This thesis contextualises the practical experience of editing my graduation project – Faded sky, (Pearson, 2023) within a broader academic framework. It also poses the question of whether this experience is relevant from an industry professional’s standpoint.
The main body of the thesis will explore the interplay between coverage, objectivity and designated style from an editor’s perspective. Considering how these elements impact post-production is of great importance because, if handled properly, they can easily elevate the quality of a student film. However, if not, they will become the root cause of many problems that a filmmaker who lacks experience cannot account for.
I want to preface that this thesis is not meant to summarise my post-production workflow step-by-step, and many rudimentary processes will go unmentioned. Instead, my aim is to single out the most prominent problems that emerged during post-production, explicitly related to Faded sky. Then, after identifying the problem’s origin, I reflect on how it could have been handled better after tying it back to relevant academic research. Finally, by using relevant examples from various interviews, I put into perspective whether these experiences should be viewed as isolated cases, specifically tied to Faded sky, or are they common obstacles that industry professionals must face when working on high-end feature films. This research also touches upon how the overly ambitious technical aspect of filming, combined with the narrative’s specifics, may increase the possibility of issues arising in post-production.
The primary outcome of my practice-led research is to systemise my observations on how to achieve optimal results by fully utilising the resources you are given as an editor. That means understanding the limitations of the footage and the role itself and working around them, not against them. Hopefully, these findings can be applicable to real-life situations in my future career and be of value to other graduate students who have yet to film their projects.
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