Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/756468
48 CINEMONTAGE / Q4 2016 whom he has now supervised 10 films, including Lonergan's troubled production of Margaret (2010). It was a long slog with Lonergan on and off the project at various points, but it formed the relationship that brought him eagerly to Manchester by the Sea. CineMontage interviewed Lame and Ribicoff separately in July. JENNIFER LAME CineMontage: You had a very good run in your early assisting career of great editors referring you to others, and got your first editor credit through Michael Taylor. Talk about your first time interviewing for an editor position. Jennifer Lame: I had never interviewed for a proper editing job before, only as an assistant. It's embarrassing, I didn't think about how different the two interviews were; one being more based on technical skills and personality, and the other more about having a distinct creative take on the project. But I was cocky, read the script a few weeks prior and figured I would be fine. Well, obviously I wasn't fine and the producer grilled me, asking me all these questions I hadn't really thought about: At what pace would you cut this specific scene? What would you do here? What do you think about the tone? Which scenes would you cut; which wouldn't you? I didn't even bring a copy of the script to the interview, let alone a copy with notes. Suffice to say, I did not get the job. Although it was one of the more embarrassing moments of my career, it ended up being great timing because a week later, I got a call. Michael Taylor said that Tim Streeto was looking for someone to assist him, but to also potentially do some editing on a Noah Baumbach movie, Frances Ha. This time I prepared really hard. I had all these ideas, made a list of music and movie references. I wasn't allowed to see the script. But they told me what it was about, so I tried to do as much research and work as I could, based on that. I got the job as an assistant. By the time Tim had to leave, I knew the movie and footage better than anyone, and Noah had gotten used to me in our afternoon sessions. It was one of those combinations of working really hard and being in the right place at the right time, so it paid off. CM: And it led to another three with Noah; you're cutting Yeh Din Ka Kissa now. JL: Noah and I get along very well. He and Greta Gerwig decided to do Mistress America [2015] right after Frances Ha, in a similar spirit and budget/business model. So I did that one and we hadn't finished yet by the time While We're Young [2014] was going into production. Tim was supposed to do it, but had some work conflicts. Noah was really generous and gave me the chance on the bigger one. CM: How have you and Baumbach come to collaborate? JL: I think Frances was such an editor's movie; a character piece cut in such a specific way. Noah's movies are cut pretty quickly; not necessarily long and sharply cut. It's about making sure that it's true to the characters and that things breathe when they need to. How does the way we are cutting the scene effect the character's emotion? And as we cut, we go back and re-watch constantly to make sure we feel like we are doing justice to every single moment, which is really pleasurable. You don't just put it together in a long form and tweak; you watch it and refine as you go. CM: What is his approach to editing? JL: Noah has always been very experimental with editing. He has a clear aesthetic, but he's very open and curious about trying different things as long as they fit into the context of the movie, and drive the story forward in the best and most effective way. He very much enjoys and is protective of the editing process, as is Kenny [Lonergan]. CM: How did Manchester by the Sea come to you? Jennifer Lame. Manchester by the Sea paints the rhythm and sonic universe particular both to that North Shore location and to its director.