Betsy McLane -

A screenwriter walks into an edit suite…

August 5, 2019

The back cover of Writing for the Cut: Shaping Your Script for Cinema asks the potential reader, “Will you make the cut?” The copy goes on to declare — in a line sure to appeal to anyone working in post-production — “Editing Is What Makes a Movie.” This is not a new idea, but Greg Loftin is the first to write a guide that clearly outlines how a screenwriter, as he sits at the computer, can and should consider what the editor will find when she sits at hers. […]

Who Were the True Auteurs in Post-Production? Ask the Monitor Man

June 7, 2019

George Larkin offers a startling premise in the book Post-Production and the Invisible Revolution of Filmmaking: From the Silent Era to Synchronized Sound, one that may delight some readers while offending others. He states the fact that post-production work is critical to all filmmaking but takes that fact further, stressing that post is the major driver of film creation, eclipsing all else. […]

The Talented Mr. Ridley:
First Bio on Filmmaker Scott

June 4, 2019

Sir Ridley Scott’s extraordinary career in television and motion pictures is long overdue for a thorough historical and critical examination. Today, with books on almost every imaginable cinematic subject popping up regularly, the lack of definitive writing on Scott seems an odd omission. […]

The Editor Strikes Back:
Cutting Remarks from the Cutting Room

February 28, 2019

With Movers and Shakers: The Monster Makers, long-time editor Tariq Anwar somehow manages to take time away from the bench to write an amusing book about his 30-year career in the film and television industries. The tone is sardonic, the writing straightforward, the many line drawings humorous. […]

When the Film Industry Joined the Gig Economy

February 15, 2019

Virtually every working editor understands that the job is defined as labor as well as creation, craft and, sometimes, art. The Motion Picture Editors Guild ensures that this labor is recognized with credits, respected within the industry and compensated fairly, and ensures that members are not abused by employers nor left destitute in old age. […]

How to Correctly Raid the Lost Archive of Assets

December 19, 2018

This compact and clearly written volume considers virtually every type of archival source likely to be used in media production, and offers practical approaches to finding, selecting and licensing it. […]

Editors: Do You Know Your Fabula from Your Syuzhet?

August 17, 2018

Post-production professionals are regularly asked why they select specific picture cuts or sound transitions. Those with successful careers know how to discuss, and sometimes defend, their choices in language that producers and directors understand quickly. […]

Wham, Bam, Panoram:
The Forerunner of Today’s Music Videos

August 13, 2018

During its heyday from 1940 to 1946, hundreds of Soundie reels, each holding eight films, were circulated to roughly 3,500 Panorams located throughout the United States. […]

Man with a Shorinofon:
When Russia Embraced the Talkies

June 12, 2018

Few Americans, even those who work with motion picture sound, have heard of the Tagefon and Shorinofon systems, but readers interested in the intricacies of how sound first meshed with cinema can learn about these machines and the artists who used them. […]

Sonic Echoes from the Pre-Digital Era

June 5, 2018

The period during which the newsletter circulated was a critical and tumultuous one for movie sound. It was clear to all that digital would ultimately replace multi-track analog, but no one knew when, or in what format. […]

Articles by Betsy McLane