Three Oscar-winning Editors on Scene Coverage - Stephen Mirrione, Anne V; Coates, William Goldenberg
Three Oscar-winning film editors – Stephen Mirrione, Anne Coates, and William Goldenberg explain scene coverage and why you should always cover a scene. Who else but an editor can give the best expert advice on scene coverage?
After all, career editors are the ones who see ALL the footage, review the coverage mistakes, and solve a film’s unforeseen problems. The editor sees possibilities not yet contemplated by others, offers a fresh take on the material in the interest of the director’s vision.
All editors agree that shooting enough angles gives you the flexibility to affect the rhythm and emotion of a scene, to change it around in the edit. “What’s important for the audience to pay attention to?” Mirrione asks, “What’s the point of view of the scene?” And when we are filming, should we cover the master shot first, or do we begin with close-up shots, then do the master? That would depend on your resources. Anne Coates likes to have a long shot to cover a scene, but always advises shooting a cover shot, whether you use it or not. William Goldenberg refers to cover shots as “escape hatches”; the shots that give you an entry and exit point when we wish to shorten or otherwise cut around some action to alter a scene.