Post-Production

With filming done, we are now heading into post production. Gilly, our editor, and I jumped straight into the editing process and began piecing the story together. We had each put together our own rough cuts of the film, mine mainly so I could look through the footage and hers as practice for the final edit, since this was her first time editing.

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It was really interesting to see how different our cuts were. It was great to compare them and notice the choices we each made. We showed both versions in our first critical screening, which gave us some brilliant insight. One cut leaned more on mid and wide shots, while the other focused more on close ups. During the screening it became clear that the close ups were the stronger option. They captured the actors’ subtle reactions much better and helped remove the empty space that was noticeable in the wider shots.

A few issues came up during the screening, like the edges of the wallpaper showing, the lobster looking a bit too fake, and some minor lighting problems toward the end of the scene. To fix this, Gilly and I decided to swap one of the close up lobster shots for a wider shot of the basket on the table. The lobster is still visible, but it is out of focus, which helps draw attention away from it without removing it entirely. Gilly worked on both the edit and the sound design, and every time I checked in the film had made excellent progress.

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Editing is a role I have taken on many times, so it was a bit strange letting someone else take the lead. I had full faith in Gilly though, and I just checked in regularly to make sure everything was heading in the right direction. As a director, I wanted to keep the final cut true to my vision, but I also wanted to give the editor space to bring her own ideas into the process. Overall, the edit has gone really smoothly and I am so happy with how it is turning out. We only have a few small tweaks left before it is ready to send off to the gallery.