I'll be on a SXSW panel this year with Sandra Adair and Kyle Henry

SXSW picks its panels in an interesting way: It offers its audience a chance to submit ideas for panels online, full description and moderator options and all. Then the public vote on which panels they'd like to see at the festival.

This year, Kyle Henry - director of the anthology feature FOURPLAY, of which I edited three of the four segments - pitched an editing themed panel that aims to be of practical use to those who attend and participate. Many festivals have panels about editing that are very general and leave the forum open to talk about the entire process from any angle you want. These "general editing" panels are full of insightful wisdom and solid advice, but many times you can find yourself discussing editing too intellectually and amorphously or get bogged down in techno-babble. It's difficult to discuss and explore a craft that is as driven as much by your emotions as it is by your ability to push buttons without material in front of you for reference. I've been on a panel like that in the past where there were times I wish I could hand the microphone to Morpheus from The Matrix: "No one can be told what [editing] is. You have to see if for yourself."

The name of the panel that Kyle pitched this year is "In The Cut: Editing a Killer Feature Sample." By looking at actual samples on DVD in the room, we hope attendees will learn "what makes a sample hook viewers/funders and provide a clear, riveting example of your eventually completed work." By having samples we can actually refer to in the room, we'll be able to get very detailed and underline our discussion with something attendees will be able to see with their own eyes rather than trying to imagine what we're talking about. We'll still be able to touch on all the broader, big picture questions people have about the craft of editing, but at least we'll start with something concrete in our hands rather than asking, "Have you seen this movie I'm about to reference which I don't have a clip from?"

As much as I look forward to the content we'll be viewing and discussing, I'm also looking forward to being on a panel with two accomplished artists and masters of the craft. I have as much to learn from Kyle and Sandra as everyone else in the room will. Maybe I'll just keep my mouth shut and take notes from the best seat in the house.

"In The Cut: Editing a Killer Feature Sample"

Monday March 12th

5-6PM

Austin Convention Center - Room 13AB