The Flashback Interview: Chuck Workman
If you’ve watched the Academy Awards at any point over the course of the past three decades, the chances are very good that you’ve seen one of my next interview subject’s works. Chuck Workman won an Oscar in 1987 for his 1986 short Precious Images, a rapid-fire look at cinema up to that time. He’s subsequently done many montages for the telecast. There’s more to him than that, though. As head of Calliope Films, he’s helped to create scores of memorable movie trailers. His work as a documentarian has seen him take on subjects as diverse as Andy Warhol, the Beat Generation and the history of the pornographic film, as well as multiple documentaries about the medium of film itself. I was first exposed to Mr. Workman’s films in 1990 when the special Happy Birthday, Bugs: 50 Looney Years featured his short 50 Years Of Bugs Bunny In 3 1/2 Minutes. 27 years later, I got to interview him, and I hope you all enjoy getting to know this editing master.