Art of the Cut, Ep. 133: "No Time to Die" Editors Tom Cross, ACE and Elliot Graham, ACE
Oct 13, 2021
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Tom Cross, editor of No Time to Die, and Elliot Graham, editor of Molly's Game and many other films, discuss their experiences working on the final James Bond film. They talk about their collaborative process with the director, their approach to editing different genres, and their experimentation with music. The assistant editors also discuss their role and the importance of establishing workflows. The podcast also covers topics such as editing in a generic bin, the dailies and delivery process, and the preparations made before shooting the film.
Collaboration and coordination with other departments, such as production and VFX, played a crucial role in the post-production process of No Time to Die.
The editors focused on storytelling, character development, and honoring Daniel Craig's tenure as James Bond while building the world of a Bond movie.
Deep dives
Working with Two Editors and Multiple Assistant Editors
The podcast episode features an interview with two film editors, Tom Cross and Elliot Graham, and their assistant editors, Elise Anderson and Martin Corbett. They discuss their collaboration on the latest James Bond film, No Time to Die. Both editors had specific assistant editors assigned to them, but there was collaboration and sharing of responsibilities between the teams. They discussed how they prepped the scenes, organized the footage, and synced up different sources, such as video tap footage. There was also coordination with other departments, including production, stunts, and VFX. They talked about working with music and sound design, as well as the challenges and responsibilities in the post-production process, such as ADR and final delivery.
Working with a Director and Building the Bond World
The podcast episode covers the editors' collaboration with director Cary Joji Fukunaga and their efforts to build the world of a Bond movie. They discussed their approach to working with Fukunaga, who focused on storytelling and character development. They mentioned the importance of honoring Daniel Craig's arc as James Bond and tying up his tenure on a high note. The editors mentioned watching previous Bond movies as inspiration and incorporating the iconic Bond music into their editing. They also discussed the use of 65mm and 35mm footage and the specific aspect ratios chosen for different scenes. The production design and set locations played a crucial role in creating the Bond fantasy world, and the editors collaborated closely with the production design team.
Working with Sound and Music Editors
The podcast episode highlights the editors' collaboration with the sound and music editors on No Time to Die. They referenced the time-sensitive schedule and the need to work closely with the sound department, engaging in ADR sessions and managing the sound design. They discussed the use of 5.1 audio in the edit suite and the importance of sound in enhancing the film's immersive experience. They mentioned the close proximity and collaboration with the music editor, who had a room on the same floor, allowing for easy communication with the editors and director. They emphasized the intricate process of managing ADR lines and incorporating VFX in the final edit.
Roles and Responsibilities of Assistant Editors
The podcast episode explored the roles and responsibilities of assistant editors in the post-production process of No Time to Die. The assistant editors discussed their involvement in workflow design, preparation of dailies, synchronization of footage, and collaboration with various departments, including production, stunts, and VFX. They highlighted their close collaboration with the editors, preparing scene bins, and organizing footage based on script order. The assistant editors also mentioned their involvement in sound design, music temping, and the management of ADR sessions. They emphasized the importance of maintaining consistency and open communication among all members of the editing team.
Today we’re speaking with Tom Cross, ACE and Elliot Graham, ACE about the latest James Bond film—the final film of the Daniel Craig era—No Time to Die. Elliot was nominated for an ACE Eddie for Molly's Game. He was also nominated for an Oscar and an ACE Eddie for his editing on Milk. In addition to those films, he cut Captain Marvel, Steve Jobs, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Superman Returns, and X2: X-Men United. He also cut the pilot for the TV Series House.
We've previously spoken with Tom about Joy, Hostiles, La La Land and First Man. Tom was, of course, nominated for a BAFTA and ACE Eddie and won the Oscar for Best Achievement in Film Editing for Whiplash. Was nominated for an ACE Eddie for Joy. And was nominated for a BAFTA and an Oscar and won an ACE Eddie for La La Land. He was also nominated for a BAFTA and an ACE Eddie for First Man.
Later in the piece, we’ll also be talking with Elise Anderson and Martin Corbett, who were the assistant editors for Elliot and Tom.
Thanks to Frame.io for their support of Art of the Cut and their pledge to keep this content coming your way. Read this interview and many others at blog.frame.io, where you'll also find expert guides, tutorials, and insights from veteran filmmakers across the film and TV industry.
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