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Passion and Precision: Editor Bowei Yue’s Compelling Visual Style

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Bowei Yue_1

By Joseph West

Although the film editor works almost exclusively in a post-production capacity, he is as essential as the actors, director, even the writer. The editor exerts tremendous artistic influence over a film, controlling virtually every aspect from pacing, atmosphere and mood to how the plot line’s narrative unfolds. The editor’s visual style enhances and elevates audience experience to a profound degree, and as such, qualifies the editor as a critically important contributor to film and video. 

Film editor Bowei Yue exemplifies the demanding mixture of aesthetics and technical skill required of the successful editor. His comprehensive spectrum of skills and flair for arresting visuals have made him an internationally known force, one with multiple best editing award wins at film festivals around the world. 

It’s been Yue’s life-long passion, one he practically born into.  

“My hometown is Changchun in northeastern China, site of the earliest production company in China, Changchun Film Studio, where Chinese films were pioneered,” Yue said. “As a child, I developed an interest in films. All the kids thought films were cool, but I always thought that the people who made films were even cooler.”

After graduating high school, Yue entered the famed Beijing Film Academy. 

“I was majoring in sound, but I realized I would prefer more engaging work that is closer to storytelling itself,” he said. “Therefore, I applied to the American Film Institute for an MFA degree in editing after college.” 

The American Film Institute in Los Angeles is one of the most esteemed and discriminating conservatory’s in the film world–gaining admittance there is no small feat. 

He wasted no time, cutting a series of well received projects (the award-winning Dark Wolf Gang” earned him best editing trophies at juried competitions in the US and Spain) and his recent work on two short films, “Balloon” and “New Year’s Eve” are prime examples of Yue’s formidable talent and versatility.

The former is an engaging, visual effects heavy action/fantasy about a bullied teen who develops super powers while the latter is an intense, intimate coming-of-age familyd drama, providing Yue a showcase for two very different stylistic approaches.  

“I’d already worked with ‘Balloon’ director Jeremy Merrifield on a TV pilot, a short film and 5 commercials,” Yue said. “We have cultivated a good working relationship and talked about this project long before he was conceiving the script, which was very personal to him.”

Merrifield’s vision and eye-popping action demanded much of Yue: “In this short film, we have close to 100 visual effects shots, some of which are very complicated,” he said. “These are not difficult in a big Hollywood movie because there you have a team of people to complete the work, but ‘Balloon’ is a short film, and most of the work was done by myself. So, in addition to the art of editing, I also invested a lot of energy in the post-production supervising.”

Bowei Yue_2

The result spoke eloquently for itself, making “Balloon” a sensation on the world-wide festival circuit, screening over 30 juried competitions (including AFI Fest, New Orleans Film Festival, Palm Spring International Short Fest, Hawaii International Film Festival) and winning the Oscar-qualifying Grand Prix for Best Film at the 15th annual Hollyshorts Festival as well as the audience award at the New Orleans Film Festival. But these pale in comparison to its popularity online.

“On the day of the stream launch on YouTube and as a Vimeo Staff Pick, our views quickly exceeded 100,000,” Yue said. “We were shocked–this is very rare for a short film. Now, we have more than 4 million views on the web, it’s insane! I’m really proud of the final product.”

“New Year’s Eve” took Yue in an entirely different direction. A deliberately paced ensemble cast drama directed by Hao Zheng, it relates the tension filled tale of  19-year-old Xiaoyu returning to celebrate Chinese New Year at his family home, where he must face the consequences of his unpopular decision to enroll in a kung fu school rather than university. 

“Hao is Chinese, but heavily influenced by European films,” Yue said. “His works are basically slow-paced and have an ‘endless savor.’ I personally like this type of film, but most of my works are more fast-paced and genre-leading, so he wanted my style to collide with his and see what happens with those different chemical reactions.”

The experiment was not without challenges for the editor. “The dinner table scene in the film was a very memorable sequence,” Yue said. “Anyone who knows a little about editing will tell you that dinner table scenes are the hardest to edit. There were seven actors and the dialogue content of the entire scene was very rich, with lines coming at the same time, and a lot of improv from the characters. During editing, my core work was to always pay attention to the relationship of Xiaoyu and his mother but at the same time ensure visual diversity, smoothness of cutting along with all the other elements.” 

 

Bowei Yue_3Yue flawlessly rectified any discrepancies between takes and dialog overlaps and “New Year’s Eve” was enthusiastically received at its recent premiere screening. The film will formally release at the end of this month on popular platform Short of the Week, and has already been officially selected by more than 20 film festivals in Europe. But Yue is always looking forward to his ambitious professional horizon and has several fascinating projects in the works.

These include Director-writer Íce Mrozek’s feature “About Him and Her,” a high-concept love story with unconventional, almost experimental tone, Yuxi Li’s “Sword of Destiny” a big budget period kung fu/ action feature and Erica Eng’s “Americanized” a short focused on elements of disparate cultures, athletics and a fast moving urban visual.

