Optimus Santa Monica Editor Erin Nordstrom Cuts Don’t Follow Me (I’m Lost)

Editor Erin Nordstrom of Optimus Santa Monica recently cut the film Don’t Follow Me (I’m Lost), director William Miller‘s upcoming documentary about rock musician Bobby Bare Jr. Produced by Lee Baker, the film follows Bobby Bare Jr. who, fighting his way out from the shadow of his famous father, attempts to redefine what it means to be a touring artist today – playing everywhere from small clubs to people’s living rooms, all while dealing with the repercussions of the road. The documentary projects the same gritty, visceral feel of seminal Bob Dylan documentary Don’t Look Back, directed by the legendary D. A. Pennebaker, an advisor on the film, which will be released in early 2012.

The goal in shooting Don’t Follow Me (I’m Lost) was to use the camera lens as a window into the life of this musician, and let the audience experience moments in Bobby’s life as they were happening. This isn’t a glowing or pompous look at a musical diva, but rather a look at an artist who will do whatever it takes to live out his passion.

“When we saw Erin’s previous documentary work, we knew she was a perfect fit to edit Don’t Follow Me (I’m Lost),” said Baker. “We moved production to California over the summer of 2011 so that we could work with her to cut the film in the Optimus Santa Monica offices.”

“In an effort to reveal the texture and depth of Bobby Bare Jr. and his eclectic musical style, the film’s creative team developed a visual collage of formats consisting of Super 16mm, 16mm, Super 8mm, and HD,” said Miller. “GoPro cameras also were utilized because their small size provided unparalleled placement precision and allowed the team to achieve a true fly-on-the-wall experience.”

“Editing is about storytelling,” said Nordstrom, who spent more than a month watching the footage from the film. “In a 30-second spot, there isn’t a lot of room to veer from the script. With a longer form film such as Don’t Follow Me (I’m Lost), there is no script, so we act as story writers creating the script in the edit bay. Eventually, the story crystallizes and the messages we want to convey and moments we wanted to pull from the footage become clear.”