Post-production (reflection)

        With post-production coming to an end, there was a last-minute lesson I discovered that broadened my knowledge of directing. 

        It all started when my editor (Tiana) finished editing and was ready to send it off to sound (Liam). In my crews group chat, I started to see texts come in with concerning statements. These statements included things like "some of the shots aren’t loading in DaVinci" and "I'm trying to see if I can get it to work on adobe" (These messages concern changing the editing software midway through post-production). However, I told myself that it's out of control, and that it's not my expertise. This was my mistake. Soon after, I got a call from Liam saying that he created a new version of the film that he made himself, not by Tiana. He expressed that he had editing concerns that were not being resolved through text message conversations.  

This brings us here, two versions of the same swede but edited differently. 

Clip from Version 1

Clip from Version 2

What I did wrong: By not intervening and mediating when things started to go downhill, despite being the director, I allowed confusion to build and communication to break down. My hesitation created an environment for conflicting decisions, ultimately leading to two competing edits. 

What I learned: I now know that as a film director, thinking "it's not my expertise" is not an excuse to stay silent while my crew is crumbling. Directing isn't just about creativity; it's about communication and problem solving. Even if I'm not the editor or sound designer, it is still my responsibility to keep a steady workflow throughout my crew.