With an impressive skill set, Yue’s potent combination of strong visual style, ingenuity, technical skill and keen emotional tone has established him as a talent of significant range and ability. But it’s his aesthetic loyalty–an unwavering commitment to collaboration and upholding the integrity of the filmmakers original vision–that has really qualified him as an in-demand asset in the film world.

“Many editors have said that the relationship between a director and an editor is almost like a marriage,” Yue said. “Understanding and trust are very important. Film is never a one-man-band type of thing, and an editor’s work gets done by maintaining a responsible attitude to the director. But at the same time, as an editor, you need to leave your own signature on the project. Finding that sweet balance is really important for me all the time.”

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Behind the Scenes, Film, Film Editor, international Talent, Reviews, Interviews & Features!

The Common Thread of Great Films: Edward Line

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Film editor Edward Line made his name editing commercials and music videos, working with award winning directors including Traktor, Matt Lambert, Paul Hunter, Jonas Akerlund and Lucy Tcherniak. A natural collaborator and storyteller it’s not surprising that his talent led him to cutting short films where he has continued to fine tune his craft. It’s a well-rounded career course which Line explains, “From years of cutting commercials and music videos, I have become very disciplined in how to tell stories efficiently and within a set duration. While these skills are transferable, working on short films has relieved me from editing to time restraints and allowed me to approach performances in different ways.  With short films, I’m always thinking of how an edit decision will affect the audience emotionally in a later scene, as character develops and stories unfold. This is true for commercials as well, but of course there is much more breadth in a short film which typically runs for 10-20 minutes, rather than a 30 second commercial.”

Confirming his affinity for narrative editing, Edward’s short film work has been selected and recognized at international film festivals including Tribeca, Sundance, BAFTA and The Academy Awards. Here’s a look at some of his favorite work.

The Counsellor – Hand

The Counselor 2

Not strictly a short film, but a notable promo film that showcased Edward’s sensibility for dialogue cutting.  The film was a collaboration with director Johnny Hardstaff and featured actors Michael Fassbender (Prometheus, Hunger) and Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones) in a sexually charged scene that takes place in a lingerie store.  Edward subtly edited nuanced looks and dialogue to create a tension filled scene which left the audience asking questions, as intended by the filmmakers. This promo film was used by 20th Century Fox to market the release of Ridley Scott’s film The Counselor in 2013. He communicates, “I really enjoyed editing this film. Apart from enjoying the first class performances from Michael and Natalie, the suspenseful and dreamy tone of the film was really appealing.  I enhanced this mood in the edit by paying close attention to the characters subtle eye movements and breathing, then hanging on these moments for longer than comfortable. During the edit, I added the ambient dream like soundtrack which further heightened the tension and atmosphere. When I showed the director my first cut he wasn’t expecting music, but he loved my music choice and it was included in the final film.”

St. Patrick’s Day 

St. Patrick's Day 1

In 2015 Edward teamed up with director Gary Shore to edit the film St. Patrick’s Day.  The film concerns a teacher who gets pregnant, with her doctor warning her, “we’re not certain with what.” It turns out to be (in a riff on the legend of st. Patrick expelling snakes from Ireland) a reptile, but her maternal love has no limits. The dark comedy was part of the “Holidays” anthology feature film and selected for the Tribeca film festival in 2016. Edwards relates, “I was keen to work with Gary Shore on a film after we had collaborated on two commercials in 2015.  Unlike the commercials, which were action packed and heavy in visual effects, this film is a pure narrative dark comedy. The film had over 12 scenes and included several nods to horror and comedy genres, which were fun to play with in the edit. These included creating a comical 1980s style documentary about the myth of St. Patrick. I edited this in a more literal ‘see-say’ style where the voiceover describes exactly what the images are doing, but in an exaggerated way. In the edit, we added a VHS video effect and traditional Irish music to add authenticity. We were so pleased with the resulting ‘mini-film’ that we used it for the opening scene.”

The Painters

The Painters

In 2016 Edward teamed up with longtime collaborator and director Sam Larsson (of multi award-winning collective Traktor) to edit “The Painters”.  Edward recalls, “Sam and I worked together on my first commercial edit in 2011 and have collaborated numerous times since, so when he wrote his first short film it felt natural that we’d team up again.”

The short film follows four house painters who kill time in a parked van as they philosophize about life and recall anecdotes, revealing a glimpse of who they really are. The editor communicates, “This film was a dark comedy with some serious undertones and an editorial challenge being a pure dialogue piece that takes place in one location, inside a van. The success of the film relied heavily on my edit to keep it entertaining and it took some experimenting before we found the film’s rhythm. During the edit I wasn’t shy to cut lines from Sam’s script that we felt were not helping the story, and Sam was very open to my ideas and choices.  As ever with editing, it was important to cut in order to move the story forwards and for emotion, and this was a perfect film to test that theory.” Larrson notes his affinity for the professional partnership he has experienced with Line as he states, “I have always held held Ed Line in high regards for his professionalism and dedication ever since I started to work with him back in the mid 2000. Ed is a great collaborator and very adept at his craft. His intelligent story-telling and comedic instincts have made him a pleasure to work with on every job we have done together. His skills for sound design and broad musical knowledge are invaluable and elevate the films we have worked on. He has a profound dedication to each project and will often stay involved even after his defined role is complete. He is one of the first editors I turn to when I am crewing up for a project.”

