The post-production phase is the most critical one throughout the entire film production process… and editing, in particular, is a pivotal moment where as a filmmaker you should be able to understand that you are writing the final version and destiny of your movie.

Some of the greatest, most iconic filmmakers of all times (like Scorsese, Hitchcock, Kubrick, Tarantino, Coppola, Lynch, Fellini, Gilliam and many others) used to spend hours, days and sometimes months into the dark secrecy of the editing room, sitting next to their faithful editor, enjoying the guilty pleasure of reshaping – over and over again – a world of their own.

Editing is not just a simple matter of pace, rhythm, and mere image composition: editing pertains to the core of storytelling itself. Every professional filmmaker knows that a closeup placed in the right place, at the right moment, can definitely chance the course of a narrative process. Editing includes re-defining the story, reconstructing the characters, reshaping the very structure to the point of even changing and re-dubbing the dialogue in a totally different way from the original script… all for the sake of beauty.

In this Stage 32 Next Level Webinar, international director/editor, Max Leonida will use his years of experience to give you a more profound knowledge of the artistic nature of the editing process, together with a clear, up-to-date and technical expertise about the most important digital editing systems on the market. Max will use clips as case studies from some of his most recent films.

This webinar will give you all these necessary tools to truly understand your process when going in to edit your film.

PRAISE FOR MAX'S TEACHINGS:

“I love editing. I think I like it more than any other phase of filmmaking. If I wanted to be frivolous, I might say that everything that precedes editing is merely a way of producing film to edit.” -Stanley Kubrick

“Without question Max Leonida’s work has been met with audience approval, critical praise and media exposure – all of which serve to substantiate his amazing ability. He has truly emerged as one of the field’s most influential filmmakers." - Jamie Weissenborn, Senior Vice President Sony Picture Television)

The Philosophy And History Of Editing

• Editing: the unnatural language of dreams (a premise)
• Steenbeck vs. computer: the origins
• The three writings of a movie (script, set and editing)
• The three cuts of a movie (assembly, director and final)

Avid, Final Cut and Premiere Pro - the 3 Big Editing Systems

• Discuss the differences and detailed technical specifics of the three most famous/infamous digital editing systems on the market.
• Max will take you through each interface and provide examples from his work on which he prefers the most.
• Learn why a certain system may be more useful than another for your project
• The system Max prefers to edit with and why

Tips On Working With Footage

• Rhythm vs. Story in the film: the eternal quest
• Music, voices, effects and other magical tricks
• The narrative process: everything is beauty
• How to save the unsavable: bad images but good movies
• Walking in the audience’s shoes

Case Studies And Examples

• Case Study #1 - feature film Run (winner at MIFF and double winner at the 3D International Festival)
• Case Study #2 - What Separates Us (Best Feature at the Machetanz Film Festival) feature film edited by Max
• Apocalypse Now: a true editing legend
  • It took a year and half to edit the magnificent helicopter-raid scene!
  • Max will show you how that happened and why it is a masterpiece.
• Blade Runner & Cinema Paradiso: producer vs. director
  • Analysis of two cases in which a film has been made great by its producer, who worked together with the editor.

Plus, Q&A with Max!

• Editors
• Editing Supervisors
• Post Production Supervisors
• Post Producers
• Producers
• First Time Producers
• Directors
• First Time Directors
• Writers
• Distributors
• Development Executives
• Story Editors
• Filmmakers

“Without question Max Leonida’s work has been met with audience approval, critical praise and media exposure – all of which serve to substantiate his amazing ability. He has truly emerged as one of the field’s most influential filmmakers.”

(Jamie Weissenborn, Senior Vice President Sony Picture Television)

“Max Leonida is widely known throughout the industry for possessing an unprecedented record of achievement credited to his astounding professional acumen, expertise and talent. A testament to his extraordinary ability.”

(Chris Roe, Owner CR Management)

“The combination of Max Leonida’s originality and talent, as well as his considerable achievements, firmly establishes him as a leader in the industry.”

(Jonathan Sanger, Academy Award Winning Producer)