[Watch the video interview on YouTube here]
Film Courage: What bothers you about certain editing styles?
Lucas Harger, Film and Commercial Editor, Supervising editor, and Partner at Bruton Stroube Outpost: I think when the style of an edit…and I like stylized editing. There’s moments where I get very stylistic but I think when the style gets in the way of the narrative, when the style becomes front and center to what the film is about or to the story, that’s when I start to bump up against styles. That can be anything from tropes, editorial tropes or two boisterous or inappropriately boisterous moments in an edit. I like boisterous editing. I’ll definitely get into that but it needs to be in service of tone, pace, narrative. It needs to be in service of the film, not the other way around. When those things start to detract from the overall goal and motivation of a film that’s where I start to have a problem with it.
Film Courage: How can an editor tell that they’re beholden to their workflow?
Lucas: You need to set up a strong workflow to cut anything but definitely long form you have to have a strong solid workflow. When you start work from an editorial perspective, when you start working very hard to maintain a workflow or maintain a structure of work and you’re almost working for the workflow, that’s when it starts to detract. For me, as I’m cutting there’s always an ebb and a flow to the structure in my workflow. Once I’m starting too hard to maintain a certain workflow, I’ll just bail and look for something else.
A good example is note cards. I’ll put scenes down on note cards and put them up on my big board and then I’ll be able to start to restructure them. At some point I’m just editing for a day or two and then I’ll be like Oh my note cards are all mixed up, let me fix them. I’m like why I’ve abandoned the note card system. Now I’m in the timeline. I am free to move on from that workflow. I don’t need it anymore. I don’t feel like I need it to move me forward and so I’m going to put that one aside. I’m going to continue on this way and so for me those structures and workflows need to ebb and flow with the process that you’re in.
If I’m cutting a scene…(Watch the video interview on YouTube here).
About:
Lucas Harger is an acclaimed film and commercial editor, supervising editor, and partner at Bruton Stroube Outpost. Interspersed between long-form editing, Lucas cuts broadcast and web commercials for nationally recognized clients such as but not limited to: Nike, Enterprise, Anheuser-Busch, Uber, Amazon, Apple & Disney+. Priding himself on being a key collaborator across diverse project categories, Lucas brings passion and creativity to every venture. Building timelines and teams are his passion.
CONNECT WITH LUCAS J. HARGER
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