The Rocky Path To A Final Picture Lock

Before any of the fun parts of a film production can be performed (i.e., coloring, special effects, music etc.) you must get a final picture lock. This stage must not be rushed no matter how much time it may cost.

The new editor is officially onboard and she’s ready to hit the ground running. I let the previous editor know that the new editor is ready for access to the footage which she had been uploading into the Dropbox. With over 2TB worth of 6K footage, it took roughly a little over a week to get everything uploaded.

As the footage was being uploaded, the new editor was simultaneously sorting through the organized files. Soon enough a rough cut was produced. Boy was it rough. But I was glad to see that finally we had a foundation to work with after months of being in limbo.

I sent the rough cut to the director to provide her notes/feedback so we could get to a final director’s cut. Since the director resided in California it took her some time to get back with comments. This routine continued for the next month and a half. While in the process of completing the third revision the new editor realized that certain pieces of footage were still missing, and she also asked if we could start selecting stock footage.

I reached out to the previous editor via text and email consistently over the next few weeks with no response. The new editor also joined in with trying to get in touch with her, but with no such luck stalling the editing process further. In the meantime, I began looking for stock footage, but issues with pricing and finding the right clips that matched the time era where the film takes place was difficult.

So, I decided to pause the whole stock footage process because honestly, I felt that looking for it this early felt too rushed.

Eventually the previous editor responds to one of our emails, uploads the missing footage and revisions resume. The third revision was good. I saw many scenes and creative editing that I really liked. However, the fourth revision was a different story. The director and I began having difficulties with the new editor.

Notes weren’t being taken into consideration, professionalism was dwindling, and it felt like her only interest was to create a rushed product. Then, she made a comment saying, “we have two more revisions left.” (Huh? What? No!).

The truth is “Yes. Six revisions can be enough to edit a short film project if minor editing needs to be done. But, in most cases, to fully protect a film project, a producer must expect no less than 20+ revisions to be made, sometimes 40+”.

When the director took note of that comment, she made sure that the notes for the fourth revision were extremely detailed, down to the second. Even though I was glad those detailed notes were provided, my nerves were still kicking because I was afraid the editor wouldn’t listen. Then, the fifth revision was submitted and just like I predicted, it wasn’t good.

Scenes were out of place. Notes weren’t implemented. Stand-in stock footage didn’t make sense. I mean, I couldn’t understand anything. She changed everything. Eventually, I told the editor not to proceed with any further editing unless the director and I were in the editing room with her.

 I knew I needed to regroup with the director to decide how to proceed. So, the director and I met up for three hours to discuss our next steps. I also took an additional few days to contemplate a final decision. Within those few days, a really good editor that I worked with previously (whom I forgot about) on another project reached out to me.

She’d read a few of my blog posts and asked if I’d help her produce her short film project. Coincidence? (Who knows). I decided to wait until I made a decision with how to move forward with the current editor before I responded back to her.

Finally, I made a decision. A very tough decision. I decided to release the current editor from the project. At this point, time didn’t matter anymore, producing a quality product did. Then, my thoughts wandered back to the email I got from the editor who needed a producer. Well, I thought, she needed a producer who could get the job done and I needed an editor who could get the job done.

So, I asked her, can we barter?

Other posts you may be interested in:

• How To Stand Out On A Major Indie Film Set?
• What It Was Like Interning Under A Hollywood Actress?
• How A Schedule Can Impact A Film Production?

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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.