The Art of Editing

Editing looks like a science. The editor sits before the keyboard and works out what seems to be an algebraic solution so that the picture on screen will either cut, dissolve, spin, morph, or make a Denver omelet. But when you watch Stonefilms editor Stig Daniels at work----or, better yet, watch his results on-screen----you realize that editing is an art form. In the best hands, like Daniels', editing is not algebra; it is ballet.

Some of the true masters of the art of editing will gather in Miami on January 13 for the annual Editors Retreat, and we're delighted to see that Stig has been asked to lead one of the seminars at this prestigious gathering. The keynote speaker will be Christopher Nelson, editor for two standout programs, Lost and Mad Men. During the retreat, editors will discuss a variety of topics, from motion graphics to sound mixing to color correction. Stig's peer presentation, on the challenges of independent film editing, will focus on one of his ongoing projects, Dead of Night, a horror film by Houston indie director Joe Grisaffi.

It is a tribute to Stig's talent---and work ethic---that Dead of Night is just one of the many projects he is currently taking on. He has been Stonefilms' chief editor since May 1995, but he's also one of the most sought-after technical directors in sports broadcasting. Over the years Stig has worked as a TD for Astros, Rockets, Comets, Aeros, and Dynamo broadcasts, and this summer he'll be heading to South Africa as a TD and assistant director for Univision's World Cup soccer telecasts. "I enjoy having a dual career," Stig insists, "because one supports the other; it keeps me fresh."

But it is editing that he truly loves, and his artistry has been evident on a long list of Stonefilms projects. "Editing is always changing," he says. "When I first came here, I was 'just' an editor. Now I'm mixing sound, I'm an art director, I'm working with effects; I have so much creative control."

That creativity is a delight to watch in progress. Stig will plug in his Ipod, treating us to some of the most obscure music known to man, and then he will sit at the keyboard and go to work. He has the hands of a scientist, but the heart of an artist.
--Ronnie