“I hate editing. But I’m good at it.”

That’s what I said to director Michael Hanson when he asked me if I would cut a film from a short trip that he took down the Flint River with his camera and microphone for American Rivers. Since 1973, American Rivers has protected and restored more than 150,000 miles of rivers through their advocacy efforts. And, Michael is an extraordinary talented photographer who shoots for, among others, National Geographic. So I said yes.

With some consulting help from Mark Bashore, and of course, lots of input from Michael, here is the result.

The music for this piece is so important. It sets the mysterious mood. I discovered it on The Music Bed, two tracks by Steven Gutheinz, “The Sun” and “A Message.”

I had to learn Premiere Pro to cut this film.  I found the experience tolerable and the tool adequate. I’m glad I cut this in Premiere, actually, because it gave me a whole new appreciation for Final Cut Pro X, which remains my NLE of choice. It’s not that Premiere sucks, it’s just that FCPX is so fluid, so quiet, so undemanding. FCPX flows like a river, and Premiere is like driving from Fremont to West Seattle at 4:30pm on a Friday. But in the end, it takes you there.  Just like that river.