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I have been working in post production for almost 25 years, cutting commercials, documentaries, TV movies and feature films. After working for years with Moviolas and KEMs, I got interested in using electronic tools and began working with a tape-based Montage system. Eventually, while working closely with Montage, Ltd., I cut the first picture with their original digital prototype (complete with exposed hard drive controllers and SCSI ribbon cable strewn around the room).
After that invigorating experience, I switched to Avid and edited one of the first television movies done with a Media Composer (Teamster Boss for HBO). I then went on to do the first studio feature ever cut on any digital system, Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers. This was also the first use of the Film Composer. Many of the list functions that we now routinely use were developed on that show, and our proceedures have been emulated by many of the studio pictures that followed. During this period I became a consultant for Avid Technology and worked for them for several years while continuing to cut. I went on to do Angie, the first feature to use Release 5, and Three Wishes, one of the first pictures to use MediaShare. Eventually I demonstrated the Film Composer to the Technical Wing of the Motion Picture Academy, which led to Avid's Academy Award.
Much of my work has been for director Martha Coolidge, who has been a strong advocate and supporter of digital tools. I also cut Rambling Rose for her, which was done on a Moviola. Two years ago I cut Blood and Wine, a very different kind of picture for me, directed by Bob Rafelson and starring Jack Nicholson and Michael Caine. I then did an HBO show, Don King: Only in America. for which I won an ACE Eddie, and followed that with another HBO show, this time for Bob Rafelson, Poodle Springs. I recently finished 15 Minutes, starring Robert DeNiro and Ed Burns and directed by John Herzfeld.
For several years I served as the chairman of the editing department at the American Film Institute--the only fully accredited institution in the US where you can get a Master's degree in editing. I'm also a member of the Board of Directors of the Motion Picture Editor's Guild here in Hollywood, and a member of ACE, the American Cinema Editors. I helped build the Editors Guild's web site and I maintain the home page, updating it with late-breaking news and information every day. My most recent project for the Guild has been to supervise the redesign of our Newsletter and turn it into a full-fledged Magazine. I edited the Magazine for about a year and now serve as its publisher. You can check out the online version by clicking here.
While working with the early betas of Media Composer Version 5, I began compiling a list of shortcuts for myself and my friends--hidden techniques that weren't being effectively documented by Avid. Slowly, over the following year, that 1-page cheat sheet became the book described in this site--over 100 pages, with illustrations throughout. Since then I've sold over 1000 copies to editors all over the world. The only advertising has been announcements on the various online services, and word of mouth. As you can see from the 'Comments from Readers' page, many, many people have found it helpful. I hope you will, too.
If you have questions or comments, send me email. Copyright © 1994-1998, Steven J. Cohen, All Rights Reserved