A couple of months ago photographer Andrei Duman approached me about editing a short film for Eizo Monitors. A few weeks earlier he went out to Moab National Park with cinematographers Mark Giles and Austin Droguet to capture the epic landscapes. The goal was to produce a short film showcasing Andrei and why he only uses Eizo Monitors while editing photos. I was thrilled at the opportunity to work with Andrei and the team to bring this film to life.
The biggest challenge of this film was finding the tone. When I received the media I didn't know where exactly I should start. Normally, I begin by editing an interview or voiceover to create the structure for the film. By doing this it helps me begin to think about the shots required to tell the story and how I might be able to shape it. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case so I had to think differently about how I was going to bring this project to life.
One of the first things that I started to do was try and figure out the music that would elevate the visuals that were shot. I knew that the song would also help shape the pacing of the edit and help me find the tone before receiving the voiceover at a later date. The biggest challenge with this was receiving multiple notes on what works best. There were a lot of different opinions on the rhythm and pacing of the edit and what was working best. However, after several late-night phone calls and edit sessions, we found something that really showcased Andrei's experience photographing Moab and why he uses Eizo Monitors.
Like all projects, this was a learning experience. I learned a lot about receiving notes from multiple people and how to work with them. As an editor, one of the biggest challenges of the job is trying to determine which notes should be listened to and which ones should be ignored at the moment. Everyone wants to have their say on a project. However, at the end of the day, it is the responsibility of the editor to determine which notes ultimately make the piece better. This is something that I am still learning and I think it is something that I am going to be learning throughout my career. As creative professionals, we spend a lot of time talking about the importance of the hard skills that anyone can learn. We don't spend enough time talking about the soft skills that are required to work with others and make great work. What I've been learning lately is it is critical that we develop theses skills just as much as the ability to use a camera or control an edit session.
I want to conclude this blog post by thanking Andrei Duman for giving me the opportunity to work on this project and bring it to life. I appreciated your thoughts and guidance in the direction. I also want to thank Mark Giles and Austin Droguet. Your encouragement through the editorial process really helped me understand your thoughts and vision for the film and how we could make something awesome. (Also, the footage was amazing! Some of the best looking images I have had a privilege of editing.)
Finally, to any aspiring editors, find projects like this one where you can get involved. The only way to get better at editing is to do the work. It's facing deadlines and creative challenges that you don't think you can overcome. However, it is the process of working past this restrictions that will truly make you great at your craft.