In response to a very helpful suggestion via Mike Hedge, Erica helped record and edit this production update - I talked about the opening scene of the film, as it is one of the more complicated or SFX-heavy scenes; but if, weeks from now, I’m still struggling to find help with sound design, I’ll pick one of the other more complicated scenes as a follow up.
Erica and I ate lunch yesterday under a post-studio here in Burbank that I’m excited about, I had forgotten all about it, I used to drive past it almost everyday when we still lived south of Magnolia; she’s hoping to get in touch with them tomorrow.
Source: vimeo.com
It’s been a year now of nearly solid editing on FToM - the year before was spent 90% finalizing the story / script and and the other 10% editing down footage and seeing which pieces I had to work with - and during the entire post-production process I’ve always edited around temp narration tracks done by myself; I suppose I mainly did this because I was still working on the story and words I felt comfortable using, and also because… well, I am very slow to let people look at the film itself; hell, Erica and I have been together for four years now, and she only just the film for the first time about two months ago.
After screening the current edit with Ayz, one of his key bits of feedback was it’s time to find someone capable of recording a new temp narration track for me to edit around… and I agree completely. I do okay’ish for the first 40 minutes of the film, but then I just don’t have the control over my voice to a) keep people’s attention on every word, and b) to evoke certain necessary emotions from the viewer. As Ayz kindly put it, my voice “flatlines”.
I did a lot of thinking and stalling and re-thinking and talking myself in circles about who to approach, who to trust, who would do a beautiful job. I knew that I wasn’t 100% settled yet on what kind of voice would best-fit the finished film, so that complicated the decision process, but after stepping back from the film while my family was in town recently, I decided it was time I moved forward. A few days I go I asked someone that I trust very, very much - someone I knew would bring a lot to the narration that I never could… and really: I am so excited to hear this person narrate the film. I really am. We don’t have a date locked down yet, but they’ve said yes! This is a huge step in the post-production process… it’s one of the very last stretches.
Post Production - Week 78 - Sorry this took so long to upload - I recorded this friday afternoon, and wasn’t able to edit it while in Kentucky like I’d hoped.
But here it is - just an update on how I’ve been combing through the footage for the trip and making sense of it. It’s a basic approach, but the baby-step process seems to be helping.
Source: vimeo.com
