Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1512183
M OT I O N P I CTU R E S O U N D E D I TO R S 109 PL: Do you find there's a community amongst music editors in the UK? GS: I'm not sure I've ever really joined the UK community of music editors. Most of my work is based in other countries, usually the US or recently, also Australia with Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog and Garth Davis's Foe. Plus, partly because I also do a fair bit of mixing of scores for other people too and do a lot of remote work, I'm rather outside the Soho post loop. I mostly mix and edit at home here in Oxford. Although I would like to be more involved with the scene here to be honest! PL: How do you see the future of music editing and do you have any thoughts/advice for those just starting their careers? GS: As far as the future of music editing, I guess the technology will always lead what you can do, so as that moves forward, so does the creativity. Although this is always a double-edged sword—producers/ filmmakers know how much is possible with the computers and Pro Tools, hence the barrage of changes that are often thrown at you right up to the last minute. Thank God for Matchbox. Also, the advent of easily available material to temp with. Plus, the ability to productively work remotely, which has certainly helped me out a lot. But who knows where the future lies—it's easy to think that there are no more doors to open, then something new comes along which shakes everything up and shows a whole new landscape. Anything to speed up the workflow or make it more economical will always be useful of course. Plus, broadband speeds getting quicker and quicker making remote collaboration more and more practical. For people starting out—the main thing I'd say is stick with it. It's not an easy career path and everyone has knock backs. I certainly still get plenty. If you can happily be a lawyer instead, go and do that. If not, then make tea in studios and post facilities. Try to meet people! Don't worry if you're not technologically- savvy yet—you can learn that. The important thing is to nurture your creativity and love of music and film. Enjoy and explore the magic that can happen when the two blend to make something so much more than their individual parts. There are a million good Pro Tools operators but not nearly so many great musical music editors. That's your skill and selling point, not your speed around a computer. Plus, don't fall for all the bullshit surrounding all this. It's about serving the film and heightening the emotion, that's all that matters, not the clever method you used to get to that point. With music mixing, I remember thinking you should keep going until you cry—whether through frustration or through not getting it right or through the emotion you are helping to let the music evoke. Either way, that's the time to stop.