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Greg Beeman interviews Heroes’ film editor Donn Aaron, who has been doing a superb job delivering the final cuts and sounds for most of Heroes’ episodes. Here’s a clip -
GB: Episode 17 is a very powerful episode. We just screened it for the crew and they were blown away. By the way, I’ve never had an experience like the one on this show. Frequently on a TV show, the producers will screen the finished product to the crew at lunch. By this point in the season, usually, there’s been a significant drop off in attendance. But on HEROES, the room is packed. Every member of the crew comes to the screenings. It’s amazing!
DA: I’d like to talk about one scene Allan (Arkush, episode 17 director) did a terrific job with. Two scenes actually, that parallel each other. The one, in black and white, where Claire’s father is going to kill Claude. And the same scene repeats itself, shot-for-shot in the end, when Claire’s father drives Claire to the same bridge where he shot Claude so many years ago. Because the shots are the same, it breaks your heart. Because the shots are all the same, you know what’s going to happen. And in both scenes there is this big sweeping crane shot as the car arrives on the bridge. Allan told me his plan before he shot it, but I know he shot all those shots on different days, and that there were weather issues so he had to go back. And some actors weren’t available. So it was all shot piecemeal, but it goes together perfectly.
One moment I especially like is when Claire’s father shoots Claude. He has this surprised look on his face, like he can’t believe what just happened. He pulled the trigger, but still he can’t believe it. And then he shoots him again. It’s a wonderful moment.
That’s why I really respect what a director does. All that planning, and holding it all together in your head no matter what the conditions it takes to get it. It’s amazing how Allan knows what angles he wants. He reads a two dimensional script. Words on paper. And he can visualize how all of it will look, and all of the performances, and how it will be cut together, all from just the words. And, it seems to me, that would be even harder on a TV schedule like we have.
I really like how Beeman takes us backstage not just into the scenes/sets/production but also to get to know the people who work hard at getting each Heroes episode done well. There are so many people involved in making each episode who if not, for this blog, would be unknown and unsung. Thanks again to Greg Beeman.
Tags: Heroes, behind-the-scenes, editor, Donn Aaron, Allan Arkush, Greg Beeman, director