Negative space: deleted scenes from “Skatefilm”

This thesis discusses the scenes that were deleted from Auden Lincoln-Vogel’s MFA thesis project, “Skatefilm.” While many artist statements and directorial reflections tend to focus on the creative or generative aspects of art-making, this thesis argues that an examination of the editing process necessarily throws a director’s artistic values into sharper relief. Each chapter of the thesis discusses a deleted scene from the film in relation to the film’s original plan and in relation to the final cut as a way of exploring issues in narratology and cinema as well as the director’s own aesthetic sensibilities.

The first chapter of the thesis discusses the removal of the character Ben from many parts of the film and focuses on issues of performance, naturalism and character development through use of foils.

The second chapter of the thesis discusses the removal of the entire fourth part of the film and explores conventions of narrative structure and artistic economy.

The third chapter of the thesis discusses the removal of phone calls from the film and contrasts several strategies for depicting phone calls and other “uncinematic” material in films.

The fourth chapter of the thesis discusses the removal of skateboarding shots, the relationship between editing and skateboarding, and the recognizability of genres and styles.

The fifth chapter of the thesis discusses the removal of a single shot of dollar bills as a way of challenging the use of symbolism in films and also discussing the process of incorporating feedback from viewers during the editing stage.