(By Winston Scott)
Every artist benefits from being under the umbrella of an organization or community which helps them be exposed to and evolve in their creative journey. An oboist joins an orchestra and works through the master composers and conductors. A writer may submit to the New York Times and then pen The Great American Novel. An editor of film, documentaries, and other production formats is equally an artist and will cultivate a style and gather greater skill throughout their professional career. During her time at Haven Entertainment (Los Angeles, CA) editor Kathryn Robson worked on eclectic array of films, documentaries, and videos that ranged from weeks to years in their production schedule. Having gained a respected reputation as an editor in her home of Canada, Robson was happy to apply herself in the heart of the world’s largest film production community. There is no question as to why Robson would be sought out by Hollywood. Director, producer, writer, and actor Bryce Wagoner worked with Kathryn at Haven Entertainment and proclaims, “Kathryn Robson is professionalism defined. She is a self-motivator and shows blazing initiative when taking on not only creative tasks as an editor, but also when the situation dictates that judgement calls need to be made in short order. There were often many days and nights when Kathryn would only go home to shower because she would sleep by the editing station for fear of missing something that could go wrong. In my 14 years working in the entertainment business, I have never seen this level of commitment.”
The Feature Film Shangri-La Suite saw Kathryn enlisted as an editor late in the production process. While a number of different editors had made cuts to the film, Robson was brought aboard to refine the film and make it tighter without losing any key story beats of moments. The action of the film takes place in 1974 when two young, damaged lovers head to Los Angeles to kill the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. The film stars Emily Browning (American Gods, Sleeping Beauty, A Series of Unfortunate Events), Burt Reynolds (Deliverance, Boogie Nights, Smokey and the Bandit), Ron Livingston (Office Space, Swingers, Sex and the City), Luke Grimes (American Sniper, The Magnificent Seven, Fifty Shades of Grey, True Blood), and Trevante Rhodes (Moonlight). Kathryn worked closely with director Eddie O’Keefe to retain the edge of the film while tightening up the storyline; a precarious situation for any editor and director. Robson notes that it’s important to be sensitive to the vision of any artist when working with them while at the same time being honest. No director wants to see their “darlings” get the axe and it’s important for an editor to make the best suggestions and to do so sometimes with surgical skill. Sometimes the work can seem never ending and urgent as when Kathryn noticed that a file for the film required fixing and exporting on the night of its LA premier. A calm disposition is always a beneficial attribute in the film industry.
Sometimes the goal of a production is not to appeal to the masses as in a feature film but rather a very specific group of individuals. In these productions an editor can be one of the most vital professionals when it comes to creating the tone that will reach said individuals. Editing the Village Care International Documentary Digital Fundraising Videos, Robson created both a personal and informational approach that spoke to the board members and existing donors concerning the benefits of their work and donations while also encouraging more donations moving forward. Focusing on the work being done in East Africa by Village Care, Kathryn had only a couple of days to assemble this realistic and emotional presentation of how very real people in need were being affected. While not the largest budget or the most glamorous, she regards it as an example of the most important work she does.
It’s often said that an editor is a director’s best friend and most trusted confidant. This statement was never more true than in the case of Robson’s work with director Bryce Wagoner on his documentary film “Parrot Heads.” The production spanned a period of three and a half years and was originally designed as a concert documentary which followed musician Jimmy Buffett on tour that looked peripherally at his rabid fan base (known as Parrot Heads). When this course didn’t work out, director and editor commenced rewriting the film based on the available footage. While the film does include original interviews with Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefers, the artist’s impassioned fans presented a compelling story that demanded exposure. The inverse fan relationship/awareness of Kathryn and Bryce resulted in a very positive outcome for the documentary. The editor concedes, “I had almost zero knowledge of the subject before working on this project. I’d loosely heard of Jimmy Buffett but had never heard of Parrot Heads or Trop Rock music. Bryce, on the other hand, is a life-long fan/Parrot Head himself and has encyclopedic knowledge of the subject. This ended up being really valuable in our partnership because he could represent the interests of the built-in audience and I could focus on how to build something that would be engaging even if you weren’t a Buffett fan. I really tried to tease out the human elements and story points, the things that anyone could relate to as well as the eccentric characters who exist in this world.”
Robson’s work ethic and professionalism on “Parrot Heads” bordered on unimaginable. As the only postproduction team member for most of the project (in charge of imports, transcodes, logging, syncing, etc., in addition to her other editing duties) she found herself often going for days without sleep, subsisting on convenience store meals, and returning home only to shower. Commitment was in no way lacking in her work ethic. In retrospect, she confirms that it is the sense of bonding that she recalls rather than the absence of day to day comforts. Buffett’s team was so positive about the finished result that they made sure to include a new interview prior to its finalization. (“Parrott Heads” is currently available on Netflix).
Sometimes a documentary presents a tone very different from the one the creators and viewers expect. “Rip Rip Hooray!” is a documentary biopic which tells the hilarious, tear jerking, and incredible life story of legendary comedian Rip Taylor. Featuring original interviews with Rip Taylor (Wayne’s World 2, Jackass the Movie), Debbie Reynolds (Singing in the Rain, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Bright Lights), and Johnny Knoxville (Jackass, Bad Grandpa), this truly original comedy personality is presented as the complex and multifaceted person he truly is. Robson’s work was focused on sourcing and cutting in archival footage and images that could provide a visual dimension to the stories Rip told during the interviews. She describes this as “found footage/collage” that can actually be highly creative for an editor. Taylor is always entertaining and a master storyteller (proven by his numerous talk show appearances which spans decades), but he was particularly forthcoming for “Rip Rip Hooray!” about his personal life. In a very honest and open manner, Taylor discusses the sexual assault he experienced as a child. It’s an incredibly moving moment in the documentary to witness this man in his eighties disclosing this incredibly traumatic event and reliving it as he discusses it. Robson confirms that the power of the moment was palpable in the editing bay as it places perspective on the change society has witnessed in their embrace of these types of victims. Some footage is easier to edit than others but it is all important.