Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/309120
30 CINEMONTAGE / MAY-JUN 14 A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014) Ted (2012) * Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009) No Heroics (TV movie) (2009) Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008) Hamlet 2 (2008) Nancy Drew (2007) Just Friends (2005) Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical (2005) * The L Word (TV series; pilot and various episodes) (2004-2009) Tangled Up in Blue (TV movie) (2004) The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire (TV series; pilot and various episodes) (2003) Frankie and Johnny Are Married (2003) (co-edited with Michael Rafferty) Cruel Intentions (1999) The Only Thrill (1997) The Craft (1996) Mad Love (1995) A Family Torn Apart (TV movie) (1993) The Ernest Green Story (TV movie) (1993) The Waterdance (1992) Repossessed (1990) The Revenge of Al Capone (TV movie) (1989) Split Decisions (1988) (co-edited with Thomas Stanford and John W. Wheeler, A.C.E.) Favorite Son (TV mini-series) (1988) Bad Dreams (1988) Bulletproof (1988) The Dirt Bike Kid (1985) Out of Control (1985) (associate editor) Silkwood (1983) (assistant editor) Terms of Endearment (1983) (assistant editor) Jimmy the Kid (1982) (assistant editor) Class Reunion (1982) (assistant editor) The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981) (assistant editor) Love at First Bite (1979) (assistant editor) * ACE Eddie Award nomination Jeff Freeman, A.C.E. SELECTED EDITING CREDITS His audio sensibility is so sharp. And then, of course, his ability to write music and compose and understand that whole aspect of it is another incredible talent. For Seth, the space between the jokes is so crucial. A frame and a half might not be good enough; it's that kind of exactitude that he brings to his work. Now, he's taken on yet something else, which is being a lead actor in a movie. In the editing, he sort of mentally disengaged a little bit from the character, and speaks of him in the third person sometimes: "This is Albert. Not me. And Albert's emotionally going to this place, or he needs to go here." He was very smart and insightful about his own character. The thing that pleased me so much about the movie is his chemistry with the other characters, especially Charlize. CM: Can you talk about the shifting tones in the film? JF: Because it is a love story — and also a very broad comedy — you're constantly straddling the balance of how much comedy, and then when to play the emotional stuff, and how it all blends together. If audiences believe these characters are sort of making that change with you, then they're onboard, but if suddenly you do a U-turn, and it's 180 degrees from where they were, they're going to be, "What? Huh? I thought this was a comedy." You have to set it up. You have to buy into the characters. The hardest part of the movie for me was making sure that Albert and Anna had very honest moments. CM: Was there a scene that was particularly challenging in that way? JF: There's a scene between Charlize and Seth that's very highly emotionally charged, and at the same time very funny. It comes towards the end of the film, when Albert's character finds out the truth about Anna. Again, it was that dance of the audience believing in them and their anger in that moment, and then going into the comedic part of the scene. And it just played so Jeff Freeman flanked by Brian Addie, assistant editor, left, and Kevin Jolly, visual effects editor. CineMontage_May-Jun_14-3a.indd 30 4/15/14 3:23 PM