Editor Lee Smith & Assistant John Lee in Interview
Christopher Nolan is undoubtably one of my favourite directors and his editing team – Editor Lee Smith and Assistant Editor John Lee – will no doubt play a huge part in why his films turn so brilliantly. Film is after all a team sport.
To celebrate the release of The Dark Knight Rises, Flickering Myth have a fantastic interview with Lee Smith. Smith has edited 5 of Nolan’s films (The Dark Knight Trilogy as well as Inception and The Prestige) as well as several of Peter Weir’s films (The Truman Show, Master & Commander). He’s also working on Wally Pfister’s (Nolan’s favourite DoP) directorial debut – Transcendance.
We watch the dailies every night,” states Lee Smith. “We’re both great believers in that because it’s not just the notes; it’s a time where we can chat and I can talk about what I’m doing while the dailies are rolling. It’s one of the few times you can actually sit down and have a conversation because of the speed and intensity of shooting a movie.
Frame of Reference also have a great interview with John Lee, Lee Smith’s assistant on how he got into the business and what he’s learned along the way. Well worth a read.
If you want even more interviews with these guys check out these two previous posts:
