Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/370852
28 CINEMONTAGE / SEP-OCT 14 CineMontage: Anthony, describe the contrast between the studio television world and Roger Corman's, and why you decided to make a home in independent film. Anthony Redman: I belong in independent films. I knew that early on. Working within the studio system was not something suited to my personality; I'm a little too much of a prima donna, I have too much attitude. The Corman movie was Thunder and Lightning [1977] with David Carradine. It was a hillbilly comedy with car chases. I got a lesson from Roger that I'll never forget. He saw the first cut I did with the director, whose motto with the car chases was "less is more." So these were very subtle car chases. When Roger saw this he said, "Umm, Tony? This isn't very exciting." I said, "I understand perfectly, Roger. If I have a wheel in dailies, it's going to be on the screen." We recut the whole show and I did what I thought Roger wanted. When he saw my cut he said, "Umm, Tony? I think you overdid it." I took it to heart. There's no overdoing it with me. It's easier to take film out than put film in. But with Abel, I rarely have to take anything out. The other lesson Roger taught me was when we had a moonshine still blow up. If there's an explosion shot with three cameras, "Tony, we have three explosions." CM: I imagine you have a way of working by now, but when you first met with Ferrara, what did he say he wanted from you? AR: I came on to do a recut of Fear City [1984]. Abel gave me no feedback at all. He said, "You're an editor, go edit," and then we talked about it after. For me, that's fabulous. Neil Benezra: I had worked on a film that Abel executive produced called Happy Life [2011]. I got a call from the director, Michael Bilandic, saying Abel was looking for someone to do sound for 4:44 Last Day on Earth [2011], and could I be in Little Italy in half an hour? Abel was holding court there. We talked about sound, music and films a little bit. When he found out I was from the Bronx and Queens, he pretty quickly said, "Well, you can do this." But then it was really sink or swim. AR: We tortured him. CM: Is there a hazing process? AR: Yeah, there is. Inevitably, there's one scene Abel hates and keeps going back to. NB: In this one, it's when the girls are out on the rooftop. Abel was very specific about capturing that early morning city. He said, "No one has ever done it!" AR: What does New York sound like at five in the morning? Two girls in silhouette against the rising sun. He really wanted early morning New York. Very muted. NB: He definitely had something in his head. In those circumstances with Abel, at first I'm not sure if I capture it, but at some point he stops focusing on it, so I assume I have it. CM: What is the process you two have working with Ferrara? AR: I'm always cutting while we're shooting, but it's not like Abel comes and looks at it. I have had directors do that, but I find it annoying. I won't make changes at that juncture; I have to keep going forward. Abel uses my cut as the good blueprint, and we take it from there. I want to have a good first cut a few weeks after they wrap. I learned this the hard way. When I first started cutting, I would anguish over every cut and it would take me forever. Abel doesn't shoot a lot but he re-sets within a take. He also talks all the way through the takes, so he's a huge sound issue. It's a nightmare. I know how to get rid of that stuff because I fill my own tracks. This is because my first real job was as a dialogue editor for Robert Altman. I learned a lot. We had all this film that had to be synced to eight-track. The coding would be off by 100, and you'd be trying to Welcome to New York. IFC Films