This was my first full short film production as an editor at Chapman. It was a four-day shoot, and overall production went well. I had just one week to turn in my first cut. For the first time, I had to assemble a 20-minute working short film—complete with temp score and sound design—in only five days. To say it made my head spin is an understatement. I never felt like I couldn’t get it done, but I wanted it to work properly. First impressions leave a lasting impact. This was my first time previewing a cut to my peers and professor, so I put everything I had into making that first cut as watchable as possible.

Here’s how the class works: you bring in your editor’s cut with your director, everyone watches it for the first time—even the director—and then the professor asks the class five questions: “Highly recommend, Recommend, Either/Or, Didn’t like it, or Wouldn’t recommend to save mankind.” Harsh? For some, absolutely. I’ve seen people walk out of class or defend their choices as if they were under attack. The industry can be brutal, especially with so much money on the line. No one is going to baby you or hold your hand. Being critiqued is always a hard pill to swallow. I don’t think it gets easier over time; you just learn to take away what you need and rely on your experience and instincts to process it. Luckily, they enjoyed the first cut. We still had a lot of work to do, but they understood what the movie was meant to be.

A big part of that came from my conversations with the director during pre-production. I tried my best to understand and interpret what he was going for tonally—what the story really was. It helped a lot to be on set and watch them work as well; I was already cutting scenes in my head while watching the monitor each day. Once I had a grasp of that, I trusted it would reveal itself through his coverage and direction. As an editor, that’s the core of the job—at least to me. Communication is everything. I don’t suggest ideas because I want to see it play out a certain way; every note I give is meant to hopefully improve the film. Some ideas land, some don’t, and that’s okay. This isn’t about forcing my own vision or ego into the film; it’s about making sure no stone is left unturned. Things can always be pushed further in the process and made better. I’ve been lucky to work with a director who was open to collaboration. It’s always their call, but having a director willing to explore alternatives outside their original plan is an amazing experience—and it makes the creative process so much stronger.

It was such a talented group, and I felt honored to be part of it. The short came together well, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we accomplished.