Film editor crafts ‘Alchemy’

As an exercise in demonstrating how the art of film editing can be used to create meaning and emotion, Pietro Scalia has fashioned a short movie from footage shot for nine other films.

The result, “Alchemy,” will be screened for invited guests at the Hammer Museum in L.A. on Monday.

Scalia, who won Oscars for his film editing on “JFK” and “Black Hawk Down,” undertook the project at the invitation of Prada, using footage from nine short films that had been created to help promote a new men’s fragrance from the fashion company.

Those nine films can be seen now at www.prada.com. “Alchemy” and a question-and-answer session with Scalia at the Hammer event will be available on the website starting Tuesday.

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