Stock Film
1. Selected and discarded footage
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2. Rough cut
After careful consideration and strict adherence to our script and shot list, I created the first draft of the edit. My editing timeline on capcut looked something like this:
Here, I only have the opening sequence jumbled up together, constantly moving it around to have a better understanding of what fits better and makes the editing look seamless. I couldn’t find a background audio for the opening sequence yet, so I used a temporary audio and started working on the match cuts first.
I also recorded multiple videos of my laptop screen to show Filza the editing process, ensuring she remained involved throughout.
If my indecisiveness is not already evident in this video, let me tell you, I had fixated on our very first idea for our film opening. However, everything seemed out of place and abrupt which demotivated me so much.
The next day, I returned to my laptop. This time, with Filza by my side throwing ideas at me. Instead of following a fixed sequence, I began experimenting by moving scenes around more freely. I explored a non-linear film opening, tried various transitions, and added sound effects, subtitles, and text. By this point, all the elements needed for the final cut had been included in a rough and experimental form.
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Rough cut:
4. Dialogue problems
The dialogues for our film opening were probably the most complex part of writing the script. Writing our dialogues in Urdu wasn’t easy, as neither of us is proficient in the language. First, Filza and I vaguely wrote our dialogues in the script. Second, we had our actors improvise during the shoot. Third, I chose the scenes with the dialogues I liked the most. We had the advantage of not having an abundance of dialogues for our film opening, it was visually pretty self explanatory. However, the scene with the news segment was the most essential for our film. That one scene discloses the grand news to Haseeb, Abubakar, and the audience. It was pretty much the one scene holding our film opening together to make it make sense. Initially, we translated the dialogues for the news segment from english to news channel worthy urdu with the help of our friend Azzan (news reporter). But, when I began to edit our film opening, I realised the news segment lacked substance and didn’t explain the plot to the viewers the way I wanted it to. My last resort was to call my uncle and have him rewrite the dialogues for me. He is also the man behind the reporter’s voice.
6. Editing reflection
​As a trusted media enthusiast and creative director, I never imagined a film opening would take such a toll on me. I’ve done multiple media projects for people in my circle, with their film genres ranging from psychological thrillers to horror. Even editing our preliminary came easily to me, although Sir Zia did warn us, saying, “You’re going to have to do better than this for your film opening.” Filza and I nodded to each other with big, confident smiles on our faces, like we could conquer anything and everything. Fast forward to me sitting in front of my laptop, scrolling through YouTube videos on “how to edit a crime comedy” and rethinking all my decisions. When I first sat down to edit with the selected footage, I searched for a good background audio for the opening sequence like my life depended on it, for hours on end. Nothing seemed to fit perfectly. Thankfully, I finish what I start, so quitting is never an option. My first draft had an entirely different format, strictly following our shot list and what we had originally planned for our film opening. I wasn’t satisfied with how it was turning out. It looked dull, boring, and almost like something I could play for my niece as a bedtime story. In the midst of almost pulling my hair out, a big realisation hit me: I have free will. There is no rulebook, and I’m not bound by any.
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Learning from my past mistakes: having multiple different transition shots and takes came in handy. I begin to experiment with all the selected footage, switching the format of our film opening around, and improvising at my peak. Filza, as the helpful angel in my life who’s always sitting on my right shoulder, gave me the idea of our film to have a non-linear film opening. I switched the scenes around, starting our film with a dramatic or mysterious moment that actually happens later in the story. Which seemed perfect as an opening shot: a wide shot of Haseeb and Abubakar sitting on the bench together, the shot representing their opposite personalities (what I wanted originally). After getting done with the one thing I was the most conflicted about - the opening sequence. The rest of the editing process became a lot easier for me. I made 4-5 drafts in 24 hours, risking my fingers, and breaking my back. I had a hard time trying to have Haseeb record the perfect scream for the scene where he screams inside the cafe. Since, we couldn't actually have him scream inside the cafe. I rejected so many other shots and took them out of the film opening last minute because they felt like they were dragging some of the scenes. Specifically, the tasks because I wanted them to be fast paced. I couldn't find someone to record in an anchor’s voice for the news segment playing on the TV in one of the scenes. In the end, my uncle agreed to record it for me seeing my desperation. Thankfully, I did finish what I started. And with that, my editing reflection comes to a close.