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Finely Sliced: Owen O'Sullivan on His Lifetime Obsession with Stories

26/10/2022
Editors
London, UK
144
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tenthree's editor on getting to know the footage, cutting without music and why anything works with a Radiohead track

Owen is a London based editor represented by boutique editing house tenthree. He has lent his talents to a host of touching spots in the commercial realm, including Macmillan’s 'Whatever You Need', British Gas’ 'The Sound of Silence', and most recently Vodafone’s Blue Lights with Nicolas Jack Davies.


LBB> The first cut is the deepest: how do you like to start an editing project?

Owen> First thing I normally ask the assistant is “How much footage is there”? I’m only slightly kidding! It might sound like an ultimately unimportant question to ask, but I think it’s a good way of gauging how to approach the project. Was it a docu style shoot with longer takes or was it more heavily planned and choreographed? For both, it’s a case of getting to know the footage as well as possible and making sure you’re as organised as you can be. To use a tired and overworked analogy, it’s like building a house. If the foundations are bad at the start, then the house of cards will fall down like a line of dominoes. Checkmate.


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?

Owen> A lifetime obsession with stories. Not just within film and TV, but from just about anywhere I can get it. Books, graphic novels, cereal boxes. Give me stories!! Sometimes you can try to break down why an edit works or doesn’t, but a lot of the time it's an innate feeling, born out of that experience. 


LBB> How important is an understanding of story and the mechanics of story?

Owen> Of course it’s hugely important, but again I think it’s something that you don’t have to sit down and study to understand. Tarantino said “when they ask me if i went to film school I tell them ‘No, I went to films'’”. Like I said above, I think it’s something that you can gradually come to learn, by a sort of osmosis. You might not be able to give a Tedtalk on the specifics of story mechanics, but you’ll instinctively know if something is not right with a film.


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?

Owen> Depending on the scene I normally like to cut without music first. Initially I feel like it can get in the way, or even create a false sense of emotion. Once I’ve got a cut I’m happy with, I’ll then add the music. I’m perpetually amazed by how transformative music can be to a film, it often feels like cheating. Someone said to me very early in my career that “anything works with a Radiohead track”. I try to remember that whenever I lay music to a film.


LBB> Tell us about a recent editing project that involved some interesting creative challenges.

Owen> It’s always fun playing with sound design at the offline stage. A recent spot I worked on with Nick Davies for Vodafone required some creative sound design work around a woman giving birth in the back of a car. Intense stuff I know. It became a balancing act of focusing on the emergency service call but also giving enough weight to the sounds of the actual birth. Obviously, the sound designer takes things to the next level once the offline is done, but its always important to be able to illustrate, to some degree, how things are going to sound when the film is finished.


LBB> How important is your relationship with the director and how do you approach difficult conversations when there is a creative difference of opinion?

Owen> Difficult conversations are part and parcel of the job. I never feel like I have to think too hard about giving my opinion, that's what I'm there to do. If in giving that opinion I happen to disagree with the director then, it's up to me to convince them that I'm right. If I can't then I'm either not doing my job well enough, or (most likely) I'm wrong. You don’t have to be right all the time and often it's about the way you communicate your ideas, rather than being correct, that leads to the best solution. 


LBB> In the US we know that editors are much more heavily involved across the post production process than in Europe - what’s your favourite part of that side of the job?

Owen> Seems like a dig at us European editors, but whatevs i’ll take it on the chin. Sitting in on the grade is great fun. Watching a film that you’ve worked hard on, finally transform into the finished product, with a free oat flat white in hand. What could be better?


LBB> What’s harder to cut around – too much material or not enough? 

Owen> Not enough surely. Having too much material can be a bit intimidating, but once I’ve worked my way through all the footage I usually feel some sense of control. I suppose it depends on the schedule and client expectations, but extremes of either situation are no fun to be in.


LBB> Which commercial projects are you proudest of and why?

Owen> The ones that emotionally affect people. Obviously I know, but it's true. It is not easy to make people feel something in a 30sec space. Doing an ad for a charity usually allows you a bit more freedom to tug on the heart strings and get those creative juices going.

There are some jobs that I’m proud of, because I know what a struggle it was to get that final edit. Or perhaps it is better put by saying, I know my involvement in that process was greater than is most often required. 


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?

Owen> Honestly, I don’t think I have. Maybe I’ve not been around long enough to notice a significant change, being the young whipper snapper I am. Or maybe it's because I’ve worked on such a range of commercials and content projects, that I don’t notice the variety. Camera formats change and there are a few more aspect ratios to worry about, what with your TikToks and your Instagram, but I can’t say I’ve noticed a significant change in the types of project I work on.


LBB> Who are your editing heroes and why? What films or spots epitomise good editing for you?

Owen> Just the usual bunch really. You can't go wrong with Walter Murch can you? Apocalypse Now is an incredible feat of film making and editing, given the time it took and the amount of footage captured. ‘In the Blink of an Eye’ is still the best book I’ve read about editing. A little dated maybe given that it is 30 years old. I can’t remember all six of his Rules for the Cut, but I do know that Emotion is No. 1 and that’s something I always strive for. Thelma Schoonmaker’s work on Raging Bull is incredible too. The cutting and sound in the fight scenes is something I reference a lot in my work.


LBB> How does editing in the commercial world differ from the film world and TV world?

Owen> Wouldn’t know mate. Not done any TV yet. Does it take longer?


LBB> Have you noticed any trends or changes in commercial editing over recent years

Owen> Curved screens in edit suites. I love ‘em. Oh, and a gradual improvement in lumbar support.

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