One of the most audacious biopics in recent memory, I, Tonya<\/em><\/a>, took audiences and festivalgoers by storm\u00a0this past September,\u00a0and they praised the film’s narrative prowess\u00a0and\u00a0Margot Robbie’s<\/a>\u00a0exceptional performance. Based on a true story, the film focuses on the Olympic career and life of controversial figure skater Tonya Harding \u2014 and the events leading up to and following the incident\u00a0that would go on to define public perception of her. The editor behind\u00a0this Golden Globe-nominated picture, Tatiana S. Riegel<\/a>, talked to us about what it was like balancing the rapid shift in tone, collaborating with Craig Gillespie, and telling the true story of a divisive figure in American history.<\/p>\n Like most low-budget pictures, I, Tonya<\/em> had a quick turnaround. Wrapping production in Spring 2017, the film was shooting for a fall release with hopes of making it into the 2017 Oscar season.\u00a0This meant the crew had to fly through post-production just weeks before the film’s premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. Surprisingly,\u00a0the short time frame\u00a0did not put unnecessary pressure\u00a0or restraints on the editorial crew.\u00a0Riegel\u00a0talked to us about the benefits of working\u00a0with a time crunch, especially with a team you trust: “Sometimes less is better \u2014 it forces you to make certain decisions.”<\/p>\n According to Riegel, they had enough time to do everything. This speaks volumes to the experience and comfort the veteran editor brings to a project. Often, if you’re left to sit with your edit for weeks or months at a time, anxiety and self-doubt will kick in, leading you to kill more than just your darlings.\u00a0The I, Tonya<\/em> time crunch was not unexpected, based on the size of the project and the target release date.<\/p>\n The project began after the film’s writer, Steven Rogers<\/a>, watched the 30 for 30<\/em> documentary “The Price of Gold<\/a>.” Shortly thereafter, he went to interview Tonya Harding, then found the<\/em> guy (her ex-husband) and interviewed him. After hearing both their stories, Rogers found they had wildly contradictory points of view.\u00a0It was these two incredibly different takes on one moment in time\u00a0that created and\u00a0informed\u00a0the film’s unique narrative:<\/p>\n It was a juggle of whose point we’re listening to, and how everybody’s truth is their own. In terms of truth, it’s a little fluctuating at times. There are things that are factual that everybody knows, and there are other things that are people’s points of view, which vary.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The director,\u00a0Craig Gillespie<\/a>, had worked with Rogers on projects before,\u00a0including different genres and styles, like the underrated horror comedy\u00a0Fright Night<\/a><\/em>\u00a0or the blockbuster\u00a0The Finest Hours<\/a><\/em>. For\u00a0I, Tonya,<\/em> the two\u00a0faced\u00a0their biggest challenge yet in finding the right tone for the film.\u00a0The result was a balance between intense emotional drama and comedy. This was a tone that the two found success with in their collaboration on Lars and the Real Girl<\/a><\/em>. The subject matter of that film was very serious, with a strong message about domestic abuse, which is not naturally conducive to comedy.<\/p>\n Riegel reflects on the importance of telling a story, honoring the real people, and respecting events \u2014\u00a0all while telling an engaging story.<\/p>\n \u00a0You certainly don’t want to make fun of anybody or belittle the topic. It was something we had to work with in the back of our heads and in the editing suite as the film progressed.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Balancing the drama and comedy is actually a\u00a0more accurate\u00a0representation of real life than anything the two have done in the past. This particular subject matter was particularly fascinating because of the image of Tonya Harding that mainstream audiences already had in mind \u2014 many paint her as the villain in this story. Most people who remember the incident involving Nancy Kerrigan have a misguided take on what actually happened.\u00a0Riegel points to the importance of the time when she was in the spotlight. Because the internet was not yet a thing<\/em>, the media cast her in a certain light that fit their narrative. The chance to reveal\u00a0the character as a real, complicated human was part of why\u00a0the filmmakers decided to work on the project.<\/p>\n Nobody’s story is clearly black and white, which means that good storytelling showcases complicated characters. What happened to Harding twenty-five years ago was a reflection of the time and how\u00a0people in the media decided to portray her. It’s important to know her motivations \u2014 and that she was a real,\u00a0complex individual.<\/p>\n Because Riegel has worked on major motion pictures like The Finest Hours<\/em> with substantial budgets, shifting from projects with tens of millions of dollars to working on an intimate character study like I, Tonya<\/em>, with a narrow production timeline, one\u00a0might think\u00a0that switching up her workflow would be quite challenging. But for Riegel, it’s all about the story:<\/p>\n I try to make it about the story, always. I think that’s the most important place to start and finish, everything in between, that comes with budget or lack thereof. That’s where you start to have your series of compromises. The types of films that really move me emotionally, I could sit and watch on a tiny screen in an airplane<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Even\u00a0if you’ve worked with some of the all-time greats\u00a0like\u00a0Robert Elswit<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Quentin Tarantino<\/a>, technical prowess and talent won’t help\u00a0if you’re\u00a0not working with a story that grips you\u00a0emotionally.