FILM EDITOR Anne V Coates

“I don’t care if a director tells me to take 10 frames off—because I don’t take 10 frames off. I take off what I think would be appropriate. Most directors have no idea what 10 frames looks like. If you work with Sidney Lumet, he knows what 10 frames are. Milos Forman does, too. But most directors, when they say “take 10 frames off,” they’re just kind of showing off to you. I’ve learned through the years you just do what you think is right. And they’ll think that’s great because they’ll never count the frames.”


Anne V. Coates

Along with other well-know films, Anne edited Lawrence of Arabia.

David said to me in the end, ‘That’s nearly perfect. Take it away and make it perfect.’ I literally took two frames off of the outgoing scene and that’s the way it is today.

A two-part interview in Flickering Myth:


Cutting Edge: A conversation with film editor Anne V. Coates [part 1]


Twice Around: Anne V. Coates talks about Lawrence of Arabia [part 2]


There is a BBC Radio 4 interview from 2007