Current News
Latest news: I'm honored that an excerpt from my memoir, "Everything Has Meaning: Confessions of a Film Editor" appears in this new issue of ACE's quarterly magazine. It begins on the fourth page. You can read it here -->
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My memoir: I wrote the manuscript for "Everything Has Meaning" as an MFA thesis project, then workshopped it at the Yucatan Writers Conference in Cozumel, Mexico. Talk about stepping outside my comfort zone! I’ve been fortunate to have powerful feedback and encouragement from both literary writers and industry professionals, beginning with movie director and USC colleague Robert Townsend. Robert’s electric reaction to the first few chapters turbocharged my momentum, and we’re now developing a film he somehow envisioned from those forty-odd pages...Read More
Production News: Fire on the Hill, a great documentary about the Compton cowboys from director Brett Fallentine, is now available on Amazon Prime. There's a link below to a great NPR review on Larry Mantle's Filmweek on AirTalk (as well as a link to a 15-second trailer). With all the important changes that are happening in our nation, stories like this are important beacons that bring even more attention towards the BLM efforts. Please help spread the word of Fire on the Hill and encourage as many of those in your circles to watch and share this story.
Fire on the Hill Film Week Review
Picture a Scientist, about gender bias and sexual harassment against women scientist from award-winning directors Sharon Shattuck and Ian Cheney, had its virtual premiere this past summer. Find the info at www.pictureascientist.com. And Do No Harm, a hard look at our dysfunctional healthcare system from Emmy winner Robyn Symon, has put together 170 screenings at theaters, medical schools, hospitals and conferences and will air on PBS stations across the US this September. It’s available on demand at www.DoNoHarmFilm.com. I consulted on both films.
USC School of Cinematic Arts: I'm proud to have completed five years teaching at this top-ranked school. Two of my students' films were honored this school year: The Dope Years, a documentary about the death of Latasha Harlins, won a Student Academy Award; and Driven, an inspiring portrait of a paraplegic race car driver, won a BAFTA Award, the British equivalent of an Oscar. Production will remain online for the coming semester. I will miss the in-person camaraderie, but remote work isn’t unusual for editors, and the students are building skills that are going to be of use for a long while.
Online teaching: I'm creating an ongoing online course with Peter Hawley, filmmaker, educator and director of the Illinois Film Commission, called Telling Stories from the Inside Out. We'll explore the creation of character and subtext in both fiction and documentary films.