
The No Film School Podcast Editing an American Epic: Inside 'Train Dreams' with Dir Clint Bentley & Editor Parker Laramie
In this episode of the No Film School Podcast, GG Hawkins dives into the sweeping process behind Train Dreams, a period drama adapted from the Dennis Johnson novella. GG is joined by director Clint Bentley and editor Parker Laramie, who discuss the challenges and joys of crafting a film that spans decades while staying intimate and emotionally resonant. The episode also opens with a candid conversation with filmmaker Boris Rodriguez about community and collaboration in independent filmmaking, leading up to the release of GG’s own directorial debut I Really Love My Husband.
In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins and guests discuss...
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The emotional and technical journey of adapting Train Dreams from a novella into a feature film
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How Clint and Parker’s creative partnership evolved from Jockey to this ambitious period piece
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The process of editing a film that spans decades without losing narrative momentum
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How Parker’s background in documentary shaped his approach to editing fiction
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The value of grabbing unplanned shots on set and how they can end up saving key scenes
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The philosophical and technical challenges of handling notes from producers and stakeholders
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The role of music and rhythm in both writing and editing the film
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Clint’s directorial flexibility and willingness to discover the movie during post
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Parker’s favorite hotkey and the logistics of editing across Premiere and Avid
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Reflections on releasing the film and the audience’s evolving interpretation of its themes
Memorable Quotes:
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“You have to listen to the film. The way the film speaks to you is through other people and other people giving you notes.”
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“Just try the fucking note.”
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“We had no slates on Jockey… and we tried to do that again.”
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“You don’t always have a good understanding of how something’s going.”
Guests:
Resources:
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GG's Directorial feature debut, I Really Love My Husband, is now available to stream on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, and Google Play.
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📩 Send us an email with questions or feedback: podcast@nofilmschool.com
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