by Nancy Jundi as originally published by CinemaEditor Magazine
When I heard Zooey Deschanel was going to do television I thought, well, everyone’s flocking to HBO and Showtime, why not her. Not so fast. Network, you say? Who could get hipster ‘Miss Indie’ poster girl to jump the low budget romantic comedy ship into primetime commercial television? Jake Kasdan producing? Oh, okay, that makes – wait. What? There was a network smart enough to do this? Listen, there’s no easy way to break this to you, but if you missed the first season of NEW GIRL on Fox, what can only be defined as a wild fire of comedy that makes you wet your pants a little, I feel sorry for you. Then again, having 13 of the 24 episodes still sitting on my DVR makes me sorry for me. Jessica Day, played by Deschanel, has a bad break up and moves into a Los Angeles loft with three oddball men. Hijinks and tomfoolery ensue. They’re the modern “Thirtysomething” if it had been a comedy. I literally typed more than a dozen one liners that I intended to share with you before my journalistic integrity showed up. I’m being held in the clutches of addiction and crippling my ability to record other shows. The writing is really the star of this show and while Deschanel gets to claim the title character, her supporting cast more than holds their own. Each episode feels like a “Best of Second City” improv showcase. Which, I would imagine, is a nightmare in an editing room. No one likes to leave a laugh on the cutting room floor.
Enter Bethany Orlemann, my buckeye sister from the great swing state of Ohio. She donned the first assistant hat for season one of the “New Girl”. Orlemann has quite the ‘in your face’ list of films to her credit, ironic since she’d be the last person to put them in your face. BAD TEACHER, (2011) VALENTINE’S DAY (2010), GRIND HOUSE (2007), JUST LIKE HEAVEN (2005) and RAISING HELEN (2004) are just a handful of her titles. It comes as no surprise to find her as a part of the “New Girl” team, though. Director/Producer Kasdan often jumps from Television to Film and with his penchant for the familiar, Orlemann was a natural fit after a number of projects together, including WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY (2007). Bethany and I both attended Ohio University, albeit at different times, but after learning about how she came to film I can’t help but wonder how much more interesting my college experience would have been with an overlap in our campus experience. I was busy playing games like True American and getting lost in the foothills of the Appalachians. In other words, my life looked an awful lot like “New Girl.” Bethany probably would have just edited me! Without further adieu, I present the Renaissance woman that is Bethany Orlemann. However, in the wise words of Jessica Day, “Please put on some pants. Everything you say sounds really creepy when you’re not wearing pants.” So before you read on, go put on some pants.
1. Where did you grow up and did that background lend to an interest in film or editing in particular?
I grew up in a small town on the outskirts of Cincinnati, OH. I attribute my interest and love of movies to my family, who are all devoted cinephiles (even though I’m the only one in the biz.) My father introduced me to the comedies of the Marx Brothers and Mel Brooks and my mother has a soft spot for anything with Clint Eastwood in it. My oldest brother, Duane, is a huge fan of Errol Flynn, swashbucklers and John Ford westerns. My oldest sister Polly is a hopeless romantic and passed her love of musicals on to me. My brother, Eric, is a sci-fi/fantasy nut, and he took me to see STAR WARS (1977), ROAD WARRIOR (1981) and BLADE RUNNER (1982) in the theater when I was just a kid. So you see, my family’s love of the cinema gave me an early and well-rounded education before the age of 12!
I was also very lucky that there was an excellent Repertory Cinema in downtown Cincinnati when I was growing up (it closed in 1991.) It was there — when I was old enough to drive — that I could further my film education with the likes of Kubrick, Fellini and David Lynch (to name a few.)
2. How did you get your start in editing?
When I was a junior in high school, I saw a documentary about David Lean on TV. It showed him sitting in front of a KEM and he was talking about LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962) and explaining the editing process. It struck me right then and there that this was something I wanted to do. After graduating from Ohio University in 1992, I made my way to Los Angeles for graduate school and studied editing at the American Film Institute.
3. Is there one scene in television or film that you can remember having given you an appreciation for what an editor does?
There was a time in the early 80s where I was nuts for anything DeNiro. This was also a great time to be alive because video rental stores were really starting to take off! What a concept! I rented everything I could find that had DeNiro in it – and this lead me to discover the films of Scorsese, Coppola and Bertolucci. It was the early Scorsese films – especially MEAN STREETS (1973) and TAXI DRIVER (1976) – that had a profound impact on me and really made me see the power that editing could have.
4. Is there something you’ve cut or worked on that you’re especially proud of?
I am very proud to have been a part of the team working on BOOGIE NIGHTS (1997). I was just an apprentice, but it was obvious that an extraordinary film was being created by Paul (Thomas Anderson, Director) and Dylan (Tichenor, Editor). I met people in that cutting room who continue to inspire me – including the assistant editors (now editors) Joan Sobel and Fred Raskin.
5. Is there a scene in television or film that you would love to go back and put your own spin on?
I absolutely adore the big barn raising dance sequence in SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS (1954) – I love it so much I never want it to end! It’s just too short – I’m always left wanting more. Seriously, I think I could watch Russ Tamblyn hop around like a jack rabbit all day.
6. What platforms are you familiar with?
I started out on film – I was on the cusp of the whole film/digital thing. I’ve worked on a Moviola, a KEM, Lightworks, FCP and Avid systems.
7. Technically speaking, what have you found to be your system’s best feature?
Again, coming from a film background and not being very technical – I find it a miracle everyday when I turn my avid on and it doesn’t blow up.
8. What feature are you hoping to see in the future on your system?
Eliminating Segmentation Fault and Bus Thread errors would be nice.
9. Is there one person in the industry, living or dead, be it director, editor, or otherwise would you like to work with?
I’ve been fortunate to work with some of the nicest, smartest and most creative people in Hollywood. There are many wonderful directors and editors that I’d love to work with, but I fear I’d be setting my expectations too high. So the answer is no — I’d rather keep the magic and mystery of my heroes intact!
10. What shows, other than your own, are you looking forward to?
Currently I am a big fan of “Game of Thrones” as well as “Breaking Bad.” I’m looking forward to both of those coming back as well as “The Walking Dead” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Having never worked in television prior to starting “New Girl”, I have a newfound appreciation for the miracles these television editors pull off every week!
