go in without too much background info but I find in commercial land it’s best to take out any of the guesswork straight up.
LBB > Non-editors often think of editing just in technical terms but it’s integral to the emotion and mood of a film. How did you develop that side of your craft?
Emily> I think a lot of it comes from life experiences. Finding inspiration in the every day and also exposing myself to a diverse range of creative work. I like to stay informed and curious about what’s happening around me, collecting inspiration and references as I go. It’s honestly helped me to have more versatility in what I can offer and I find it helps to engage and connect with different collaborators. After all the COVID lockdowns I found myself like many others becoming more of a passive consumer, so this is definitely something I’ve been more mindful of recently.
There is also something to be said about being an active listener and continuing to develop your listening and observation skills. People may not associate editors as social creatures - the image of us sitting alone in a dark room springs to mind! - but our understanding of social behaviour and empathy is at the core of what we do.
Then of course, I think, one of the best ways to develop craft is to just practice, practice, practice. It’s clichè advice for a reason. Try to cut as many different things as you can. Whether it be a doco, music vid or branded content piece the aim of the game is to bring the emotion. Early in my career I sought out a wide range of projects, across various mediums and genres and that taught me a lot and helped me find my style.
LBB > How important is an understanding of story and the mechanics of story?
Emily> It’s essential. As editors we bring the story to life. Some jobs may not have a specific or conventional story before getting to the edit but I think it’s useful, and often important, to try and approach every job with Story in mind. Even if at first glance the project doesn’t have a conventional arc, there is a story somewhere in there, you just need to look for it.
If it’s a fashion film for instance and I’m working with a series of vignettes, I’ll consider how the locations, garments and even the actions and movements can shape a narrative.
I also think it’s important to understand why we are telling the story. Uncovering that is just as important as identifying the story elements and how they are being communicated.
LBB > Rhythm and a sense of musicality seem to be intrinsic to good editing (even when it’s a film without actual music) – how do you think about the rhythm side of editing? How do you feel out the beats of a scene or a spot? And do you like to cut to music?
Emily> Yes! Crafting the rhythm is one of my favourite parts of the process. It’s influenced by so many aspects and how I approach it differs from edit to edit. Not only music but dialogue, performance, sound design and even action and movements can motivate me to make certain creative choices when I’m cutting.
I’ve worked on a lot of music videos throughout the years and I’ve always been musically inclined so it brings me lot of joy to cut with music. Editing with music doesn’t necessarily mean cutting to every beat though, it can become predictable. You need to find ways to engage with the song and utilise the material, maybe cutting off beat or perhaps letting choreography drive the edit and rhythm.
LBB > Tell us about a recent editing project that involved some interesting creative challenges.
Emily> I feel most jobs come with creative challenges in some form or another, I think that’s part of the fun of what we do! I love a bit of problem solving.
Recently I worked on a trailer for a TV series. Working primarily in advertising, cutting trailers isn’t something that comes up frequently. It’s a fairly bizarre series, so setting up the story while maintaining it’s quirky randomness all in a two minute window was a daunting prospect at first - especially when there were so many hilarious moments to choose from! I found that utilising my time efficiently and relying on my creative instincts really helped wrangle the project into a place that felt right. Prioritising punchy gags and all the cameo appearances were points of focus too because I knew these would grab the audiences attention and keep them engaged.
LBB > How important is your relationship with the director and how do you approach difficult conversations when there is a creative difference of opinion?
Emily> The Director / Editor relationship is really important. It’s always nice once we’ve worked together on a few jobs and there is a level of trust and understanding of each others processes that has developed over that time.
A difference in creative opinion shouldn’t have to be a difficult conversation though. In my experience, Directors value strong creative opinions and as long as you, the Editor, are open to playing and exploring edit possibilities there shouldn’t really be any drama.
It’s important to listen to one another and comprehend the reasoning behind certain opinions. It might be that there is an alternative solution that incorporates both strains of thought.
LBB > What’s harder to cut around – too much material or not enough? (And why?)
Emily> It may depend on the edit in question and how much time you have to work on it but I’d say, more often than not, it’s nicer to have more material than less. It’s possible to find a creative solution with a lack of footage but it does limit your options when providing solutions to Creative or client feedback.
LBB > Which commercial projects are you proudest of and why?
Emily> I really enjoyed working on a recent spot for Open Universities Australia. What was great about this edit was even though there was a lot of blue screen comping to do to bring the world to life, the focus was still on the characters journey.
Visually really nice and simple in the edit with a focus on performance. Love! It was also a very straightforward process. It’s always a good feeling when everyone is happy with the initial edit.
Looking forward though, I’m excited to work on more performance & narrative driven commercials with lots of movement and beautiful cinematography.
LBB > There are so many different platforms for film content now, and even in advertising something can last anything from a few seconds to a couple of hours. As an editor, are you seeing a change in the kind of projects you’re getting from brands and agencies?
Emily> Personally I’ve not seen a huge change in the kind of projects I’m working on. There have been longer brand films and 60 second spots recently and I think we are seeing that shift more but not to the same scale as other countries. It’s always nice to work out of the constraints of the traditional 30 seconds, so I’d love to see more of it.
LBB > Who are your editing heroes and why? What films or spots epitomise good editing for you?
Emily> I’ve been inspired by many editors over the years and have had the great opportunity to learn from many talented people.
I have a few long form editing heroes, Thelma Schoonmaker and Sally Menke to name a few on the top of my list. They have always been big heroes of mine. Thelma’s an iconic editor, the way she has learnt and embraced new technologies over the span of her career is inspirational and Menke’s work in crafting tension with humour and action always epitomises good editing for me.
Recently though I’ve been following the careers of several female and gender diverse editors through Instagram and websites such as Edit Girls. There are so many inspirational editors, across the world sharing their stories and work. Traditionally an aspect of the film industry that isn’t all that celebrated so it’s awesome to see editors getting more recognition!
LLB> How does editing in the commercial world differ from the film world and TV world?
Emily> I haven’t edited TV yet, only short films and music videos so I can’t really speak from experience but obviously the first thing that comes to mind is that time frames are very different. I try my best to make time to work on narrative films because I love it so much. You get to have a much stronger collaborative experience with your director and I guess when the main objective is the story, as opposed to a commercial product, it gives you more space to play and explore the emotional landscape of the characters.
It’s definitely not as bougie as advertising land, there is a lot less wining and dining and I mean, who doesn’t love a good cheese board!
LBB> Have you noticed any trends or changes in commercial editing over recent years
Emily> I’ve definitely noticed the use of mixed media influencing a trend of fast flash cuts and film burst type moments in branded content. Instagram and Tik Tok trends are popping up more often in briefs as the inspiration behind conceptual ideas or featured moments in a video. I’d also say that with cool tech like camera robots becoming more accessible I’ve definitely seen more match cutting and dynamic transitions come into play which is a heap of fun when cutting it all together.
