Each nice filmmaker would be the first to confess that it is not often a solo endeavor and that the energy of the story is served by the collaborators they’re lucky sufficient to have alongside for the trip. And in probably the most lucky conditions, they uncover a collaborator who transforms battle into triumph as they create an expertise wholly distinctive, intentional, and entertaining. To say that Andy Jurgensen has been instrumental to the success of One Battle After One other and its auteur, Paul Thomas Anderson, is nothing lower than an understatement. Forward of Jurgensen’s first Academy Award nomination for Finest Enhancing at this 12 months’s ceremony, the fortuitous circumstances will not be misplaced on him.
Jurgensen has labored with Anderson going again to his time as an editor’s assistant on films like Inherent Vice and Phantom Thread. He grew to become extra concerned within the filmmaker’s world by way of his modifying work on musical tasks with artists like Joanna Newsom, Haim, and Radiohead‘s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood. Ever since a scheduling battle opened the door to edit Licorice Pizza, Jurgensen has discovered himself amongst Anderson’s tight-knit group of collaborators on the verge of successful golden statues for his or her front-running movie One Battle After One other, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, and Sean Penn.
For an editor with restricted expertise splicing feature-length tasks on his personal, it is fairly a feat for Jurgensen to return this near glory amongst his Academy friends. With the awards ceremony simply weeks away, Jurgensen sat with Collider to debate his journey into Anderson’s inside circle, engaged on location to assemble this stressed epic, and the key weapon that’s Maya Rudolph.
Andy Jurgensen and Paul Thomas Anderson’s First Initiatives Have been With Music Legends
COLLIDER: Proper earlier than you jumped on, a Haim track got here on. I used to be questioning if you happen to edited (the music video) “Misplaced Monitor?” As a result of I could not discover the modifying credit score for that one.
ANDY JURGENSEN: Yeah, that was… I do not wish to say a scramble, however we had been attempting to determine one thing for that. We needed to put it collectively actually shortly. And one of many issues we wished to, once we re-released Licorice Pizza in theaters — I feel it was across the Oscars — we wished so as to add this music video to it as a particular factor. So… that was a rush to get it finished. I keep in mind, okay, we obtained to get it combined so we will connect it to the DCP (theatrical file).
Fortunately, it was very nicely contained and (Haim) is nice. They wish to flow with something and I feel that is why Paul likes to proceed working with them, as a result of they’re simply so nice. They’re a part of the household now, you recognize? As a result of we have been doing their movies for therefore lengthy, after which, after all, all three of them are in Licorice Pizza. It is simply good seeing them at issues, and it is superb to see their success too.
I wish to return to the start and the way you began out as an assistant editor on Inherent Vice after which Phantom Thread. It was additionally round that point that you simply began modifying music movies for Paul, particularly a challenge with Radiohead and Thom (Yorke) and Jonny (Greenwood). How did that transition occur?
JURGENSEN: Inherent Vice was the primary… you recognize, his inside circle may be very tight-knit and all the time has been. So I feel he simply was — I do not wish to say testing me, nevertheless it sort of was simply getting my vibe. After which, as a result of we do these music movies fairly shortly — and I feel that is the brilliance of them, to be sincere — he would not overlook them. We have now to shoot it and switch it over actually shortly. He simply wanted assist to shortly, “see what this turns into.” The primary ones we did had been the Joanna Newsom movies, which had been extra experimental, if you happen to keep in mind that one.
He simply wished to play with what this may very well be, as a result of they’d shot a bunch of various issues. He simply referred to as me, and he was like, “Hey, why do not you come this weekend, and we’ll simply use the Avid (modifying system) that I would already rented for (Phantom Thread). Let’s have a look at what we might do.” He perhaps wished a recent set of eyes for it. Possibly he had seen the sort of issues that I might do once I was an assistant editor, or issues that I used to be bringing to the desk.
I feel it was only a means for us to work collectively. So it simply sort of began on these smaller tasks. I noticed that by way of to the top after which the top of the tasks obtained greater and larger and larger. I keep in mind we shot this Radiohead music video … that was a bigger challenge that we obtained by way of. Then it simply snowballed from there, after which we did this documentary, Junun, the place he had all this footage that he had shot with Jonny in India. I used to be nonetheless an assistant editor. I used to be on another film, and I used to be coming in after work. We had been engaged on it at night time or on the weekends, and it was simply enjoyable… to see that evolve into the ultimate product. I used to be in a position to pull a lot info from the opposite editors that I had labored with, with Paul.
I used to be in a position to get that background data after which put my very own spin on it from my working with him on these music movies … You determine your working relationship and a shorthand of the way you talk. At this level now, I virtually know issues that he will gravitate in direction of, and he will like, or I can simply see even when he is watching the footage. I can inform, “Okay, that is good or dangerous.” We’re not afraid to problem one another, however we additionally know the sensibilities, particularly with Paul being a director that has a imaginative and prescient. You need to have the ability to elevate that imaginative and prescient even increased.
