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Starsmitten
Editor
Synopsis
Set in 2025, Starsmitten is a short film about a conversation between two former best friends, where much is left unsaid. Tensions rise as Kai’s reluctance to talk, and Jack’s pressure to make amends for their past stirs together in a heated, intimate moment. In realisation, both confess their reasoning behind their actions after an incident that had torn their tight friendship apart long ago. Kai’s confession of love towards Jack leaves the two at odds with themselves, and what they knew of love or friendship, but after years of rumination, both of them move on from their past and form a new yet stronger bond, past anything a romance could.
Data Wrangling and File Organisation
After the film shoot, I was responsible for transferring data from the camera and audio SD cards to my 2TB SSD drive before formatting them. I organised the files by type and by shoot day. In Premiere Pro, I’ve organised the files according to the camera and sound sheet, labelling each clip and audio by scene, shot and take.
Additionally, I documented these details down in a table, colour-coded for easy reference, and included additional notes about specific shots that would be helpful during editing. This process ensured that I efficiently track files throughout the editing process and select the best clips for the film.
This task demonstrated my skills in maintaining a smooth and consistent workflow from production to post-production. My attention to data wrangling, data entry, and file organisation, reflected a deep understanding of the importance of structured file management during the editing process.
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Video Editing
Editing Starsmitten was a challenging yet valuable experience, particularly due to the limited clips and prominent continuity issues with shots and acting performances. Organising the footage and syncing it with audio proved difficult, as the clapper was often out of frame or the clapper sound was not captured on the mic. However, I utilised my problem-solving skills to align the audio with the shots, ensuring proper sync despite these challenges.
My critical thinking was essential in navigating through multiple continuity issues during the cutting and assembling process. It was particularly challenging to create a slower-paced edit to fit the director’s vision and decide which shots best suited each scene and dialogue delivery. With careful attention to detail, I edited the scenes to flow smoothly with longer, slow cuts focused on the characters, allowing for silent breaks between dialogue. This approach aligned with the director’s goals of executing a clear, character-focused narrative in the edit.
Maintaining constant communication with the director and sound designer was crucial to receiving consistent feedback, ensuring the edits met the director’s expectations and keeping the sound designer updated on the progress. By managing my time effectively, I completed the edit in a picture-locked state early, providing the sound designer adequate time to complete her section of the film.
Colour Grade
I had the opportunity to use my university’s colour grading studio to complete the colour correction and grading for Starsmitten. As a beginner colourist using Davinci Resolve, the process initially felt overwhelming, but with guidance and learning new techniques–such as nodes, colour wheels, curves, power windows, tracking and qualifiers–the process became more manageable, allowing me to achieve a look similar to my film references.
Although I encountered challenges in the grade, particularly with lighting inconsistencies and saturated red tones, I addressed them by balancing shadows, contrast and highlights to ensure consistent lighting across shots. I adjusted the tones by applying minor colour changes to achieve warmer or cooler looks, and I controlled the saturation levels to enhance or reduce colour where appropriate. Seeing how these colour changes was exciting and rewarding, particularly in how they shifted the mood and tone and brought new meaning to the scenes.
The final graded visuals emphasised a cinematic, aesthetic look, enhancing the narrative’s emotional depth and atmospheric contrasts. Colour grading in Davinci Resolve was a challenging but insightful learning experience, and I look forward to building on these foundational skills and knowledge to further improve in future projects.
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VFX, Graphics and Titles
Initially, I didn’t think Starsmitten required VFX, but I noticed that the night sky scenes were too dark, felt empty and lacked purpose in the edit. To address this, I decided to add visual effects of stargazing, incorporating both twinkling and shooting stars composited with the night sky. Using After Effects, I created VFX by applying fractal noise, brightness and contrast adjustments, CC particular world, glow, keyframed opacity, and time manipulation to achieve animated and realistic stargazing scenes.
This process gave me creative control over how and when to place the shooting stars, which allowed me to highlight the meaning behind the stargazing moments and their significance to the characters. In the three stargazing night scenes, each one symbolises a different stage in the characters’ relationship. The first scene featured one shooting star to represent one character, the second had two shooting stars emerging at different times to signify the distance between the characters, and the final scene had two shooting stars appearing around the same time, symbolising the reconnection of their relationship.
For the final scene, I used motion tracking to align the VFX with the night sky when the camera moved up, ensuring the stargazing effect felt realistic. I also added the ending title in The Seasons font, with shooting stars to create a creative, engaging and aesthetic ending to the film.
Final Thoughts
As the editor for Starsmitten, I encountered several challenges, which I overcame through critical thinking and problem-solving, ultimately editing a meaningful film that aligned with the director’s vision. One key lesson I learned was the importance of communication in the post-production process. Clear communication is crucial for understanding the director’s needs and expectations, particularly when receiving feedback, and maintaining constant communication with the sound designer for effective collaboration.
In addition to improving my communication skills, this role has significantly enhanced my skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, organisation and time management, while also expanding my knowledge in colour grading. These skills and knowledge are invaluable for future film projects, both personally and professionally, and have prepared me for further challenges in the industry.
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