Browse Articles by Mary Ann Skweres

Stephen Daldry’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

January 2012
Stephen Daldry’s <em>Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close</em>

Once he read the book and script for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, it was "very simple" for Academy-Award nominated director Stephen Daldry to immediately say yes to directing the film for producer Scott Rudin, who he had worked with on The Hours. The first decision scriptwise was to see the story primarily through... »

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Posted in Awards, Contender Portfolios, Direction, Director Series, Featured, Film |

Contender – Editor Anne-Sophie Bion, The Artist

January 2012
Contender – Editor Anne-Sophie Bion, <em>The Artist</em>

"To tell the truth, this was the first time editing a whole movie by myself," admits Anne-Sophie Bion, formerly an assistant to the renowned French editor, Hervé Schneid, (Amélie) who taught her, "if editing works without sound, it can only be better with it." When editing another film, Bion practiced cutting by shutting off... »

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Posted in Awards, Contender Portfolios, Editing, Featured, Film |

Contender – Editor Claire Simpson, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

January 2012
Contender – Editor Claire Simpson, <em>Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close</em>

Editing is all about focusing attention on what the filmmakers want an audience to see at any given time in a film. The editing on Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close takes its focus from the book and adapted screenplay that were written from point of view of the lead character Oskar (Thomas Horn). Both... »

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Posted in Awards, Contender Portfolios, Editing, Featured, Film |

Recognizing Exceptional Editing

January 2012
Recognizing Exceptional Editing

Just as every summer theaters are filled with super-hero blockbusters and other tent-pole movies, as each year comes to a close, audiences are deluged by the release of motion pictures considered by the various studios to be award-worthy. Although some critically acclaimed works come early in the year, fear of short audience memories means... »

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Posted in Awards, Editing, Featured, Film, For Your Consideration |

Rupert Wyatt’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes

January 2012
Rupert Wyatt’s <em>Rise of the Planet of the Apes</em>

Rise of the Planet of the Apes tells an origin story that lays the foundation for the mythology of the first Planet of the Apes film, which takes place 3,000 years in the future. The success of the current film hinges on the believability of the main character, Caesar, a chimpanzee played by a... »

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Posted in Art Direction, Awards, Camera, Contender Portfolios, Costume Design, Crafts, Direction, Director Series, Editing, Featured, Film, Industry Sector, Sound, Visual FX |

Contender – Editor Michael Kahn, War Horse

January 2012
Contender – Editor Michael Kahn, <em>War Horse</em>

Starting his career editing the comedy series, Hogan's Heroes, editor Michael Kahn, A.C.E. has become one of the most honored editors in motion picture history with seven Oscar nominations and three Oscar wins for editing Raiders of the Lost Ark, Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan – all of which were directed by Steven... »

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Posted in Awards, Contender Portfolios, Editing, Featured, Film |

Contender – Editor Thelma Schoonmaker, Hugo

December 2011
Contender – Editor Thelma Schoonmaker, <em>Hugo</em>

Although working on the film Hugo in 3D was a first for editor Thelma Schoonmaker, A.C.E. and director Martin Scorsese, she didn't feel it changed her normal editing process much. Many 3D films are edited in 2D, with the extra dimension not being seen until the film is actually screened, but Schoonmaker was able... »

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Posted in Awards, Contender Portfolios, Editing, Featured, Film |

Contender – Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

December 2011
Contender – Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, <em>Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy</em>

Hoyte van Hoytema continues his collaboration with Swedish director Tomas Alfredson on the decidedly British film Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Previously he had worked with the director on Let the Right One In, for which he received the Kodak Nordic Vision Award for best cinematography and the Guldbagge Award (Sweden’s Oscars equivalent), among other... »

Posted in Awards, Camera, Contender Portfolios, Featured, Film |

Contender – Editor Dino Jonsäter, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

December 2011
Contender – Editor Dino Jonsäter, <em>Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy</em>

The production of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy had the blessings of author John Le Carre, but the challenge of staying faithful to the intent of the original 349-page novel with its intricate details while adapting it into a two-hour feature fell not only upon the screenwriters, but also on editor Dino Jonsäter. »

Posted in Contender Portfolios, Editing, Featured, Film |

Contender – Production Designer Jane Stewart, The Descendants

December 2011
Contender – Production Designer Jane Stewart, <em>The Descendants</em>

Hawaii serves as a pivotal character in The Descendants, director Alexander Payne's story of death and legacy. To fulfill such a role, establishing a strong sense of place became a primary objective for production designer, Jane Stewart, who spent approximately eight months in Hawaii with the production, including time in advance of the shoot... »

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Posted in Art Direction, Contender Portfolios, Featured, Film |

Director Series

Iran’s Best Foreign Film Nominee: Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation

January 2012 | By Jack Egan

Iran’s Best Foreign Film Nominee: Asghar Farhadi’s <em>A Separation</em>

One of the surprises of this awards season is A Separation, a highly lauded film from Iran that has captivated reviewers and moviegoers and... »



Danish Director Nicolas Windng Refn Pushes Drive into High Gear

January 2012 | By Jack Egan

Danish Director Nicolas Windng Refn Pushes <em>Drive</em> into High Gear

Nicolas Windng Refn, director of Drive, doesn’t himself drive. He has failed his driver’s license test eight times. Yet the heralded Danish director came... »


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