Richard Linklater’s DIY filmmaking style first drew attention with Slacker, which was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 1991 and for Best Feature Film and Best Director at the Independent Spirit Awards in 1992. He went on to direct the coming of age film Dazed and Confused featuring a host of actors who’ve gone on to launch successful careers. His Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight trilogy all enjoyed critical acclaim, and the 12-year epic Boyhood won Golden Globe awards for Best Motion Picture, Drama, and Best Director, Motion Picture in 2015.
The film Richard Linklater – dream is destiny chronicles the career of this prolific filmmaker using behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with actors and crew members, and insights into his decision to eschew Hollywood for a quieter, more creative path through the independent film scene in Austin, Texas. Here, Directors Louis Black and Karen Bernstein, along with Editor Nevie Owens, discuss the project and why Adobe Premiere Pro CC was chosen to edit the film. The film premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and heads next to SXSW Film.
What is your history with Richard Linklater?
Black: I’ve been friends with Rick since 1985 when he introduced himself to me because he’d seen an obit I’d written for Sam Peckinpah. We talked film and I supported him when he launched the Austin Film Society. I was a founding board member and the Society’s first board president. Rick’s first film Slacker is like a home movie for me, not only because I’m in the film, but also because it’s the community I was living in at the time.
Bernstein: In many ways, Louis is the arts and cultural scion of Austin. He’s very well-known and respected in the Austin film community, is one of the founders of SXSW, and he and Rick have known each other for 30 years. There was no better person to integrate with than Louis to do this portrait on Rick.
How did you come up with the idea for the film?
Black: Karen and I have known each other forever. She’d produced American Masters TV documentaries and suggested pitching an American Masters on Rick. With deep relationships in the community, the project came together very organically because it came out of the community we interact with all the time.
How important is the archival content to the film?
Black: The archival footage is remarkable because it really shows Rick and his crew making the movies. We have behind-the-scenes content from Slacker, Dazed and Confused, Before Sunrise, and Boyhood. We have segments that show them setting up a shot, rehearsing, then we go into the footage of the film, then come out again to see the shot taking place.
Owens: One of my favorite pieces of archival content is one of Rick’s first interviews that just happened to be conducted by Louis. When I saw it I knew it would be a pivotal piece. It’s beautiful to see them then and now, and see their relationship blossom based on their love of film.
Why did you decide to edit with Adobe Premiere Pro CC?
Owens: The previous project I cut was on Premiere Pro, so it was a natural progression to cut this project on Premiere Pro as well. I was excited about using Creative Cloud, it was perfect for our needs. Premiere Pro supports multiple frame rates and multiple codecs, which was very attractive as we were using massive amounts of archival footage. With Premiere Pro, we had 23.976, 24, 29.97, and 30 frames per second all in the same timeline.
Bernstein: When I started working with editors on film it could take up to a week to do something as simple as transferring a piece of archive footage. Now we can find something in the morning and have it in the system by nightfall. It says a lot about how filmmaking has changed in a relatively short time period and how relevant Premiere Pro is to filmmakers today. We previously worked with Final Cut Pro and found that transferring to Premiere Pro was easier than we thought it would be.
Do you have any favorite scenes?
Black: There’s an amazing scene for which Nevie did a brilliant editing job. It’s an interview with Julie Delpy during which she says that her agent fired her when she agreed to do Before Sunset. Her agent said, “How can you be involved in writing the sequel to a film that made no money? You should be auditioning for Rush Hour 3.” The scene then cuts to that insane sequence at the end of Before Sunset when she’s doing Nina Simone that I think is one of the great endings in modern movies. The irony of her agent saying that and then cutting to that scene really resonates. The documentary is brilliant because of the way it was edited.
There are also some amazing moments in the film when Rick has a look of sheer pleasure on his face. That has to do with movie making—not winning awards, or recognition, or celebrity. It has to do with getting to make the movies he wanted to make. If our film does justice to Richard Linklater we’ve achieved our goal because he is truly a great American filmmaker.
Owens: The film stands out because it is constantly showing Rick working, from 1985 to 2015. I love seeing him behind the camera. It was a lot of fun to cut.
Why do you think this film is important?
Black: We were driven by the idea of creating a film that celebrates Rick. What it became is a remarkable primer for moviemakers. It tells Rick’s story and the story of Austin as a unique place where films are made. In the process, it also provides an education on how to become a filmmaker. I think it will resonate with people who are interested in his films and people who are independent cinematic visionaries, but it will also endure as a text for young filmmakers.
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