About
"Most people don't have the patience to be an editor. You have to sit down and get so involved, so interested in your work. But I don't think there is anything that I could have ever done that I enjoyed more thoroughly."
In his two-hour interview, George Watters talks about his World War II duty and his first entertainment business job, which was at Technicolor in Los Angeles. He describes in detail his duties and promotions at Technicolor, his first editor's job, and the craft of editing with a Moviola machine. He discusses working as an editor on series such as Rawhide, Bonanza, Little House on the Prairie, Have Gun - Will Travel, and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Watters recalls his position as director of post-production services at Paramount Studios where he oversaw the post-production of the series Mork & Mindy, The Bad News Bears, Taxi, Happy Days, and Laverne & Shirley, as well as the mini-series Shogun. Michael Rosen conducted the interview in a joint venture with American Cinema Editors (ACE) on July 17, 2001 in Universal City, CA.
Highlights
George Watters on his first job as an editor on Rawhide, starring Clint Eastwood and the challenges of editing a western
George Watters on working on "Touch of Evil" for Orson Welles
George Watters on an editing room in the '50s
George Watters on being Director of Television Post Production for Paramount Television
George Watters on the key traits a person needs to be a successful editor
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on working for Technicolor
On becoming a negative cutter; on his first job as an assistant editor at Universal; on working on "Touch of Evil" for Orson Welles
Chapter 2
On doing the optics for Orson Welles' "Touch of Evil"; on the first time he saw television; on his duties as assistant editor at Universal Television
On working with directors as an assistant editor at Universal; on working with directors as an assistant editor at Universal; on an editing room in the '50s
On working with Frank Pierson and William Self; on editing Rawhide; on his mentor, Roland Gross
Chapter 3
On editing Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., produced by Sheldon Leonard; on the differences between editing comedy and editing drama; on his first job as an editor on Rawhide, starring Clint Eastwood and the challenges of editing a western
On assistant editing the feature "Spartacus" for Stanley Kubrick; on editing Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea for Irwin Allen
Chapter 4
On editing The High Chapparal and Bonanza for producer David Dortort; on editing Little House on the Prairie for Michael Landon
On being Director of Television Post Production for Paramount Television; on the format of the shows at Paramount Television when he was there and the editing equipment used; on editing "Enter the Dragon"
Chapter 5
On advice to aspiring editors; on the key traits a person needs to be a successful editor
Shows
Gomer Pyle - USMC
George Watters on editing Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., produced by Sheldon Leonard
Have Gun - Will Travel
George Watters on editing Have Gun, Will Travel and working with director Buzz Kulik
High Chaparral, The
George Watters on editing The High Chapparal and Bonanza for producer David Dortort
Little House on the Prairie
George Watters on editing Little House on the Prairie for Michael Landon
Rawhide
George Watters on editing Rawhide
George Watters on his first job as an editor, Rawhide starring Clint Eastwood and the challenges of editing a western
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
George Watters on editing Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea for Irwin Allen
Topics
Advice
George Watters on advice to aspiring editors
Creative Influences and Inspiration
George Watters on his mentor, Roland Gross
Television Industry
George Watters on advice to aspiring editors
Professions
Editor
George Watters on working with directors as an assistant editor at Universal
George Watters on an editing room in the '50s
George Watters on the differences between editing comedy and editing drama
George Watters on working with various producers at Paramount Television as Director of Post Production
George Watters on the format of the shows at Paramount Television when he was there and the editing equipment used
George Watters on advice to aspiring editors
George Watters on the key traits a person needs to be a successful editor
Post-Production Professionals
George Watters on working with directors as an assistant editor at Universal
George Watters on an editing room in the '50s
George Watters on the differences between editing comedy and editing drama
George Watters on working with various producers at Paramount Television as Director of Post Production
George Watters on the format of the shows at Paramount Television when he was there and the editing equipment used
George Watters on advice to aspiring editors
George Watters on the key traits a person needs to be a successful editor
Genres
Adventure/Espionage Series
George Watters on editing Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea for Irwin Allen
Comedy Series
George Watters on editing Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., produced by Sheldon Leonard
Drama Series
George Watters on editing Little House on the Prairie for Michael Landon
Western Series
George Watters on working with Frank Pierson on Have Gun, Will Travel
George Watters on editing Rawhide
George Watters on his first job as an editor on Rawhide, starring Clint Eastwood and the challenges of editing a western
George Watters on editing The High Chapparal and Bonanza for producer David Dortort
People
Irwin Allen
George Watters on editing Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea for Irwin Allen
David Dortort
George Watters on editing The High Chapparal and Bonanza for producer David Dortort
Clint Eastwood
George Watters on his first job as an editor on Rawhide, starring Clint Eastwood and the challenges of editing a western
Stanley Kubrick
George Watters on assistant editing the feature "Spartacus" for Stanley Kubrick
Michael Landon
George Watters on editing Little House on the Prairie for Michael Landon
Sheldon Leonard
George Watters on editing Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., produced by Sheldon Leonard
Frank Pierson
George Watters on working with Frank Pierson on Have Gun, Will Travel
William Self
George Watters on working with producer William Self
Orson Welles
George Watters on working on "Touch of Evil" for Orson Welles