ABSTRACT
It is probably safe to say that no two cutters wi l l cut a film, or even a moderately lengthy sequence, in exactly the same way. So let us consider some of the varieties of workers in the field. First, let us look at one of that number who populate the fat part of the bell-shaped curve, the mechanic. Working as an apprentice, he (or she)* learns a few simple rules, follows the script and/or the director's instructions, and delivers a film to which the cutting has added not one whit of anything ingenious or original. On the contrary, his lackluster efforts may diminish the film's potential impact considerably. It is the mechanic's good fortune that so few directors, producers, and studio executives have the expertise with which to judge his contribution, although I have rarely encountered a member of any of these categories who did not consider himself to be one of the world's great fi lm editors.
