How to Avoid The Cutting Room Floor: an editor's advice for on-camera actors

by Jordan Goldman Ace

Overview

What steps can an actor take to avoid being cut out of a movie or TV show?

Emmy-winning editor Jordan Goldman, A.C.E. takes you inside the cutting room and pulls back the curtain on how and why directors, showrunners, and editors decide whether your performance makes it to the screen. He explains the key things actors should do - and shouldn't do - to avoid getting cut out.

Topics include:

• what an editor does
• how editors evaluate your work
• why actors get cut
• what you can control
• what you can't control

Packed with useful, practical tips, real-life anecdotes and examples, and illustrated with black-and-white photos.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780692789162
Publisher:	Jordan Goldman
Publication date:	07/22/2015
Edition description:	1.3 ed.
Pages:	146
Sales rank:	751,092
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.31(d)

About the Author

From HOMELAND to COBRA KAI to THE SHIELD, Jordan Goldman, A.C.E. has worked for over 20 years in Hollywood's TV and film industry, cutting over 100 episodes of television. His keen eye for performance and strong sense of story have earned him an Emmy for Outstanding Editing for a Drama Series, and an American Cinema Editors Eddie.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 - It's all about the setups

Chapter 2 - What does an editor do?

Chapter 3 - The process in television

Chapter 4 - What do directors, producers, writers, showrunners, executives, and editors really think of actors?

Chapter 5 - What you can control: Your performance

Chapter 6 - What you can control: Your technical skills

Chapter 7 - What you can control: Your attitude on set

Chapter 8 - What you can't control: Being cut out because of story or time

Chapter 9 - How to be a good background actor

Chapter 10 - How to behave after your big day

Chapter 11 - That's a wrap!

Thanks and Acknowledgments

Editorial Reviews

"In this informative and entertaining book, Goldman, an Emmy-winning television editor, provides an inside look at his trade. As the editor of shows including The Shield and Homeland, Goldman is responsible for taking the footage shot by directors and piecing it together into three successive versions: the director's, the producers', and finally the network's. Having studied countless hours of how actors-both stars and background players-succeed or fail in front of the camera, Goldman offers step-by-step instructions for actors on maximizing their time on screen in the final cut. Using photos and a script written to demonstrate the process, Goldman clearly explains what directors and editors need from actors in terms of timing, reactions, and technical skills. Examples of good and bad acting from films and TV shows are sprinkled throughout the text, though more would have been welcome. The book is written as an instruction guide for actors on how not to frustrate directors and editors, but Goldman also offers general readers a close look at how a television show is made, with insight into the joys and frustrations of working in a creative industry." (BookLife)

"Whether you are just starting to break into the film and television industry, or you're already working and want to refine your on-camera technique, "How to Avoid the Cutting Room Floor" is a must read! I wish I'd had a book early in my career that gave me a fraction of the insights and advice that Jordan provides here. Grab this invaluable book by one of the television industry's most talented and respected editors." (Michael Chiklis, Emmy-winning actor)

"Jordan's book "How To Avoid the Cutting Room Floor" is a must-read for any actor who wants to work in television and film. It is filled with invaluable advice that, to my knowledge, has never been written about before. I have all of the actors I teach read it, and have suggested it to many actor friends." (Judy Henderson, Judy Henderson casting)

"In the cutting room we see the same mistakes over and over. Jordan's book is full of useful tips to help you make the cut." (Alex Gansa, Homeland showrunner)

From the Publisher