The Art of Editing

Learn to apply style and aesthetics to the editing process and enhance your film’s impact with the help of Chris Nelson and Katie McQuerrey.

There is much more to editing than technical mastery of the software. This workshop is for editors, directors, and producers who want to acquire an understanding of pacing, transition, cuts, and continuity to create seamless stories. The course covers various editing styles, techniques, and conventions used to edit dramatic scenes. Students learn how to finesse a scene by removing extraneous content and distilling the essence of the story. The class screens films while discussing editing styles and aesthetics, and examine how tempo, perspective, and tone in the editing process can completely enhance or dilute a scene's emotional and dramatic impact. Shot selection, juxtaposition, montage, pacing and other techniques are explored during editing sessions. Students collaborate on the creative decision process as they edit scenes, experiment with options, and apply different approaches to maximize impact on the audience. Editing Proficiency strongly encouraged.

Testimonials:

"Once more (this is my fourth visit) I am learning the workshop experience inspires to create"
- Jonelle Lipscomb, Fayetteville, AR

"A microcosm of multimedia genius"
- Lisa Doherty, New Castle, CO

Instructors

Chris Nelson A.C.E

Chris Nelson's career has been long and varied, having been Producer, Director or Film Editor on a variety of Cable and Network Movies, Pilots, Series, and Feature Films.

Nelson began his career as a film editor on the Mini-Series The Captains and the Kings in the late 70's, and soon after began editing pilots for Stephen Cannell. The Greatest American Hero pilot provided the first chance to move away from Editing, allowing the opportunity for producing and directing to become a reality. However, the lure and love of editing has caused him to return to his roots again and again.

Nelson has won the Emmy for Best Editing of the series Lost, as well as Nominations for Six Feet Under, China Beach, The Greatest American Hero, and Mad Men. He also received an American Cinema Editors nomination for editing the West Wing pilot and Lost.

With over fifty Television Movies and Pilots to his credit, Nelson feels he's been fortunate to have been part of a few that have had social significance. These include The three hour Showtime Movie, Thanks for a Grateful Nation, the I'll Fly Away Special for PBS, the China Beach pilot, the Six Feet Under Pilot for HBO, and the television movie, The Pentagon Papers for FX Networks. He has just finished working on a new series for STARZ Network, called Magic City, that aired in April.  

Katie McQuerrey

Katie McQuerrey is a feature film, television and documentary editor. Since 2002 she has worked with the Coen Brothers on such films as True Grit, No Country for Old Men, A Serious Man and Burn After Reading. Outside of her work with the Coen Brothers, other projects she has edited have ranged widely from the Harold Evans-narrated BBC documentary Giuliani: Mayor Of America, to the MTV and Comedy Central comedies Human Giant, The Andy Milonakis Show and Wanderlust; from an experimental film piece with noted French-born visual artist Pierre Huyghe, The Host and the Cloud to the independent horror film, Daylight, directed by David Barker.

In addition to editing, Katie loves to cook, take dance classes and lives with her husband and 3 year old son in Brooklyn, NY.