Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/681807
36 CINEMONTAGE / Q2 2016 when the updated Roots — co-executive produced by Mark Wolper, son of the late David L. Wolper (see sidebar, page 40) — premieres simultaneously on the History, A&E and Lifetime cable channels on May 30, running four consecutive nights. When viewers tune in to the 2016 version of Roots, they will see the same characters and the same story, which is the saga of Kunta Kinte's African-American family from the mid 1700s to the Civil War. However, with quicker cutting, contemporary music and young, up-and-coming actors, the new Roots is told in an entirely updated style. "It's sort of like a retelling of the original, only with 2016 sensibilities; it's far less apologetic and more honest," says James Wilcox, editor of the second night's episode. "The original Roots was done with the sensibilities of where the country was racially in 1977, what television would allow, and the sophistication of the audience in terms of what it could understand about filmmaking." Nearly 40 years later, the updated version doesn't hold anything back about the horrors of slavery, nor the racism the characters endured. The 2016 Roots was made for a new generation, one that has grown up with civil rights and cultural diversity, but has also witnessed racial profiling, police brutality and uneven economic policies. The new version is comprised of four separate films, each featuring a different director and editing team. As is the convention, each director chose his editor and, in turn, each editor chose his assistant. Production manager Karen Mayeda oversaw editorial and post-production. Originally scheduled to air in early 2017 to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the broadcast of the original Roots, the airdate was moved up when executives liked what they saw. Post-production went into accelerated mode to meet the new deadlines. Each of the four episodes is stylistically different, and this was important for the retelling of Roots, according to Wolper. "When you do a series, you usually have a style that any director or editor that comes in has to follow," he explains. Greg Babor, editor, Night One. Marty Nicholson, lead editor, Night One. A scene from Roots. HISTORY