Finely Sliced: Learning to Trust Yourself with Daniel Mitchell
Daniel is a seasoned editor with nearly two decades of experience spanning across critically acclaimed features, documentaries, and award-winning commercials for major brands. His diverse upbringing, split between the Namib Desert, a village in Somerset, a border town on the South African side of Zimbabwe, and the southernmost city in Africa, has deeply influenced his approach to his craft.
LBB> The first cut is the deepest: how do you like to start an editing project?
Daniel> I love spending time with the rushes, getting to understand the language of the film you’re creating really starts here for me. In a sense its a first step in the proof of the treatment for the film, finding the moments that were planned and new ideas to elevate the film.
LBB> Non-editors often think of editing just in technical terms but it’s integral to the emotion and mood of a film. How did you develop that side of your craft?
Daniel> I believe its about learning to trust yourself, overthinking can override a fairly intuitive “gut driven” process. I’m trying to evoke some kind of emotional response from myself and gauge it on a “how does this make me feel” metric. A lot of this we learn through the experience of various art forms and then combine it all in our work. Its an incredibly human process.
LBB> How important is an understanding of story and the mechanics of story?
Daniel> Story is everything, understanding how to create and hold a narrative is an essential part of this craft. Being able to guide an audience into feeling empathy for a character and to be invested in that character’s journey is a beautiful art. Or just creating an entertaining visual journey by the simple juxtaposition of shots we create meaning and tell stories, its awesome.
LBB> Rhythm and a sense of musicality seem to be intrinsic to good editing (even when it’s a film without actual music) – how do you think about the rhythm side of editing, how do you feel out the beats of a scene or a spot? And do you like to cut to music?
Daniel> Rhythm is in everything we do. From the movement within shots, the movement of a shot, the beats of a performance, linking multiple performances together, an invisible cut to a hard cut, the soundscape, silence and music. Its part of a tapestry we use to seduce an audience into spending time in our art.
LBB> Tell us about a recent editing project that involved some interesting creative challenges.
Daniel> Earlier in the year I finished off work as an additional editor on a large series (hopefully releasing next year) where I cut some expansive vfx sequences. Keeping a fun action/adventure tone whilst having to imagine yet to be animated creatures was a thoroughly enjoyable and challenging experience.
LBB> How important is your relationship with the director and how do you approach difficult conversations when there is a creative difference of opinion?
Daniel> The relationship with a director is massively important, understanding their vision and being able to realise that vision is one of the most enjoyable aspects of editing. It’s important not to be a “yes person” and offer your honest opinion always. I believe ultimately it should be about the strongest idea wining, that which helps the story most should be the decision we take. Having said that the edit is a space for exploration and playing with ideas so I find its often easy enough to try a few ideas and see what works best.
LBB> What’s harder to cut around – too much material or not enough? (And why?)
Daniel> I’d always rather have too much footage and have options than not enough footage, however this does depend on how much time you have in edit.
LBB> Which commercial projects are you proudest of and why?
Daniel> I’m always proud to be part of projects that help give voice to people or ideas that have otherwise been ignored or unseen. Films that reflect a certain consciousness and reflect the kind of social change the world needs are particularly rewarding. It’s been refreshing to see more brands get behind this and be more inclusive over the past few years.
LBB> There are so many different platforms for film content now, and even in advertising something can last anything from a few seconds to a couple of hours. As an editor, are you seeing a change in the kind of projects you’re getting from brands and agencies?
Daniel> My experience is that there is more variety of work now and each platform seems to have a fairly different way of interacting with its audience. Having said that, no matter what we the editors work on, from audience sourced journalistic material to commercial projects, our craft ultimately comes down to being able to tell engaging stories.
LBB> Who are your editing heroes and why? What films or spots epitomise good editing for you?
Daniel> I really love Monika Willi’s work, notably on “Amour” and “The Piano Teacher”. Her work doesn’t feel forced or obtrusive in any way, she has an amazing ability to build tension through performance and camera.
LBB> How does editing in the commercial world differ from the film world and TV world?
Daniel> Commercials are a more concentrated version of film and TV in all respects. The main difference for TV and film to commercials for me is the intent the audience have on watching it, film and TV audiences have chosen to and paid to watch your film so you have a little more space and time to lure them in. With commercials it feel like we have to grab their attention a lot faster, this is skill that can often be overlooked. Having said that there does seem to be a good skillset crossover now with the fight for audience attention spans where commercial editors have the short hand needed to get things moving.
LBB> Have you noticed any trends or changes in commercial editing over recent years
Daniel> There are always trends and techniques that come and go, often in ways we romanticise the past and likewise glorify the future, however the element of our craft that is always central to everything we do is story and that’s where I’ve seen the greatest change over recent years. Whose stories we are telling and to whom we are telling them but most importantly who is telling the stories. The doors of inclusivity are hopefully more open now than they have been.