Andy Jurgensen Did not Count on To Edit Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘Licorice Pizza’
I used to be going to ask about creating that cinematic language that you’ve got established, and particularly going into your first main image that you simply edited with Licorice Pizza. Was {that a} loopy transition understanding that this was an enormous challenge? Paul Thomas Anderson films are all very distinctive. It’s important to hit that degree.
JURGENSEN: I do know. I obtained fortunate in a way. I had been engaged on issues for a very long time. But it surely was COVID and Dylan (Tichenor), who had edited Phantom Thread, was on one other film. Additionally, music is such an enormous a part of that film as nicely, so not that it is a music video, however there is a musicality to the film as a result of there are such a lot of needle drops.
I felt a bit apprehensive. Am I going to have the ability to do that? One Battle After One other was daunting simply to learn the script, “That is going to be a loopy, epic film.” The final film was so completely different than this. I’ve by no means minimize a automotive chase earlier than or something like that. I had, as an assistant, labored on some action-y films, nevertheless it’s daunting to consider.
One factor I like about him is that despite the fact that he has an even bigger finances, he nonetheless has a scrappy mentality. It is a fairly small, core group on set once we’re doing greater motion issues. There’s all of the stunt individuals and there are all kinds of background (actors), however he actually likes to maintain it small and tight when now we have extra intimate scenes, it is not like an enormous manufacturing.
He likes to do issues scrappy as a result of that is how he is all the time finished it. However we nonetheless will do our day by day screenings, which he is been doing perpetually. However this time we will take the projector with us to all of our areas as a substitute of a screening room and have the luxuries of that.
However we nonetheless can do the factor that we have been doing for him for like 25 years. For me, I have been with him 12 years. Even with recommendation, we had been doing these day by day screenings, and I used to be sitting there and taking notes. It was the very same, even for this film.
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You talked about being on set, so that you’re … principally assembling the film as you are as you are making it.
JURGENSEN: Yeah, normally the editor’s on initially assembling, generally it is on location, however generally it is simply again in L.A. or wherever the slicing rooms are, they usually’re simply sending the footage, and also you’re simply plugging away. For us, it is extra that the screenings are so vital. Simply seeing all the things huge, any technical points.
I’ve talked in different interviews about when Paul has music that he is piping in, as we’re watching takes, concepts from Jonny or for needle drops, or we’re getting a really feel for what a scene may very well be — simply the preliminary feeling of it. And I am taking notes of which takes are the perfect, issues that we like or don’t love. Then in the course of the day once they’re taking pictures, I am beginning to assemble stuff digitally.
We additionally had a break in the course of the shoot. We had a two or three-month break as a result of we had been ready for Benicio (del Toro). So we really obtained to construct a bunch of sequences collectively and get a sense for the tempo and holes. The entire prologue was done-ish (in addition to) a bunch of stuff at the highschool. It is so good to have the ability to work with the director for a pair months, actually specializing in the edit, getting music in, after which you’re like, okay, these are the items that we nonetheless must shoot. It is a good luxurious.
Andy Jurgensen Fastidiously Crafted ‘One Battle After One other’s Epic Automobile Chase
You briefly talked about the automotive chase and the way you’d by no means actually finished one thing like that. I wished to ask you about that as a result of it was like an anti-car chase scene. The way in which it is put collectively is just not like what you’d see in The Italian Job or Quick and Livid films. What was the problem in that?
JURGENSEN: We did not have a storyboard, however he had a shot record of issues that he wished. We had finished assessments on the street with a few of the rigs and took time to determine, particularly the perspective photographs, so you might see the place the roads go up and down and the automobiles seem and disappear. We had to determine how that was going to work and the way it was handiest. We might finished a bit little bit of assessments after which, principally, they sat down the street and found out what time of day they might shoot the outside stuff in order that it might all appear to be the identical time. Then they shot the interiors later within the day … so they may pump some lights in.
The mirrors had been such an vital ingredient, having the ability to look again and to should see that. It was a Hitchcockian automotive chase. There’s all the time that ingredient of trying within the mirror and seeing one thing within the distance and seeing it coming nearer and nearer. What I ended up doing was — as we had been getting the dailies in, we had been watching it on the massive display, however I used to be sort of constructing it digitally — choose from all of the completely different views in order that we might overview what we had. And we knew we had the perfect bits, after which we really went again to the street on the finish of our time being at that location so we might get just a few little issues that we nonetheless missed or simply heighten it.
It was a matter of simply laying it out, organizing it correctly, ensuring we had all the fitting parts. It began out actually lengthy. There was a construction to it. So we knew, however I used to be discovering the perfect items, after which I stored going by way of it and tightening. “Oh, I in all probability might use this shot, this may substitute these three photographs.” In fact, when the music is available in, and also you begin getting the sound design, you add extra to it and you may tweak issues. I do not do that on numerous scenes, however that is one thing the place I used to be shaving like two frames off, three frames off the top of this, simply to get it a bit bit tighter. Simply so it felt excellent. Particularly with Jonny’s music too. It has a propulsive beat to it. So you need to be aware of the musicality of the scene and the way it’s referring to the music and the sound. I used to be making tweaks even in the course of the remaining combine.
