Dear Mar,
Oh man. Let’s take a deep dive into my editing brain. I’ve never talked about this before, other than the bits that you may have read in my Info Kit, so it’s going to be really interesting to see how my thoughts translate to the page. I want to share with you the inner workings of my editing process.
I recently just finished another film, Joyce and Ronnie’s Wedding Highlights. My turn around time for wedding films is typically 3 months after the wedding date, but I can accommodate as needed if the couple needs their film done by a certain time. Usually though, I feel like I have the sweetest clients who are patient and truly respect the time it takes for me to complete their project. I so appreciate that kind of patience. I am constantly pushing myself and at least at this point in my life, I’m able to confidently say that I want to keep putting my best foot forward and give every creative project I take on my absolute all. Since I have a lot of projects I am working on for work and personal life, they take a lot of time. I want to make sure every project lives up to it’s full potential. I give myself deadlines and expectations but also allow myself not to hold myself to them too strictly, just incase I need more time than I was originally expecting finishing a project. Then of course, needing to give myself the chance to rest and reset before starting again.
Before the start of taking something on, I may not realize exactly how many hours or days it will take me till I am satisfied with the outcome. The good news is, all my projects typically range from taking me a couple of days to a week and I work on multiple projects at the same time, slowly getting them all done, pacing myself and refreshing my brain as I keep coming back with fresh eyes. But when I am all in and see the vision, my main focus becomes solving the puzzle until satisfaction.
Editing to me is solving a puzzle. How am I going to make this all work together? Whatever I am doing has to be cohesive and have a flow. The reason why I started doing LookBooks is because I didn’t feel like just taking the photographs was enough. I want to curate the visual experience and I want the viewer to observe the order of images in a certain way, just like when I create my films.
Sometimes you get an idea and it’s so simple and so obvious. And right now, my mentality is; well, if I came up with this idea and I can do it, I’m going to do it. No matter how hard or how long it is going to take me. I’m determined to invest the time I need to make the best product I can for the viewer.
With that being said! I was finding myself reaching the deadline that I had set out for myself for Joyce and Ronnies project. I’ve been so good keeping up with all my deadlines, but I was just was not making the date this time. I was running behind. It was not intentional but my previous projects this month took up more days than I had initially planned and I needed more time. 5 extra days.
2 days after my ideal delivery date and Joyce sends me a message on instagram.
I can’t stop thinking about what Joyce said. It was the little boost of love and confidence that I needed. Love and confidence are the most powerful emotions.
“I’m the only one in the world? That produces the art that I do?” Was a thought that I kept coming back to. I guess so and that is true.
The art I create is the perspective that I hold for life.
Sick.
I love it.
SIDE NOTE: That’s why dealing with the fear of being copied is actually quite silly. No one can take away your eye, your mind, your soul which is what at the end of the day, makes your art unique and special to you. Share the inspiration, we exist to inspire.
Joyce’s kind words made me feel seen. Not only was I accepting her words as truth, but they helped me see myself. Self doubt is one of the most common human emotions and I am no stranger to it! I constantly question If the art that I create is creative enough and battle myself to feel confident in what I am doing. You should always feel confident in what you are doing. My mom has constantly told me growing up, don’t spend too much time making a decision. Just make a decision and go for it. Trust your gut. I don’t think self doubt is an emotion to be romanticized. I want to embed these words into this letter as a magical act to push away any negative feelings of doubt, and allow myself to express my art genuinely, bravely, creatively and freely. Even letting these thoughts out onto the page feels scary, but I am trusting that I want to share these words for a reason.
There are 5 steps to my editing process which include hundreds of little steps and decisions created in between.
CHOP
1 MINUTE
ROUGH CUT
FINAL
DELIVER
CHOP
The hardest part is always starting. Chopping is the most tedious part. That’s step one, and the very start of the project is always preparing. Most people in the industry call this step “culling”, also known as going through the footage, but I call it chopping. I am about to be cooking something up.
My dad has always told me, the more time you spend preparing, the better everything else afterwards is going to be. He was referring to adding painters tape to the boarders of the floor and prepping his work space so he doesn’t make a mess later on. He would always tell me to do the same. To take my time preparing and take things slow. My dad works in construction. He is a handy man kind of guy. He really knows how to do anything, and fix anything. He’s a woodworker, mechanic, welder. A man of tools, and only the best kind too. He values taking his time and investing in research, exploration and is a true problem solver. He has been the master puzzle solver my entire life, and I look up to him so much.
The chopping section of the process is described as tedious preparation but it is also the most relaxing. I wouldn’t say I am using too much brain power here because I am already naturally able to find a good moment in every clip that I take. And the way I film and the variety of shots that I get, works really well for editing in chronological order. This process uses a lot of my intuition. When I’m going through my clips I’m picking out the best parts and laying them out into my editing timeline. I like to think of this part as if I’m getting familiar with the footage and looking for treasure. When editing a wedding film, I am going through an average of 200-450+ clips, sometimes even 600, sometimes even more. This can take me anywhere between a few hours to an entire day/ afternoon.
