I know, I usually don't talk about work, and when I do, it's mostly complaining.
And that's why it is imperative that this blog is unsearchable when you key in my name in the vast world wide web. (Ding!)
But here's just a reflection piece about editing that, after 4 years and 9 months, that I am just beginning to grasp. What was interesting is, that it took another fresh face to make me see how far I've gone, and at the same time, how much more I need to learn.
So the story was, I had to take care of a new editor who had been doing mostly corporate jobs. It was a struggle, to see him not struggling. Hmmm... what do I mean by that?
Well, during the brief, I'd already have ideas of how the completed edit might look like, being familiar with the archival programmes already. That's what experience does to you. It was supposed to be a "reference" moodboard, where he had to put in scenes that showed the theme that we wanted. Eg, Family Love, so you're supposed to craft a sub-story from the main story with just scenes from family love. Does it sound easy? Because again, experience tells me it ain't. It is one of the hardest, trickiest thing to do. When the actual story could be about something else entirely and you had to make it look like it's about family love. That's really hard.
Two hours later, when I was shown the cut done by the editor, I saw that clearly, the person has missed out on parts that he could have exploited in the cut. And that it was jarring, from moment to moment. That music piece too, was out of place. That was a very "eureka" moment, that somehow, over the past years, after having sat with my bosses for countless edits, that now I know where they were coming from. The edit. Just. Doesn't. Work.
I found it was pretty hard to let the news down to someone and tell him that, hey man, this isn't very good. I tried to ask some questions, like, "What do you think?", "What were you thinking when you put this part in", "Do you think it helped in the story?". And even harder, when the person's reply is "Yes, I think it's good because...." and you're thinking in your head, "Nooooooo, did you even hear what that Voiceover says? Why did you put this image for that VO? Siao ar?"
Flashback. I had been in that hotseat before, but usually I don't justify myself and instead, work on my bosses' notes with deep anger that only my boyfriend will know through my angry smses of "Three pages of notes!!! Wah laooooo eh." But once all that three pages of notes was done, and it was hard to admit, those torturous notes really made the edit better.
Present day. Had to sit in with my boss, and go step-by-step, shot by shot with the new editor. And it was finally done. You'd think after that, one can pick up and understand what we meant, right? Then came the next brief, and about four hours later.....
Insert cricket sounds. Insert similar scenario where he insists the edit has captured what the brief wants. Insert boss walking out in frustration and tense-filled edit room. Yikes.
In the end, because that assignment was urgent, I spent the evening in the office cutting the edit from scratch, with some help (more like hints) from the editor because he has told me about some scene dialogue, although he didn't find that they were useful, and I tracked them down and used them fully. Really also, because I have been doing these kind of reels for four years, I understood what was required.
So, experience. It counts.
And this darn experience, with all that late nights and crazy rushing, AND pages upon pages of notes, it's not easy to get. Not at all.
With all the people around me quitting their jobs and going for new ones, I'm currently one of those who has stayed really long at a job at 4 years and 9 months in this 21st century. I definitely have had urges to quit (so many), and the toughness of the job takes a toll at times, but it is these moments, these moments where I can see that hey, oh my, I'm an editor.
So, experience. It ain't easy to get, but it counts.
