‘Dune’ engineer says over-cutting ‘over-cutting’ ruins movies and series

Joe Walker is considered one of the best mechanics in the film industry. Despite the fact that he has never won an Oscar, he was nominated twice for his work for 12 Years a Slave in Arrival. He also managed to get high with his work for Blade Runner 2049, Hitman, Widows and he collaborates again with director Denis Villeneuve On Dune, a film that many people eagerly await.

Walker’s work may be praised, but he himself thinks that many mechanics today use far too much over-cutting (the unnecessary frequent switching between shots) in films and mainly TV series from streaming services: ”Reaction shots are now being crammed in everywhere and there is a quick changeover and this for no reason”.

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Walker himself hates this: ”I am absolutely not a fan of it. In over-cutting I always feel like someone is trying to drag me in a certain direction in order to manipulate me. That is the biggest mistake a mechanic can make”.

During his interview Walker also stated that a recent Oscar winner is also guilty of this: ”I am not going to say which film it is about, but a ridiculous amount of cutting is done to show, for example, that someone is sitting at a table. There is too much movement in that scene, which makes it look very messy. I much prefer a technician to be self-controlled and to work strategically”.

Walker could be talking about it Bohemian Rhapsody has also received criticism from film buffs after the film won the Oscar for Best Editing. Walker may be talking about the scene where Queen meets their future manager John Reid.

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