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"

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.

Jerry Bruckheimer, a producer Goldenberg worked with on numerous films, once called him the “story guy;” and now Goldenberg says that he’s apparently considered the “tension guy,” after doing films that involved such scenarios as escaping from Tehran ("Argo") and hunting down Bin Laden ("Zero Dark Thirty"). Goldenberg has edited an inordinate number of films based on true stories, the two just mentioned being prime examples. Some of them had to be approached delicately - whether it was because of actual events unfolding as they were filming, as in "Zero Dark Thirty," or to clarify a life that was unfairly perceived and forgotten, as was true of "The Imitation Game." All these films affect the legacy of the people portrayed – impacting those still alive and their survivors – and Goldenberg has always felt a profound responsibility to do justice to them. Part of that involved the ways in which he helped shape the actors’ performances.

Another lesson Goldenberg learned from Kahn, who specifically talked about this when he was editing "Lincoln," is resisting the temptation to cut, especially when the acting is brilliant and the moment is working. This was particularly true when Goldenberg was editing Benedict Cumberbatch’s remarkable portrayal of Alan Turing in "The Imitation Game." Goldenberg realized how many stories could be told by watching the actor’s eyes, what was going on inside of him; and how important it was, he said, to “get out of the way instead of just cutting.”

Goldenberg and Kahn both talked about how frightening it was to dive in and edit at the beginning of their careers. Goldenberg specifically spoke about how “terrified” he was cutting his first scene for Mann, a highly complex action scene at the end of the film, "Heat."

In fact, no matter how impressive Goldenberg’s career is, he shares a feeling that virtually all the master editors I’ve interviewed admit to having: occasional periods of self-doubt, especially when they’re beginning a new film. However, when an editor experiences real success and receives lots of positive input, the opposite emotions kick in as well: a strong belief in themselves and the courage to take chances. That is when editors of Goldenberg’s caliber truly set themselves apart - and achieve editing magic.