over the following years, during the period of the great depression, kramer took odd jobs in the film industry: he worked as a set furniture mover and film cutter at mgm, as writer and researcher for columbia pictures and republic pictures, and associate producer with loew-lewin productions. those years as an apprentice writer and editor helped him acquire an "exceptional aptitude" in editing and develop the ability to understand the overall structure of the films he worked on. they enabled him to later compose and edit "in camera," as he shot scenes.