For a community who works in the dark, Norman Hollyn was a bright light

There are those iconic industry giants that seem to define what it is to do a certain type of work. Norman Hollyn, ACE, was exactly that for the film editing industry. Yet however huge in stature, he was one of the most generous and accessible people I’ve ever met. And certainly for a community who works primarily alone in the dark edit bays of the world—Norman was a bright light.

To all of my colleagues’ heartbreak, Norman died unexpectedly last weekend while lecturing in Japan. The void he leaves is devastating. But the legacy he offers is extraordinary.

--- In honor of Norman, we’ve unlocked his LinkedIn Learning course, Foundations of Video: the Art of Editing for an entire month. ---

Norman was an incredibly talented and admired film editor, professor, world-renowned writer, film historian, keynote speaker and world lecturer. I met him 12 years ago when I moderated his panel discussion at the University Film and Video Association (UFVA) conference. I remember having cocktails with him at the hotel bar that evening—and was immediately drawn to his kindness, passion and intellect. Geeking out over films with this guy was so fun! And in the next breath, we’d talk at length about recent software upgrades and editing workflows—and then about our families, travels and teaching. He was the life, and light, of any conversation.

I reconnected with him countless times over the years at various conferences, events, course collaborations, online meetups and dinners all over the world. I believe I speak for our entire community when I say that it was his never-ending enthusiasm and generosity in sharing his passion and his life’s work that impacted—and in many cases, shaped—our own careers. Everyone—everyone—loved and appreciated him. It only takes reading the hundreds of mini-eulogies and declarations of love and respect on his Facebook page to glimpse the tremendous impact he had upon so many of us.

One recent collaboration I had with him was through my weekly online series, Filmmaking Forum, where I interviewed many filmmakers and editors about their craft via Skype. When I first got the idea for this course, I needed to present a proof-of-concept for approval—and so I knew I’d need a solid first interview. For obvious reasons, I chose Norman for the pilot, which, happily, led to the series’ green light.

This morning, after reflecting on what Norman has meant to me, I went back to the raw footage from those Skype interviews. I listened (through tears) to Norman talk about filmmaking and editing... and life. Because after all, so many of his precious nuggets of advice really did relate to life. He taught us all about how to live a good life through the art of filmmaking.

"...he taught us all about how to live a good life through the art of filmmaking."

Below are several excerpts.

Here, Norman talks about the "log line," of filmmaking—a lovely concept that defined so many of his wonderful courses, lectures and books:

As you can see, his discussion of the central core—the heart—of a film, emphasizes the journey the audience takes in understanding the film. I loved talking about the role of audience with Norman; he was able to articulate this two-way street of our craft so very well. (FYI, here's a movie from his LinkedIn learning course that further describes this idea with more context.)

Norman's incredible generosity was clear not only in the way he shared his ideas, but also in the way he collaborated with people of all walks of life. Here, he discusses how open and clear collaboration between director and editor is one of the most important parts of making a film:

Indeed, the best part of collaborating with Norman was coming at a problem with different perspectives—with each person's ideas building on the other until the result was much greater than the sum of its parts. Here, he talks about this:

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I'll end on this clip, where Norman talks about the wonderful possibilities that editing lends to the art of storytelling:

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Since hearing the sad news, I've been reconnecting the only way I can: through his courses... and I wanted to share what I could with others. I've therefore unlocked Norman's course Foundations of Video: the Art of Editing for an entire month for you to enjoy. My Filmmaking Forum: Conversations series, which features Norman in many of the interviews, is also unlocked for a month. I hope you enjoy his instruction as much as we all have—because he really is one of the most inspirational and brightest lights I have ever known. Rest in peace, my dear friend.

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• I'd love to just close with a few pieces of feedback from Norman's students from his course, Foundations of Video: the Art of Editing:

The author took a whole world and wrapped it up as a beautiful gift 
and presented it to me in a way I can see all its value... Loved this 
course; I plan to watch it many times. 

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The author teaches from a place of experience and expertise, but in 
a way that is very easy to relate to from an area of novice experience. 
Awesome!

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You have opened my eyes to a great new appreciation of filmmaking. 
From now on, I will have a whole new experience while watching films. 
You have inspired me to be patient and creative. Thank you.

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This is by far one of the best courses I have found on editing. 
I thought it was exceptional in clarity as well as simplicity. 
Smart material, detailed and informative, that emotionally spoke 
the message loud and clear. Loved it.

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This is a WONDERFUL course on film editing. Norman is a brilliant 
teacher and I recommend this, not just to those learning film or 
video editing, but to screenwriters, producers, actors and directors!