On Sunday I found myself sitting beside two tigers. On my right, TIGER, and on my left, TIGER KING — two back-to-back projects I’ve worked on linked only in their big cat names. I encourage anyone interested in pulling parallels between golf and exotic cats to do so, but besides a wildly confusing inbox of Tiger-related email, I’m not sure what to make of it. Instead, I see bookends — two films that begin and end a narrative of their own. A frame for a sequence within my own experience. Because in the middle is a story of the last ten months that even the most solitary of editors couldn’t be prepared for.
Since Tiger King dropped, we’ve adapted to this seismic departure from the way films are edited, and on Tiger I saw how a remote team can actually do it really well. Yet with both virtual ‘premieres’ still comes the bittersweet reminder of what’s missing — the cinema, its seats eagerly filled, and the trusted collaborators by our side — but I’ve found myself watching now more than ever not necessarily what’s onscreen but the hands that brought it there. Because if you look close enough, these films have seams and inside are the tracings of so many important friends. It’s hard to express how much I miss working beside them. And while I’m proud to share our collective efforts, ultimately, I’m here to give thanks.
When I asked @jonkarmen (steadfast editor behind Netflix’s Fyre) what the longest, single, uncut shot in the film was, he texted back a minute later “maryann”. He was right, but there was little doubt he wouldn’t know. At 43 seconds it outlasts the 1,325 other clips in the film, eclipsing the now infamous Evian water story by 6 seconds. It’s the conclusion to Maryann Rolle’s interview -- the moment she reveals just how devastating the festival actually was to her. With $50k of her savings gone and complete loss of trust, it’s no coincidence her story found the most screen time. It simply demanded it.
Apologies to those who tuned in for a film about millennial heads rolling across white sand beaches. This story goes much deeper than the cheese sandwich. I’m so grateful to Chris, Jon, and @jerry.media for opening a seat for me in the edit room. Huge thanks to the team @cassandra_lynn@colton.eff@camillahayman #dankoehler
