Alexander Payne, Kevin Tent talk growing up together in the editing booth
Director Alexander Payne and editor Kevin Tent held a masterclass in the Folino Theater on Feb. 12, where they spoke about the despair of aspiring filmmakers, the importance of having interests outside of film and adding squirrels into cinema. Photos courtesy of Gustavo V
Five years after Alexander Payne graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, he was granted the opportunity to make his first feature film. It was time to assemble his creative team. For the role of editor, Miramax Studios threw a plethora of industry veterans Payne’s way, but it was a young editor, Kevin Tent, who stood out, thanks to his atypical editing reel.
Payne and Tent both worked on “The Holdovers,” which was released in October of last year and has since garnered critical acclaim and five Academy Award nominations.
Payne popped in the VHS tape, hand-delivered to his doorstep. The name “Kevin Tent” flashed on the screen. The director prepared for a barrage of cuts and dissolves, but as the reel went on, he was struck by the lack of actual editing on display.
“It was a long take… where’s the editing?” Payne said. “It made me laugh. I asked him later, he goes, ‘Well yes, I think it shows I know when not to cut.’”
On Feb. 12, Payne and Tent joined an audience of Chapman students for a masterclass in the Folino Theater moderated by Stephen Galloway, the dean of the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. The duo spoke about their creative dynamic, starting a career in the film industry and the making of their new film “The Holdovers” — which earned five Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Achievement in Film Editing.
Following their work together on “Citizen Ruth,” Payne would later tell Tent that he chose him over the industry veterans because he wanted to grow up with an editor. Tent credits the longevity of their creative partnership to Payne’s willingness to trust his team and collaborate. On the flip side, Tent offered what he believes are the ideal characteristics of a great editor.
“I think a great editor is somebody who has a lot of patience and eventually gets to a point where they know when to suggest things. It’s not like you’re born to be a great editor. It’s because you do it so many times. You can take the crap you learn and hopefully turn it into an art form.”
As a teenager, Tent would make short films with his friends but lacked a “film education.” His main source of content came from the three T.V. channels available in Buffalo, New York, and he got his first job editing educational films. Payne found film at a young age when his father handed him a projector. His taste was crafted by his older siblings who loved “Cool Hand Luke,” “Bonnie and Clyde” and the Dollars trilogy.
Payne may have an encyclopedic knowledge of film, but the director urges students to find interests outside of film and see the world. During his time at Stanford and UCLA, he studied history, literature and Spanish.
“A monkey can learn how to make a film in about a week,” Payne said. “But then it’s what are you going to tell a story about?... (Film) a carrier of ideas and world-views. You have to develop and educate yourself about other stuff.”
Filmmaking has taken Payne all around the country — Tent too, when he chooses to visit the set. He’s filmed in the central California wine country for “Sideways,” the islands of Hawaii for “The Descendants” and his home state of Nebraska for many others. “The Holdovers” took Payne to Boston, where a stern teacher forms an unlikely bond with a troublemaker left at school over winter break, captured through a ‘70s film aesthetic.
Payne recalled walking around Boston Common, thinking of ways to spice their scene up. That’s when he saw squirrels. He called upon his camera operator who always carried around a pack of peanuts and told a background extra to entice the little creatures.
“By take 11, the squirrel came over and ate out of her hand. That’s when I knew we had a movie,” Payne said.
Payne spoke about the importance of industry connections but feels the most important friend a film student can make is with despair. He refers to the five-year gap between college and “Citizen Ruth” as his “years of agony.”
Even when he cemented himself in the industry and earned creative control over his films, Payne learned that he had to take firm stances when it came to quarrels with the studios.
“You find yourself making changes out of politeness. Then you start dying by little paper cuts,” Payne said. “Keep your budgets low. They don’t interfere as much.”
The opportunity arose for students to ask Payne and Tent questions. Some sparked insightful, motivational and thought-provoking answers. Some were shot down immediately. Their responses covered the duality of the film industry — the delight and the despair.
“It’s hard to start a career,” Tent said. “I was often out of work for three months, four months, and it was scary. That’s part of the business. I think you have to roll with it, and you either stick with it or don’t.”
Payne, despite his cynicism, offered a more hopeful outlook.
““The circus tent of film is huge and generous and inviting to anyone who shows ingenuity, initiative, discipline and a good sense of humor. ”
These words stuck with freshman film production major Cole Miller, who kicked off the student questioning. Miller was enraptured by “The Holdovers” ever since he saw the grainy, ‘70s look of the first trailer.
“As an editor myself, getting to see Kevin Tent and hear what he has to say is so helpful,” Miller told The Panther. “They’re down-to-earth people, really welcoming and approachable. I asked them how they felt about their big achievement with the Oscars coming up, and they talked about how it keeps them busy with all the press.”
Miller and many of the young creatives in the audience are hoping to find a creative partnership like Payne and Tent. The duo stuck around to sign autographs, take pictures and answer more questions, leaving little room for despair in the theater that night.
Dodge College of Film and Media Arts Master Classes are available to all Chapman students and alumni. Seats are available either on a first-come, first-served basis or by lottery system, depending on the Master Class. Dates, times, upcoming guests and additional information can be found in the lobby of Marion Knott Studios or on the Dodge College Instagram account.
