By Joel Watson
M y first memory, whether real or partially imagined, was being carried by my parents into a 1977 screening of “Star Wars.” Though I was only three and definitely illiterate, I can remember somehow reading the marquee for a seminal film I would end up sleeping through. I can chart the rest of my southern Indiana childhood with movies that left their mark on me. At six, attending “The Empire Strikes Back” at the mall with my father after he treated me to a pop-up book of the very same film at Waldenbooks. At eight, demanding to be dropped off for repeated theatrical viewings of “E.T. the Extra-Terrestial.” At nine, being forever beautifully scarred from an over-my-uncle’s-shoulder home video viewing of John Carpenter’s “The Thing” and barely sleeping the following two weeks. At ten, being absolutely flattened by the twin wonders of “Ghostbusters” and “Gremlins.”
Shortly thereafter, I learned movies were not the result of a string of synced cameras capturing a live event documentary-style; rather, each shot was painstakingly constructed before being stitched together in a magical process. That led me to realize there were filmmakers working behind the scenes: Steven Spielberg! George Lucas! John Carpenter! At that point it was settled — I would make movies like those luminaries. There was simply nothing else that would do.
With a handful of friends, I started making a yearly video or 8mm claymation comedy for the regional Media Fair. One, “Indiana Wimp and Wimp Tut’s Tomb,” won the national award for sixth graders. Mmm. Sweet accolades to encourage my shenanigans.
I wish I could say these projects were followed by filming live action adventures, but I was simply too daunted by the technological limitations of the mid-’80s: I had to borrow a video camera, sound was atrocious and the lack of a practical way to edit was infuriating. I subconsciously decided to hold out for the right tools. When I finally encountered tape to tape VHS editing systems my freshman year in the Northwestern University radio/TV/film program, I fell madly in love with the post process.
I soaked up all the filmmaking opportunities afforded me at college while being annoyed at how little filmmaking I was allowed to do as a film major. Things changed when I found filmmaking partner Peter Alton. We set out to make yet another claymation comedy — this time on 16mm film! With a Bolex, a grant from student run Studio 22, and a group of suckers — er, fellow artists — we embarked on an ambitious mock documentary about a “famous” claymation actor. The resulting short, “Robert: Portrait of a Legend” was a smash hit at the big school screening.
It was time to step things up. With another grant, I made my big live action directing debut. Managing a dozen live action actors and our 30-person crew was a daunting task. But where production was a tidal wave, post-production felt like a warm kiddie pool. (Warm because of the weather — no one peed in it.) Sitting in the bay next to me, editor David Less gave me my first brush with non-linear editing. I was infatuated.
While this went on, our producers had submitted “Robert: Portrait of a Legend” to the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation College Television Awards (colloquially known as the “student Emmy.”) To our surprise, we ended up winning the 1995 Animation Category. Phone calls from agents and MTV followed. Not to worry though — all of those opportunities were squandered.
Post graduation, I headed off to Los Angeles, where reality set in. College was over. Rent had to be paid. Thankfully, the Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker Peter Spirer took pity on me, hiring me as his assistant, where I finally got my hands on an Avid. What a revelation! Before long, I secured a role as an assistant editor for a company that would eventually be called Rocket Science Labs.
It was 1999. Non-fiction TV was taking off. Within eighteen months, thanks to the efforts of the late producer Fred Kennamer, I was an editor, working hard, sharpening my skills. When I landed a job on “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?” I was thankfully able to join MPEG due to my non-union hours.
But what’s this? I came out here to make movies! Eventually, in the mid-2000s, I produced and edited a feature length film, “Jake’s Closet,” with my writer-director wife Shelli Ryan, which eventually ended up on Netflix. Now I’ve begun shooting a horror anthology film called “At the Devil’s Table” for my feature directorial debut.
Meanwhile, I’ve continued editing for an array of fun and interesting television, from reality to game shows to documentary, each teaching me something new about this collaborative art form. I owe these grand opportunities to the confidence numerous colleagues have had in me and their good will in employing me. ■
Joel Watson is a three-time Emmy-Award-nominated editor and a filmmaker as well as a husband and father of two. He can be reached at: StaticRoomMedia@gmail.com.
