Movies: What Really Goes On Behind The Scenes? Find Out!

Christopher Tellefsen, feature film editor for over 40-plus films, and who was nominated for an Oscar for “Moneyball,” and who also cut other major films, like last year’s Oscar-nominated “Nyad,” takes David behind the scenes, most literally, as he explains his method for choosing one take over another to sew a film together; one that matches the filmmaker’s vision. Tellefsen also explains to Host Glass how the editing process works from start to finish; what his editing process and schedule are like day-to-day and gives other interesting commentary on living out the filmmaker’s intent. He also reveals the most favorite scene he ever edited: a 90s classic comedy, “Flirting with Disaster.” Tellefsen also takes a moment to share a little bit about his new project, a musical, “Atlantis,” based on music genius, Pharell Williams.

If you’ve ever wondered what an editor feels when cutting a film, you’ll be drawn in with the Tellefsen/Glass discussion. Host Glass thinks after watching a Christopher Tellefson film, or any other, you will come to really appreciate the effort that goes into taking footage and stringing it together to make a continuous story. Chances are when watching this Episode, you will never watch a film quite the same way again! Christopher Tellefsen is engaging and sharp as he shares information you will only see on this podcast!

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Chris Tellefsen

Academy Award®-nominated editor Christopher Tellefsen, A.C.E., has a diverse body of work that includes hits like “A Quiet Place”, “Moneyball”, “Assassin’s Creed”, “Capote”, “M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village”, “Analyze This”, “Man on the Moon”, and “The People vs. Larry Flynt.”  He has also edited legendary independent films like “Kids”, “Gummo”, and “Metropolitan.” Tellefsen has worked with directors David O. Russell, Bennett Miller, M. Night Shyamalan, Casey Affleck, John Krasinski, Whit Stillman, Harmony Korine, Miloš Forman, Larry Clark, Wayne Wang, Andrea Berloff, Doug Liman, Bart Freundlich, Robert Benton, Harold Ramis, and many others.

He began his career in New York’s late 1980s independent film scene, gaining recognition with Whit Stillman’s Oscar®-nominated “Metropolitan.” He also edited Stillman’s ”Barcelona,” Wayne Wang’s “Blue in the Face,” Larry Clark’s controversial first film “Kids,” and the David O. Russell comedy “Flirting with Disaster.” 

Tellefsen crossed over to his first studio picture with Milos Forman’s “The People vs. Larry Flynt.” Thriving on a balance between independent and studio films, he next edited Harmony Korine’s cult classic ”Gummo” and Wayne Wang’s “Chinese Box” before editing Harold Ramis’ “Analyze This,” for which he received an Eddie nomination from the American Cinema Editors. In London in the late nineties, he edited “Birthday Girl” and “Changing Lanes.”  Tellefsen’s work on Forman’s “Man on the Moon” resulted in another A.C.E. Eddie nomination. 

Additional credits include Robert Benton’s “The Human Stain,” M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Village,” the Oscar®-winning, “Capote,” “Fair Game,” “True Story,” and “The Drop.”  In 2012, Tellefsen was nominated for an Academy Award® and an Eddie for his work on “Moneyball,” he received his fourth Eddie nomination for his collaborative work on “Joy” and won an HPA award for “A Quiet Place.”  

Tellefsen has just finished working with Alan Taylor and David Chase on “The Sopranos” feature film prequel, “The Many Saints of Newark”.

Biography Continued