Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/432224
www.postmagazine.com 26 POST DECEMBER 2014 OUTLOOK DIRECTOR O OUTLOOK O OUTLOOK DOUG LIMAN The Bourne Identity, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Edge of Tomorrow Liman fi rst made his name directing the low-budget 1996 comedy Swingers, before proceeding to redefi ne the action spy thriller with the hugely successful The Bourne Identity, followed by another global smash, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and the sci-fi thriller Jumper. STRENGTHS: "For me, editors are the most under-appreciated members of the fi lm team. Let's face it — they're basically co-directors. The fi lm comes together in the editing room. That's where the story is told, and my favorite experiences in post are the ones where the editor takes two pieces of the fi lm that weren't even meant to go together, and creates this magical moment to help tell the story that wasn't even scripted. That's what [editor] James Herbert did often on Edge of Tomorrow, and it's always a thrilling moment for me. There are always so many technical considerations in production, but in post it's all about character and storytelling. That's it." WEAKNESSES: "I feel that as technology makes things more accessible, you can end up with people who think that they know how to do the job, just because they know how to operate the piece of equipment. And I was very fortunate that my fi rst editor, Steve Mirrione, who was just early 20s when I hired him on Swingers, had the wisdom to point out to me that, just because I knew how the Avid worked, didn't mean I knew how to edit. And his words have stuck with me ever since, and even though I do like to play on the Avid and cut scenes, no one ever sees those scenes — ever. They're just for me to try and understand my footage, and then I have to use words to communicate those ideas with my editor, and then let the editor — who does know how to edit — cut the scenes." OPPORTUNITIES: "Although I've made some very big budget studio fi lms, I personally also like working at the micro-budget level too, and now all the technology has made production and post so much easier. I have so many friends making indie fi lms, and they look and sound great. When I did Swingers, you needed a 35mm camera and stock and so on. That's all changed." THREATS: "I think that at the same time, the real skill sets of discipline, character and storytelling are maybe suff ering. It used to be so hard to get a movie into production, and so people really honed their scripts while trying to raise a budget. And I feel that the DI has now made color timing too easy for the studio to interfere with. Back when it was all on fi lm and you needed to know what color magenta was, for instance, and you had to wait a day to see the results, there was no studio exec- utive who had the patience to meddle in the look of a fi lm. So I worry about all the new technology in post encouraging lay people to try and do jobs that are better left to the trained experts." OUTLOOK FOR 2015: "As a lover of movies, I'm very disappointed that all the mid-range budget adult dramas seem to be disappearing. There are still studios that take chances on fi lmmakers, including Warner Bros., but fewer and fewer. I had this project, Everest, with a really hot actor, that I was supposed to shoot this past year, and we still couldn't put it together. It's a period drama, and that scares studios now." Editors are the most under- appreciated members of the fi lm team. Let's face it — they're basically co-directors. THE FILM COMES TOGETHER IN THE EDITING ROOM."