INSIDE THE CUTTING ROOM:
WILLIAM GOLDENBERG, ACE & THE INSPIRATION GAME
By Bobbie O’Steen
I
’m excited to be moderating a panel honoring the master editor William Goldenberg - and an added pleasure was discovering that Goldenberg’s mentor and ultimate source of inspiration is the legendary Michael Kahn, my honoree from last year’s Sight, Sound & Story. Goldenberg had other mentors along the way, beginning with his teacher at Temple University who recognized his editing talents. He was also fortunate to be apprentice editor for the iconic Dede Allen whom he called “a force of nature” and to assist such editors as Ron Sanders and David Rawlings. Then Kahn took Goldenberg under his wing for four years - during which time he rose from assistant to co-editor - and Goldenberg fully absorbed Kahn’s artistry and wisdom. For starters, Kahn taught him to trust his instincts, or in his words, “lose your forebrain.” Kahn had also, early on, discovered a book called “Zen Mind, Beginners Mind,” which inspired him to approach every film without bringing along any previous baggage. Goldberg clearly acquired an ability to be focused on the film he was working on at that moment, which enabled him to move dexterously among a range of genres. Case in point: last year, when he worked on two very different kinds of war films, Unbroken
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and The Imitation Game, as well as the 3D effects-laden, Transformers: Age of Extinction, the latter two simultaneously. Another parallel: Goldenberg received two Academy Award nominations in the same year - for Argo and Zero Dark Thirty - a record he shares only with Kahn and Walter Murch. Goldenberg learned from Kahn how to handle himself with powerful people and, as an example, found himself at the outset of his time with Kahn, making changes after preview on Always – with such majors as Steven Spielberg and George Lucas standing behind him. Goldenberg has proved to be adept at negotiating the politics of the workplace and adapting easily to a wide range of cutting room situations, which includes working frequently and comfortably with multiple editors. When he edited two Transformers movies, the atmosphere was a free-for-all, with everyone editing each other’s work; and on the four films he did for Michael Mann, more than one editor was a necessity, given the countless versions and incredibly long hours required with that perfectionistic director. Beyond Mann, Goldenberg has dealt with the full spectrum of directors in terms of personality, style, and working method, among them Jon Turteltaub, Frank Marshall, Gary Ross, and Ben Affleck – all of them using Goldenberg repeatedly, often resulting in long-term friendships. n
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SIGHT, SOUND & STORY
