SXSW '12: In The Cut Panel

Not to get too sentimental here but I've been attending SXSW pretty much every year since maybe... high school? Maybe even 8th grade? And I'll admit, over time, being a panelist became a small dream of mine. I just thought it would be so cool to sit in front of a room full of filmmakers who are there to hear you tell stories about your career and what you've learned, given that you've developed the body of work to earn your place behind the microphone. I always thought I would earn my spot when I was younger. The question was in what capacity.

I've served on a SouthBy panel once before. I filled in for my friend, New York based editor Michael Taylor, who had to cancel his appearance at the last minute. I only had one feature credit and was in the middle editing my second, so I always felt I never had any business being on an editing panel with the Frank Reynolds, editor of the Oscar nominated In The Bedroom. Now I have a much more extensive, nuanced editing and directing background. I don't feel so self-concious this time around that I'm not worthy enough to be a speaker at SXSW.

That being said - I'm on a panel with Sandra Adair and Kyle Henry. While I may have amassed my share of feature and shorts editing credits, by no means to I count myself in the same league as what they have accomplished. Don't get me wrong - I'll have a thing or two to say later today. But I'll also be listening as much as the audience will. In fact, I hope listening as much as speaking helps make me a better panelist and a better filmmaker.

Anyway - today, Monday March 12th from 5-6 PM in room 13AB at the Austin Convention Center, you can bring in you feature sample reel and get some pointers on how to improve it so it helps you raise some money... or bring it in to get some praise that you've done a job well done... or just come by to see what other filmmakers are doing to try and sell their films. All in all, it should be a very practical and informative approach to an editing panel.