<\/p>\n While\u00a0she has enjoyed working on bigger films and\u00a0facing their technological\u00a0challenges,\u00a0Riegel\u00a0talks about the importance of expanding the scope of your work in order to tell stories\u00a0in creative, new ways. Big-budget features\u00a0come with a lot of cooks in the kitchen, a lot of people to answer to, which sometimes works out better than others. Having started on very small, independent features,\u00a0Riegel\u00a0began her\u00a0apprenticeship on a movie with less than a million dollars.<\/p>\n There’s something really lovely about getting to make your vision or participate in making the vision of the director without having to get into all the other nonsense.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n In regards to jumping from genre to genre (horror to comedy to drama) to strictly online content,\u00a0one would think it might be difficult to\u00a0adjust to the format through which viewers will see your work. Watching something on Vimeo and watching it in a movie theater are certainly different\u00a0experiences, and they require a total shift in the way editors work on them:<\/p>\n If one is a good editor, they should be able to cut all genres of films. In every film, you have a little bit of everything. Like in I, Tonya,<\/em> you’ve got these action sequences with ice skating and tricks that is very entertaining and engaging in way that the comedic moments and dramatic moments are not. Little, tiny eye moments or reaction shots can sway the meaning of a scene.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Films do not often fit neatly into only one genre. For every serious action scene, you’ll usually\u00a0also see a comedic beat soon after. Engaging films are usually full of universal emotions that audiences everywhere\u00a0can relate to.\u00a0Riegel understands how easy it is to fall into a routine and continuously take on similar projects, sticking to one genre or budget. But she’s constantly taking on new projects, offering a wide range of tone, style, and form. The film industry needs more editors like this who are unafraid of a challenge.<\/p>\n On\u00a0actors breaking the fourth wall,\u00a0Riegel\u00a0tells us the writer wrote the inconsistent nature of the interviews into the film. On-camera interviews transition into voice-overs,\u00a0which transition into two-person dialogue scenes. This wasn’t always the film’s direction. The\u00a0clips and sequences during which Tonya turns to the camera and talks to the audience were originally voice-overs or talking-head interviews. This direct stylistic decision was a way to portray Tonya’s survival and resilience throughout the hardships\u00a0of the narrative. However,\u00a0the filmmakers shot it and cut it both ways. One breaking the fourth wall, and one that didn’t.<\/p>\n In regards to multi-cam footage and working with the DP,\u00a0Riegel has maintained her work ethic of keeping her timeline\u00a0minimal and straightforward,\u00a0since she\u00a0usually has to send her sequences to VFX, sound departments, or scoring.<\/p>\n Riegel offered a last bit of advice for any aspiring filmmaker:<\/p>\n I can’t help but find the comparison with a musical instrument or dancer \u2014 a lot of it is practice. You have to get your 10,000 hours in. You learn by doing it over and over again. You’re not going to be an expert at first. You find problems and solve problems that end up helping you become a better editor. You solve these issues, and then in the next film or project, you come up with a similar issue you can\u00a0recall\u00a0‘Wait I did it this way. I can do it this way with this new material.’ Never turn down an opportunity to edit. There’s no harm in editing footage for fun. Just keep working<\/p><\/blockquote>\n In closing, Riegel\u00a0offered some advice only a veteran editor could: take criticism. Receiving feedback from your clients can be one of the most painful processes to go through, often\u00a0becoming heated on certain cuts, over song choices, or regarding shot inclusions. Riegel\u00a0suggests that you shouldn’t get up in arms so quickly:<\/p>\n Don’t get hung up on one note. For every ten notes that I get, I may disagree with nine of them, one of them is going to be something I never thought of it. You have to push through the other nine to get to that one that opens the door. Stay open and flexible, and embrace other’s opinions. In the end, you’re not making a movie only for yourself; you’re making it for an audience. Otherwise, you can do that, but you won’t get very far if nobody wants to see it. So Practice, and be open to notes and opinions.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n (I, Tonya was edited on Avid.)<\/p>\n![\"Interview:](\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/I-Tonya-Pic-1.jpg\" "\\"Interview:")
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\nDoes the Budget Matter?<\/h3>\n
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\nBreaking the Fourth Wall<\/h3>\n
![\"Interview:](\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Coach-4th-wall.jpg\" "\\"Interview:")
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\nFinding Inspiration<\/h3>\n
![\"Interview:](\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Inspiration.jpg\" "\\"Interview:")
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