San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-12-27
FILM CUTTERS
ARE HAILED
As ARTISTS
Delicate Work Of Editing
Picture Reels Little
Known to Public.
By EILEEN CREELMAN


NEW YORK, Dec. 26.-The face
on the cutting-room floor? Well, this
time there wasn't going to be any
The star had told us proudly, the
scenario writer had boosted a little,
and even the director had assured US
that this time they had really kept
within their allotted footage, he had
been positively stingy with the foot
age. That was two weeks ago.
The other day we dropped in st
the same studio. How was the pic
ture getting along? we asked. We'll,
The supervising editor answered, not
so bad. There are only 5000 feet 10
be cut out, and already he's got rid
OF 1000.
DELICATE WORK.
Now comes perhaps the hardest and
most delicate work connected with a
motion picture. The cutter and the
supervising editor for the next few
weeks will look at that picture, look
ct il again and again until the sight
Of the stars face becomes unbearable
snd the comedians gags are as irritat-
ing as a toothache. Somehow or other
they've got TO squeeze that film from
1900 feet into 6000, or at the most.
1000. And no one must be able TO
notice the difference.
1t can be done, however. 1t has to
he done with every picture. The rough
cutting is easy. Anyone can pick out
unnecessary scenes. But there's lot
more to cutting than that. Often =
l.. ahanoad OF
il reaches the laboratory. although the
case has been dismissed. the star is
on her way to Europe, and the director
has started another picture.
TRAGEDY TO FARCE.
One picture was so terrible that
its owners called in the most expensive
cutters and filters in the country.
For $1,000 they sat in the projection
room and changed it from a tragedy
10 a farce, one Of the most successful
farces Of the year.
OF course, most cutters aren't quite
as sensational as that. But they must
continually build up the suspense by
the proper placing of little scenes.
They're amazingly skillful, these
men who mould with film as a sculp-
tor works with clay. All morning
they sit with the supervising editor
in q projection room, figuring how
TO eliminate from two TO fifty
thousand feet of splendid action.
Perhaps that turn of the head could
come out-there's couple Of feet
gone. A stenographer makes a note.
Then that extra two steps Of the
heroine as she crosses the room, they
wouldn't be missed. And most Of the
cloeeups can be shortened.
CUTTING THE FILM.
Back into the cutting room goes
he film. The stenographer's notes
,csiae him, the cutter begins 10 I'M
Wind the pring on a little hand ma
chine. Somewhere in those long coils
Of film he must find that turn of
he head, those wasted two steps, so
1eft are these men that they can
whizz off several hundred feet with
out glancing at it and stop at the
wanted spot.
With their hands they tear off two
feet, one foot, three inches. It's deli
cate work and monotonous, but the
cutters mind most of all the pro-
hibition against smoking.
The cutter may never become ia
nous, but a substantial salary al
most makes up for that. And there's
always thrill in eliminating two
thousand feet so deity that even the
director can't pick the missing scenes.