*Special Guest: Erin Delaney, Editor @ Masterpiece [3/30 - 4/3/09]

[Erin_Delaney]

Hi, there, also to Anglo_Kelly and other would-be video editors-

In my case, yes, the programs do come to me already edited.  And luckily I rarely edit them for time constraints.  So putting programs together with teases, hosts, and opens doesn't take very long.

The bulk of my editing work is for promos, trailers, reels, and behind-the-scenes pieces.

Public television operates with great thrift, so I rarely have the luxury of spending more than a couple of days on a promo.  In the commercial world, it's very different.  Movie studios and commercial tv networks can sometimes pour lots of resources movie trailers and tv promos.

Training in video editing can be done in all kinds of ways -- earning a film or tv degree in college, or on your own, using some of the many desktop editing systems that are now widely available.  There's also on-the-job training -- working one's way up from production assistant, which was what I did.

My best advice for this field is to learn as much as you can about storytelling.  It doesn't matter how many software programs you know, or how many fancy special effects you can conjure.  What really matters in the end is the art of narrative.  Tell a good story, whether it's a 30 second story or a 2 hour story.

Best of luck!

[Erin_Delaney]

Hi, all, and farewell-

It's been interesting to read your posts and your thoughts.  And it's heartening to realize that people love the shows so much.  Please continue to enjoy Little Dorrit.  It only gets better from here.  

After that you'll enjoy The Old Curiosity Shop.  Someone mentioned the villainous Riguad from Little Dorrit.  Curiosity has another amazingly villianous performance: by Toby Jones as Daniel Quilp.  Look for the scene where's he's eating the hard-boiled egg!

Thank you for letting me join you.  I am resolved to read Little Dorrit this summer!

Best

Erin

[Everyman]

I do hope that you will be able to find time to read Little Dorrit.  It's an amazing book, of which Masterpiece is, so far, making a very good and largely faithful presentation. 

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Erin_Delaney wrote:

Hi, Connie-

Thank you for your words of welcome.

What do I do on Masterpiece, good question.  I'm a video editor and a post-production director.  Basically that means I do the fiddly bits!  We co-produce the programs with our British partners, as you probably know. 

Once they're "Masterpieces", however, various things happen.  I edit promos and trailers and "next time" teases to let people know what's on.  Sometimes the programs are too long, so I have to cut bits out (which I do most carefully). We record host introductions and I add those.  I make sure the programs are technically perfect so they'll survive the journeys up and down to various satellites before they arrive at people's homes. 

One thing I try -- but often fail -- to do is read the books on which the films are based.  This winter that became difficult, however: Charles Dickens wrote some amazingly long books!  I'm thrilled that your members are reading Little Dorrit.

Looking forward to our chat!

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