How Editing Tests Your Character In Film?

_{“Develop a strong mindset during the editing phase because it’ll get you very far in your film career”}

I finally get the courage to watch the first rough cut the new editor submitted, and a fluster of emotions ran through my body from relief. The rough cut was very good. The editor really read the script and put the shots together well. I immediately sent her my and the director’s feedback so she could move forward with the next revision.

The editor mentions that one scene would probably need ADR (automatic dialogue replacement) and asks if stock footage could be sent to her. I’d never heard of the term “ADR”, but after some research and consulting with the director, it would require bringing back in the actors of the specific scene(s) to re-record their audio. So, I knew if I were to move forward with this, I would have to pay out of my own pocket.

As far as stock footage was concerned, I decided to put it on hold until the editing of the original footage was complete. I knew looking for good stock footage would take time since not enough b-roll was able to get captured during the original production due to time constraints. And selecting stock footage that matched the look of the film was going to be very important and would probably take some trial and error.

As the editor went ahead with the second revision, I also simultaneously continued my producer duties by creating contract templates, researching grants, nailing down film locations, and negotiating their prices, locking down rehearsal spaces, providing headshots, bios, etc. We finally got through revision three with very minimal changes needed.

As the revisions continued, I still found it hard to find proper stock footage and I think the editor took notice as with each additional revision she took the initiative to begin adding stock footage clips of her own choice. Quite honestly, they were much better than the clips that I found. But still, I felt that the story was moving too fast and that’s when the director told me that with stock footage, you usually need 2-3 clips in each sequence to make a film flow smoothly. (Now, that makes complete sense). And more stock footage clips were added.

After 16 months, 14 revisions with the current editor, 5 attempted revisions with the previous editor, and a 6-month loss, the editing stage of the project was finally complete, and coloring could finally begin.

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The author is not liable for any losses or damages related to actions of failure to act related to the content in this article. If you need specific legal advice, consult with an attorney who specializes in your subject matter and jurisdiction.