I’m currently sat in the media centre at BAFTA, trying to warm up after spending several hours in the freezing cold. Still, it was all worth it as I managed to snag some great interviews with the nominees and attendees. To make it even more worthwhile, I’ll be posting the interviews as soon as they’re transcribed.
First up, Thelma Schoonmaker, Editor of ‘Hugo’.
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You’ve been editing films for a while now. What do you think it is about your work on Hugo that has got it recognised this year?
‘That’s an interesting question, because it’s not as ‘splashy’ editing as some of our films that I’ve been nominated before like The Aviator or Departed or Raging Bull. I think the magic of silent filmmaking is what really has attracted people to the movie. It’s funny because many people didn’t think we even needed to shoot it, now it’s become the favourite part of the movie watching George Mellies in his glass house, lit by the sun only, bouncing around making wonderful movies, and I think that’s why it’s been nominated.’
Obviously this isn’t the only film that has it’s feet in the past that’s been recognised this year. Were you taking stylistic cues from silent era film?
‘Definitely. Sorsese showed us many silent films, all of George Mellies films -not all of them, but quite a few – and then also other films that he was referencing. 3D films like ‘Dial M For Murder’ – in 3D is a whole new experience, and there’s going to be a new Blu-ray of it soon, in 3D so people can see it. ‘House of Wax’, wonderful things like that, we were referencing all of those things.
How important do you and your peers consider this as part of the circus you have to perform.
‘It’s very important. Actually in the past it was much better at recognising our work than the Americans were. I got a BAFTA for ‘Raging Bull’, but ‘Goodfellas’ was the one that we lost in America at the Oscars – we lost to ‘Dances With Wolves’, and Marty and I and many other people got honoured by BAFTA and that was wonderful.’
And they actually are recognising him again with the fellowship tonight.‘I’m so proud of that because Scorsese has done so much for the history of British cinema, particularly my late husband Michael Powell, and Emwick Pressburger, his great partner, no one has done more than he has to bring their films back to the world – to bring them back to the world. He brought my husband to America and my husband got reimersed in the film world again, Scorsese has restored his films, and so it’s so important that BAFTA recognise the great works he’s done, not only for Michael Powell, but also for me.’