A PTA script goes to stability levity and intention masterfully. And also you’re that remaining contact in combining these parts. What’s your philosophy relating to these moments and ensuring one would not outweigh the opposite?
JURGENSEN: I feel it goes again to Paul’s sensibility and simply understanding his films, that it’s all the time a bit little bit of a mixture of genres. There all the time is humor in all of his films. Phantom Thread is sort of a comedy, actually — demented and all — and it is a relationship, however there’s comedy parts too. So he all the time likes to lean into humor at any time when he can. Every thing’s so critical these days, it looks like. (Humor) is more practical to get a message throughout. It feels extra actual while you add some levity to it as a result of that is how all of us reside our lives.
If it was intense your complete time for two-and-a-half hours, it could simply be exhausting. He is aware of, structurally, it has to construct to one thing after which there must be aid. There must be a spot the place the viewers can take a breath for a second and are available down from the excessive, so then you may construct it up once more, after which you may come down from that top once more after which construct up for the ultimate sequence. It simply makes it extra thrilling, it makes it extra. You do not know the place it should go. So, simply having these moments, just like the Christmas Adventurers scenes, act as these… the digital camera’s not shifting. We’re simply taking a look at close-ups. We will relaxation for a second, after which we will begin to construct up once more. We had check screenings across the nation. It was vital to see how the tonal shifts labored and ensure individuals had been nonetheless laughing and other people had been nonetheless getting it, and likewise discover out the place we might push the humor additional. There have been some good issues that got here out of the screenings as a result of we had been in a position to.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘One Battle After One other’ Was a Massively Collaborative Expertise
What was the sequence that you simply had been most glad to crack? If you figured it out, and also you had been identical to, “Oh, that is stunning.”
JURGENSEN: The DNA check sequence is the one space that we did probably the most work in. The River Hill (chase scene) clearly took numerous time, however that was all the time like that, and we had been simply tweaking and getting it excellent. However the DNA check, the best way we noticed it, it was lots longer. So they’re simply sitting there ready for the outcomes. They usually had their banter backwards and forwards. For some time, it was its personal scene that lasted a extremely very long time, which was efficient in a technique. It is scary. There’s the comedy parts too.
I do not know, one thing wasn’t proper. Really, there was no music there too. So it was… it was a bizarre really feel. What we ended up doing was attempting to undergo and actually pare it all the way down to its necessities. After which, utilizing these cutaways of Danvers and D’Andra, the place he is like interrogating her. We (threw) that scene away for some time and weren’t utilizing it. However we ended up bringing it again so we might reshape the DNA check. We even moved strains round in several orders, from the way it was shot, to make it extra of a tit-for-tat factor. Then we added this music from Jonny that has a army really feel, and it is like a ticking clock — so you may really feel there’s one thing at stake.
Propulsive, however not in the identical means as one of many chase scenes, however extra as simply creating stress. It took numerous variations to determine that out and simply to get it proper. Fortunately, I feel we figured it out. I feel we did. It simply needed to be substantial sufficient, nevertheless it could not be too lengthy since you’re to date into the film at that time. It is all main as much as the 2 of them assembly. So it is obtained to be vital and powerful, however you may’t simply glaze over it both.
You speak about these screenings and the way it’s a detailed household, working with Jonny on the rating lots and the identical actors who’re concerned. If you do these screenings and also you’re getting suggestions, who do you discover numerous actually good suggestions from aside from from Paul?
JURGENSEN: That is a extremely good query. Maya (Rudolph, Anderson’s associate), for certain. She’s all the time there in a few of the early screenings. Particularly for a few of the humor. Paul has a set of associates and likewise our crew, like (director of pictures Michael Baumann), our producers, everybody. It is fascinating.
Some administrators… they maintain issues so near them they usually’re like, “No, my producer’s not going to see it till 10 weeks after.” Clearly we’d like sufficient time to ensure it is respectable. However Sara (Murphy), our producer, will come over and we’ll simply say, “Okay, this is half of the film,” or, “This is sections.” And, after all, the actors are coming over at some factors they usually’re giving their enter. It is a mixture of people who will probably be sincere with us and are trusted, however then we additionally herald individuals who do not know something. That is good too. That offers a pleasant goal level of of what issues are complicated.
It is a course of and Paul’s been doing this for 30 years, so he has his means of doing it, and I am not going to alter that. You talked about Jonny. I feel Jonny is without doubt one of the first individuals we present the film to as nicely, as a result of he is really sending us music throughout manufacturing. Clearly, he is studying the script and having discussions with Paul, and we’ll generally ship him dailies of uncooked footage so he can get an thought of sure issues. However he is nonetheless in London. Paul actually trusts him on simply how issues are working, particularly once we minimize in a few of his songs. They simply have a extremely good, inventive relationship, and Jonny’s so unreal. He is such a tremendous musician. They’ve an analogous sensibility of how they’re inventive, as a result of Jonny’s unconventional in addition to Paul. They work nicely collectively.