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Some interviews promise you the moon - this one
delivers! This week MI6 caught up with John Grover,
Assembly Editor on "Moonraker"...
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Interview - John Grover (Part 2)
15th September 2003
MI6 had the chance this week to chat to John Grover about his
work on "Moonraker". In this two part interview we will
look discuss his memory of the film and career so far...
Continuing...
How long did it take you to cut "Moonraker" together?
The editing started when they started shooting
and finished the day before the premiere, 10 months approximately.
The picture
was assembled a week after shooting and the process of elimination
and tightening took 6 to 8 weeks, 7 days a week! We also had
masses
of optical effect shots to wait for. Very busy and a very tight
schedule.
Which is your favourite Bond film?
My favourite Bond film is "The Spy Who Loved Me".
What has been you favourite film you have worked?
My favourite
film that I have worked on was "Labyrinth",
Jim Henson was such a gentleman and we got on well together,
it also lasted for nearly 18 months. A lot of me is in that picture!
The advances in editing film are improving rapidly, with the
advent of digital camera's do you believe that removing hands
on process will take something away from film making?
Film editing
systems are improving rapidly, not necessarily
the film editing! Digital cameras do not alter editing; it is
just
a different way to supply images for editing.
Digital editing
is so quick and so many versions can be stored at little expense,
unfortunately this means that nobody ever makes a decision. When
one worked with film a lot more thought went into making a
cut
before the physical cut was made.
Today many films are cut much
too fast and with far too many gimmicks, all because of electronic
editing systems. Everybody thinks that
they can edit films! This is a sore point with many of the
older film trained editors.
Have you seen the latest Bond film "Die Another Day",
and if so, how do
you think it compares to the last few?
Yes I did see it and enjoyed
it. For me it was much too loud, no highs and lows just continuously
loud and pictorially much
of the ice palace was repetitive. I found the use of digital
effects overused, the Aston Martin disappearing sequence was
so improbable
as to be laughable. And I did have a feeling of déjà vu
in many of the sequences!
It made a lot of money and was marketed very well, it compared
quite well with all the Bonds that Pierce was in, he has set
his
own style and keeps to it!
What is you next project?
My next project may be a TV series, or it might be a feature.
Nothing is settled. As I get older I feel that I do not have to
work all the time, there is not nearly as much fun and job satisfaction
as there used to be.
Many thanks to John Grover.
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MI6 Biography
Name: John Grover
Portfolio
"For Your Eyes Only" - Assistant Editor
"Moonraker" - Assembly Editor
"For Your Eyes Only" - Editor
"Octopussy" - Supervising Editor
"The Living Daylights" - Editor
"Licence To Kill" - Editor
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Related Articles:
Interview
- John Grover (Part 1)
MI6
"Moonraker"
Coverage