Why The Bear Gets In Your Head

selecting the perfect ingredients and making sure they are perfectly cooked. And then just throw them on a plate no matter how they are presented. And good editing requires quality ingredients. The acting, writing, and cinematography all have to do their job for a good edit to be made. This freedom that The Bear editors had really helped establish editing as part of the language of the show, when you get the audience used to editing being part of the expression of the character's internal space, you can more freely do things in the editing that could otherwise feel jarring. For example, when Carmy ends up locked in the freezer in Season 2, Joanna was able to start creating a montage of shots from other episodes that express what Carmy is feeling and imagining at that moment, and it doesn't feel like a flashback. she feels perfect because the show has used insert shots in this expressionistic way over and over again.

And when you trust

your

editors in this way, and when those editors really understand the story and the characters' motivations, there's a chance that the script can be altered in a way that benefits the story: "In season one, episode two, about when they are talking about the possible arrival of the health inspector.” “She's not nice, she's not

your

friend.” “…and Tina and Ibrahim are outside talking to each other.” “Look around, this.” doesn't exist anymore." "...and then Karmi and Sid are talking about what needs to happen." "So we could ask someone to go pick it up." “This is all written like, here's a scene, here's a scene, here's a scene.

They're not written in traversal terms. This is more like, I think Joanna really did a great job of having a track that plays all the time and yet you dive back into these. conversations, but it doesn't feel as manic as, you know, something totally intersectional. And it doesn't feel like a montage like a full montage, but it's definitely not just, you know, split-scene work.” “Yeah, we also did that again in episode 208. There was a scene where Carmi and Fack are at the refrigerator and they're talking about Claire and they're like, what's a girlfriend? And that was filmed as one take, but it was a pretty long scene and it actually felt like a case where the one take probably wasn't going to work.

So that was something that Megan and I, who edited the episode with me, talked about what else we'd like to weave in. And we almost like to intertwine three or four scenes. So we weren't just in this shot, we were coming back to it like the tent poles, but we had this beautiful December song underneath it. And then it was like, you know, a little bit of Fack and Carmi in the fridge. Then we go to Tina and Richie, then we go back to Fack and Carmi, then we are to Richie and Sydney. And it was just a way to be in several places at once, keep the rhythm, but also link them all together at the same time.” “And that kind of thing is a great example of, you know, when people talk about editing, being the final rewrite.

It is not written. All the words that are said may be there, but the order and the way the scenes intertwine with each other, that's not on the page. That's something you have to experience, discover, and figure out how to get the truest version of what's written, but in a way that allows the tools of film to elevate it to what could be its most ideal form." -Editing, when used to its full potential, is not only the means by which scenes are set up or the best performances are chosen; is itself a large part of the language of cinematic storytelling.

The Bear shows what is possible when everyone, from the writers to the directors to the editors themselves, truly understands the motivation and emotions behind the story and its characters, and how editing can bring those characters and their experiences to life. One of the best examples I've seen recently of a film with innovative editing that immerses you in the story is Park Chan-Wook's The Decision to Leave. This is an example of a director who meticulously planned the edit before he even started filming, as you can see in these storyboards. Decision To Leave is available right now, exclusively on MUBI, the sponsor of this video.

I know you've had those moments where you've been endlessly switching from one streaming service to another trying to decide what to watch, until everything starts to look the same. MUBI really breaks up that monotony with its excellent selection, here you will find classics, independent films, festival favorites and I think the best selection of international cinema you can find online in the US. You can watch Decision to Leave and explore the rest of the library for free with an extended 30-day free trial when you sign up using my code. Simply go to MUBI.com/thomasflight Available worldwide, discover incredible cinema when you try MUBI at M U B I dot com slash Thomas Flight.

Thanks again to Mubi for sponsoring this video.