RPS Editor Haines Hall Shapes Evocative Films for Doug Aitken’s LIGHTSCAPE

Rock Paper Scissors editor Haines Hall has once again partnered up with longtime collaborator, artist Doug Aitken, bringing his editorial expertise to the groundbreaking project LIGHTSCAPE. This multimedia venture, in partnership with the Los Angeles Master Chorale and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, combines original film and artwork with newly composed music to examine the West Coast’s progression into an accelerated technological future. Working alongside fellow editor Austin Meredith, Haines crafted a series of edits that capture the piece's immersive emotional depth. We spoke with Haines about his enduring collaboration with Doug, the influence of musicality and emotion on his creative process, and the guiding principles he brings to his editing work.

Tell us about your relationship with Doug. How did you connect, and what projects have you worked on together?

Doug and I met in Los Angeles after college, so we essentially grew into our careers together and quickly became friends. The first project we worked on was Diamond Sea, filmed in a secure area of the Namib Desert known for its diamond mines. Our next collaboration, Electric Earth, won the international prize at the Venice Biennale in 1999, was a pivotal moment that put Doug’s career on the map. Since then, we’ve worked together on projects like Sleepwalkers, a continuous sequence of scenes projected onto the facades of MoMA in New York, and Song 1, projected on the exterior of the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC. Over the years, Doug has become one of my closest friends.

Can you share how music influences your editing style and approach?

If there isn’t a specific piece of music in mind when I start a project, I focus on finding something that helps set the pace and rhythm. From there, I determine what fits emotionally. Music plays a huge role in supporting the concept and evoking the intended feelings. LIGHTSCAPE was a bit different; Doug wrote the music first and then shot the film in response. His work is thought-provoking and conceptual, so for me, the editing process became about marrying the music with the visuals to create a subversive narrative that has an emotional impact."

In a few words, how would you describe your editing style?

When editing, I want to be invisible. I want viewers fully immersed in the experience without noticing the editing itself.

Were there any unique challenges in editing this project? If so, how did you address them?

This project’s biggest challenge was adapting it across multiple settings. One version is designed for a live performance at the Disney Concert Hall with the LA Philharmonic and Master Chorale. For that cut, the audience is watching a single screen in a theatre, so the edit requires a more linear narrative. We also expanded scenes to give the musicians and vocalists space to perform in the concert hall setting.

Another version was crafted for the Marciano Gallery in LA, where it will be displayed on seven screens, creating an immersive experience. For the gallery cut, we adapted the original linear version to make it all-encompassing, as if the viewer is inside the film. The gallery experience is more dynamic; viewers aren’t confined to seats and can move freely, watching different screens at their own pace.

The final version is an IMAX theatrical cut. Instead of merely scaling up the original linear version, we are drawing on elements from the gallery installation to make the most of the IMAX technological possibilities.

Which part of this project are you most proud of?

Doug and I each bring unique strengths to our collaborations. I often bring a strong sense of emotion to my edits. I’m proud to infuse a sense of feeling into my work; whenever I show him a cut that evokes an emotional response, I consider it a success.

The live-to-picture LIGHTSCAPE concert premieres on November 16th at Walt Disney Convert Hall, and the large-scale immersive installation will be on view at the Marciano Art Foundation beginning December 17th. Find out how you can experience LIGHTSCAPE here.