{"id":116649,"date":"2018-12-10T17:08:17","date_gmt":"2018-12-10T22:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/?p=116649"},"modified":"2018-12-29T13:37:57","modified_gmt":"2018-12-29T18:37:57","slug":"exclusive-editor-joi-mcmillon-talks-if-beale-street-could-talk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/exclusive-editor-joi-mcmillon-talks-if-beale-street-could-talk\/","title":{"rendered":"Exclusive: Editor Joi McMillon Talks If Beale Street Could Talk"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Coming out this week (Dec. 14) from Annapurna Pictures is Academy Award-winning Moonlight director Barry Jenkins\u2019 <\/strong>upcoming film\u00a0If Beale Street Could Talk.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The cast of the film includes\u00a0Kiki Layne,\u00a0Stephan James, Teyonah Parris, Regina King, Colman Domingo,\u00a0Brian Tyree Henry, Dave Franco, Ed Skrein, Michael Beach,\u00a0Aunjanue Ellis and Finn Wittrock and Diego Luna.<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

Based on the novel by James Baldwin<\/strong>, \u201cIf Beale Street Could Talk,\u201d follows Tish (Layne), a newly engaged Harlem woman who races against the clock to prove her lover\u2019s innocence while carrying their first born child.\u00a0The movie is a celebration of love told through the story of a young couple, their families, and their lives.<\/p>\n

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Editing the film were Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders<\/strong>, who worked together on Moonlight and were Oscar nominated, making McMillon the first black woman to be nominated for film editing. Since then she went to solely edit Janicza Bravo’s Lemon<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Blackfilm.com recently spoke McMillon about working with Nat and Barry again on Beale Street.<\/p>\n

Once again you’re working along with Barry. So, when you came on board on this one, how different is this from the last film that you shot?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Joi McMillon:<\/strong> I would say that joining Barry on this film, I feel like because not a ton of time has passed in between us working together on Moonlight, to us working together on Beale Street. So, I feel like our short hand was in sync a lot faster on this process. A lot of times he would say, like for a scene, he would say “You know what I want in this scene,” and I did know what he wanted because we worked so closely together, in the past on Moonlight. So, I feel like as collaborators we found our sync a lot faster on this process.<\/p>\n

With this movie, was it more of a challenge, because you had more scenes, as opposed to Moonlight?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Joi McMillon:<\/strong> This film did have more scenes to edit and I think it wasn’t necessarily the editing of each scene that took time, it was actually us finding the right structure for the film. Because we play a lot of going into the past. One of the things that we really wanted to focus on was grounding people in Tish’s perspective. So we did take a pact on the film where we, for the most part, tried to go in and out of the past through Tish’s point of view. She was our gateway from the past and she was also, like being on her coming out of the past. So the audience really felt like she was a vehicle that was taking them through this film.<\/p>\n

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When you are doing a period piece, you have to make sure that everything is syncing, from the props and production design because we the audience will figure it out. Especially, those in New York.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Joi McMillon:<\/strong> Exactly, and so between James Laxton, the cinematographer and Mark Friedberg, the production designer, and Carol Eselin, who was the costume designer, they all did such an amazing job. You know, doing their research and providing us with the landscape that was reminiscent of that time and keeping us so we’ve got images. So you feel like you were back in the 70’s. And for us as editors, when you are provided such rich material you almost work as a preservationist. And you do not want to disrupt what they’ve already really, really tried very hard to create. And so, a lot of time when we’re working on certain scenes and stuff like that, we can see the images and the camera moves that they really really took their time in trying to accomplish on set.<\/p>\n

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And so, for me, knowing Barry and James for as long as I have, I can tell when they’ve taken their time on something that they really want that to be in the movie. And sometimes it may not be the easiest thing to fit in, but ultimately, I’m an editor. With our craft we try to creating using the most thoughtful contribution that were provided to us by all departments.<\/p>\n

As you mentioned before, between you, Nat, and Barry, all of you have worked together in the past. Does he give you a lot more freedom to do your thing and he comes in and gives his notes as opposed to someone else that you haven’t worked with in the past?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Joi McMillon:<\/strong> Exactly, that was one of those things that, like, for me cause Moonlight was the first feature film that I edited on, and so, one of the things that I’m just grateful for is the trust that Barry and I have built up in our relationship from knowing each other so well. And so, that’s one of the things that Barry has… Barry, I feel like, with me choosing the people that he wants to collaborate with. He’s very careful to make sure that the person that he’s entrusting with his film has built up the trust of him. And so, he feels like it’s in good hands. And so, when we do work together it is… I do feel like I have the freedom of putting together a scene where I feel like that is in the setting.<\/p>\n

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When we start working on the scenes together, it is the type of relationship where I, like, a look, or a head nod, or a mmm… you know, I can tell, oh he’s really, really liking this, or oh yeah, there’s going to be some changes in this scene. That to me, is kind of a grate place to operate from because you feel like you’re connected with this person and executing a vision that you both are in sync with.<\/p>\n

Since Moonlight won the Oscar, what did that do for your career? Being nominated, being a black female being nominated in that particular category. Do you think it opened doors for other people, and are you getting other work offered to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Joi McMillon:<\/strong> It hasn’t really opened doors for me. Prior to Moonlight, I was submitting my resume, taking interviews, but I just was not landing that position as an editor on feature films. And once Moonlight came out I know the success follows, it was one of those things where I said now I was receiving more offers then I could take. For me that was, it still feels like, slightly surreal for me to wrap my head around. Something that I’ve been trying to achieve for such a long time has now come to fruition. It’s something I feel very blessed to be a part of. Such an amazing journey with Moonlight. I think my nomination has not only shined the light on the lack of diversity that happens, not just in post-production, but all different avenues of this industry.<\/p>\n

But, I think a lot of people have seen the need to be more diverse and have, basically, listen to that call and be conscious of adding more of diversity in the cutting rooms. I know, for me, there’s a group of girls that I mentor and it’s been amazing to see them receive all the opportunities that might have opened to this in the past. I’m thankful to know that throughout this whole process that this light has been shined. I hope it will get better as far as maybe this industry a lot more diverse then it currently is.<\/p>\n

I know you did Lemon, is there anything else coming up for you<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

Joi McMillon:<\/strong> I’m actually currently working with Janicza Bravo again and A24 as well on a film called Zola. So, I’m currently editing that right now.<\/p>\n