David Lean

I was watching a doc on David Lean this morning. He shared a story of how he got started as a cutter in the British film industry.

He was working as an assistant at the studio, having worked his way up from teaboy, serving the tea during the afternoon break. One day, when the studio was making its first sound film, he learned that the film editor didn't know how to synchronize dailies. The only person who could do that was the newsreel editor, who spared two hours to show the editor the basics of syncing dailies. Lean watched intensely and learned the entire process from seeing the demonstration. The film editor continued to struggle with the process, and since the newsreel editor was occupied with his own responsibilities, Lean -- who had the whole process down pat -- stepped up to do the job and instantly rose to position of film editor.

It's like Mardik Martin said, "If you're a shrinking violet who sits in the corner, no one's going to give a shit about you. You've got to present yourself."