Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/832212
29 Q2 2017 / CINEMONTAGE bad directing — and even our own mistakes in post. Editors who are successful are able to speak to writer- producers in their language and collaborate in shaping the comedy and story." Akhtar advises that an editor can earn trust by showing respect for all the creative work that has come prior to the first day of shooting when he or she begins on a show. "I think we put ourselves in a better position if we understand the deeper story," he says. "How did the show get to this point? What is the story of the writers and producers who have worked so long and hard to make this show happen?" The Emmy winner developed an effective strategy for improving an environment that fosters collaboration. When the director and writer are in the room during the editorial process, Akhtar suggests, "Everyone is like a pro racecar driver, and all of us want to drive the car. Nobody likes to sit in the back seat." The layout of most cutting rooms are ineffective, he feels, because the editor typically sits facing the console, while the producer or director sit behind. "It's dehumanizing for them to be watching your back all day as you work," he says. "So I re-arranged my cutting room." He moved the Avid desk to be perpendicular to the couch so he could face the producers where they sit, all while keeping the monitor they watch facing forward. This way he can watch them as they watch the monitor. This new layout has so many advantages, Akhtar claims. "You can see the directors' and producers' faces as they watch the cut. If they like or don't like something, you can see it on their faces, how they react. You're no longer listening to their notes from behind, over your shoulder, but you are now having a collaborative conversation, face to face. It creates a spirit of partnership. You watch the cut together instead of driving the Avid like a chauffeur." Akhtar began his career editing reality television, where the improvised workflow "taught me how to manage egos," he says. He then went on to cutting scripted episodic television. "Scripted and unscripted may be different skill sets, but they are overlapping," he adds. "The editor is still rearranging story points on the timeline. "Editors should constantly be reinventing their careers," continues Akhtar. "Let's not be like that old industry joke: 'How many editors does it take to change a lightbulb? None. It's fine the way it is.' The challenge is to keep trying to make a cut better, keep trying to make a scene better, keep trying to make a show better." The editor also recommends a vertically adjustable edit desk. "Standing while editing is key, dancing while cutting music is key; editing is musical," he says. Akhtar has certainly been dancing on air since he won his Emmy. "But don't expect to see me in a Bollywood musical anytime soon." Crazy Ex-Girlfriend returns for its third season later this year. f Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. The CW Network.