1 MINUTE
And so it begins! After I chopped through everything, I go through the chopped footage and make a pile of clips I really, really love. Now I get to put together what I like to call my “editing bank”. I craft the first minute carefully and thoughtfully using the footage I had selected in my editing bank. I believe the first minute of the film gets to hold my favorite moments, and once I edit through the first minute the rest will follow with ease. This is my favorite part. This is the start of the film and usually the most creative part because I get to finally use my creative brain power and think of how I want to draw the viewer in and capture their attention! After picking the first clips I want to work with it’s time to puzzle piece them together in a way that flows well. I usually love to start off with an establishing shot, or a shot that is a little more mysterious and vibey. I also tend to choose my shots based on how the color is playing and working with the lighting. A lot of footage goes through consideration when putting together a film. Sometimes clips don’t get chosen because I did not like the colors. Maybe the light shifted for a bit and the colors were turning out too flat, but then I find a similar shot and it was exactly the vibe I was looking for! Sometimes, I decide on a clip but later down the line I find a similar shot that works better and replace my original choice. When I say I carefully craft the films that I work on, It’s completely true!
This is also the part where I get to choose the song. When I find the music, it’s like this absolutely intuitive process now. I can’t explain it, but usually the song I want to edit to is always somehow one of the first songs I find when I go looking. I use this website called The Music Bed to license all my music. They provide such an amazing service and it is so easy to narrow down the songs in their library by selecting specific genres, instruments, moods, pacing. I pay for the monthly subscription which gives me access to unlimited possibilities and potential for finding new music every month.
When I finish the first minute of the film, It’s a huge milestone. I usually feel like I can take a break or rest, maybe even go for a nap. Sleeping is essential to the creative process as It allows my brain to reset when I wake up and keep the power going. I never want to force myself to edit if I really am not in the mood or am too tired. I want to make sure the films are crafted with my best energy and intention.
ROUGH CUT
A rough cut. This is what I like to call the first draft of the film after it is edited from start to finish. It usually takes me a couple of days, sometimes more, to get to this point after I had chopped through the footage. The same process is applied when editing the first minute, but this time I just take it one minute at a time going in chronological order while sometimes mixing up the footage for fun to keep the film interesting. I create more and more piles of “editing banks” until I feel like I have gone through all the best footage and showcased every clip I wanted to.
FINAL AND DELIVER
Finalizing the film after creating the rough cut always takes another entire day because this is the most detailed oriented part. This is where I fix movements that did not necessarily fit right, or where I find the need to stabilize certain clips. Here I’ll add audio if necessary. Maybe re color or experiment with black and white. My style is not too heavy with effects. I like to keep it simple and let the magic I filmed come through the screen. I enjoy editing to the beat and let the song naturally guide the pacing of the film. Sometimes the song slows down and this is a moment I get to really draw out. I choose moments to draw out that I feel would be the most touching years to come. It could be the grand exit after the first kiss or a beautiful shot of mom smiling in conversation. Just holding the shot on the screen for a few seconds longer than the rest of the clips adds an extra layer of emotion to the film. I’m all about playing with pacing in my edits and making sure I cut to beat.
When it’s time to export I usually have to re watch the film multiple times through multiple exports to ensure there are no editing glitches and the file runs smoothly. I never get it right the first try, and always need to do a few exports before calling it done and moving on to the uploading and delivering stage. Over the course of a handful days of devoted work, thought and energy, a film is created.
THE FEELING
I want my films to feel smooth and buttery. I want you to feel like you are flying through your wedding day. As if you’re your own fly on the wall watching your dream express itself. I am filming in a very hands off style. I am looking for candid, natural moments, and will only chime in with direction if I feel it is necessary. I want you and your guests to enjoy the day as If I am not even there.
Each section of the film holds a completely different vibe as the music shifts and the day itself changes but I most importantly want it to flow and guide you from one scene to the next.
I want you to feel like you are being pulled into the moment. Creating a film in slow motion gives me the ability to slow down time. Immerse yourself in the capture and take in the details our eyes may have missed.
Color sets the tone and is the driving force of inspiration for my edits. Whether I am composing a Look Book, Dreamy Film or my Instagram Magazine feed, I want you to feel like you are melting in color. I am constantly puzzle piecing everything together and color is the glue of the puzzle. It is intentional the way the colors change throughout the project but also parallel play to work cohesively in the feed. I refine my work until I am satisfied, and have no more ideas in me that want to be expressed. Then I let it go, and allow the project to be accepted and loved by the world around me.
My personal series “Letters To The House” has a similar editing process, but because I am creating these films for myself, I allow myself to be even more experimental and use this series as a personal challenge.
“How can I make this interesting?” Is a constant question I ask myself when I am editing. And if I do not like something I am doing, I use that as a challenge too. What can I do to make it better? What can I do to make myself love it. The moment I figure out the answers to those questions, I feel like I am taken to the next level.
I like to say every project I work in is better than the last. I like to think if a client books me today for their wedding that will be in one years time, I am going to be even better than I am today. Although I feel like all my films get better with age as the nostalgia for the era comes to the surface. I really try to put my best foot forward, and give my clients the best possible user experience I can.
After delivery I am nervous, hoping the couple loves their film. I am always open to accepting revisions, but have been so lucky throughout my career and rarely get any requests for changes. The requests for changes are usually fairly mild and simple if ever, which makes me feel confident that I am able to deliver work to satisfaction.
Joyce absolutely loved her film. She texted me and told me the delivery was perfect timing! Her parents were coming over for dinner and they were excited to all watch it together.
I want the world to know I care about the projects I take on. They’re not half assed, rushed or cookie cutter. They take time, and lots of it. The more I grow into this job, and the older I get, the more I recognize the value and honor it is to be a life capturer. I enjoy taking my job and my art seriously. I am here to show you the beauty you contain in your soul.
Love,
Phi
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