Production Blog

 

Hello everyone! Finn here with another blog update. After watching Conner on the editing process for a while, I decided to jump in and start learning some of these techniques myself. It's been quite the eye-opening experience to see how all the pieces come together. I've been sitting alongside our main editor, observing the workflow in Premiere Pro and gradually trying my hand at organizing footage into sequences. The learning curve is steep, but there's something incredibly satisfying about seeing how each clip can be manipulated to tell our story more effectively. My first attempts at stabilizing those problematic roller shots from the car scenes were honestly pretty awful - I cranked the Warp Stabilizer settings way too high and ended up with that weird jelly effect that makes everything look unnatural. After some guidance, I've gotten better at finding the right balance between stability and maintaining the organic feel of the footage. The rooftop scene editing has been a great introduction to pacing and emotional storytelling. I'm learning how important it is to let certain moments breathe while cutting others more rapidly to build tension or release it. Our music situation is still complicated with those copyright rejections from PartyNextDoor and Cigarettes After Sex, but watching our team navigate these challenges has taught me about the real-world aspects of filmmaking that go beyond just the creative elements. I've started experimenting with color grading too, though I'm definitely still a novice. The difference that even small adjustments can make to the mood of a scene is fascinating - warming up the car interior shots makes them feel more intimate, while cooling down the rooftop scene enhances that urban nighttime atmosphere. Audio mixing is another aspect I've been trying to wrap my head around. Balancing dialogue against ambient sound and music requires such a delicate touch, and I've gained a whole new appreciation for professional sound editors. Working with the footage we captured has really highlighted the importance of planning during the shooting phase. When we have multiple good takes to choose from, editing becomes so much more flexible and creative. I'm also learning about the importance of maintaining continuity between shots, especially in scenes like our car sequence where tiny details like the position of Olivia's hair or the lighting patterns need to match across different takes. The more I learn about this process, the more I understand why editing is often called the final rewrite of the film. So many storytelling decisions happen in this phase that dramatically impact how the audience will experience our work. That's all for today's update! I'll be continuing my editing education while we prepare for our next filming session. Thanks for following our journey, and I'll see you in the next blog!