The Painters was selected for L.A. Shorts Festival in 2019 and will continue to be seen on the festival circuit into 2020.

Wale

Wale1

Inspired by racial tensions in East London, “Wale” follows the story of an 18-year-old mobile mechanic, who learned his trade whilst serving time in a young offenders institution.  After his release, he attempts to get his business going after being hired by the mysterious character O’Brien.

The ongoing tone that permeates the film the story is one of suspense and masterfully achieved through a blend of the director’s vision and editor’s pacing. Edward’s influence is prominent from the opening montage of Wale in which the footage slows down, causing the image to ‘strobe’ as it repeats frames. This editorial technique helps to convey danger and unpredictability and sets the mood for the rest of the film.  Later, in the scene where Wale [the main character] goes to O’Brien’s house to discuss fixing his car; Edward identifies nuanced moments in the character’s performance and lingers on shots to cultivate an uneasy and mysterious tone. The editing is full of restraint in a key driving scene where Wale wrestles with many emotions as Edward holds the shots longer than one might think possible; allowing the audience to really feel Wale’s emotions and try to understand where his mind might be taking him. Edward magnanimously states, “sometimes not cutting is the best decision an editor can make.”

Director Barnaby Blackburn recalls, “Ed has an extraordinarily natural talent for storytelling. He is able to quickly grasp the vision of the filmmaker and translate it on to screen in addition to his innate understanding of the appropriate tone, pacing, and emotion for every film he works on. Ed is not afraid to experiment beyond the traditional norms of film editing, which continually makes for groundbreaking work that pushes the craft of editing, and filmmaking in a broader sense, forward.”

Wale was very well received and boasts an impressive festival run, winning the prestigious Grand Jury Award at Dances With Films and ‘Best Short Film’ at a further five festivals.  The culmination of its success came in being shortlisted for an Academy Award (Oscar) and subsequently being nominated for a BAFTA in the ‘Best Short Film’ category.

The success of the film points to the strength of the relationship between Director Barnaby Blackburn and Edward who have forged a strong working relationship.  As such, they collaborated again in 2019 and completed another short film ‘Dad Was’. This film follows the story of Mattie, an eight –year-old boy as he gives the eulogy at his father’s funeral. The production reunited many of those who worked on ‘Wale’ and will be submitted to festivals in 2020.

Edward Line 5

(Editor Edward Line at work)

 

Film Editor, Reviews, Interviews & Features!

Editor Haansol Rim’s Creativity Lights the Way

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Profile_1_by Joseph R Barrett
Haansol Rim shot by Joseph R. Barrett

The creative mind of the filmmaker requires a complex mixture of aesthetic vision, deep technical capability and a passionate devotion to the form itself. For New York-based editor-creative editor Haansol Rim, these are defining characteristics, a dynamic formula which constantly propels him forward.

A true international force—born in Germany to Korean parents—Rim came to cinema through a particularly rich background in the arts, which has ingrained a far reaching depth of knowledge that colors all of his endeavors. It’s been a lifelong pursuit for Rim and his mastery at multiple disciplines provides him a significant advantage.

“I was always an artsy kid, since I was really young,” Rim said. “I used to paint a lot, and I played cello professionally. I went to college for fine art. Simultaneously, I started to produce and compose music—I really enjoyed the two, and didn’t want to give up one over the other, so I found a medium that would allow me to pursue both—motion pictures. I decided to pursue film, since I could focus on both visual and sound art.”

The course was set; after completing training in editing, directing, cinematography and production design and earning a BFA at the Academy of Art University, Rim wasted no time in relocating to Manhattan. The ambitious young editor quickly landed a position at the prestigious creative agency-production company MATTE Projects, where a successive series of film and video assignments—each expertly complemented by the advantage of his sophisticated fine arts background—served as a very fertile proving ground.

Rim demonstrated impressive capabilities as a creative editor and editor on numerous productions, both at MATTE and well known international production company 37thdegree, but the driven young talent was also launching his own personal projects, and his work on Seoul-based electro-pop star Sailli’s 2018 music video “The Light” provides an insight into both Rim’s impeccable methodology and limitless ingenuity. While the project turned out to be far more arduous than anticipated, Rim rose to the challenge with verve and aplomb, creating a unique visual achievement that was chosen as an Official Selection of the 2018 San Francisco **DANCE** Film Festival, the 2019 Atlanta Film festival and the 2019 Bucharest International Dance Film Festival where it earned a Special Mention in the international competition.

 

“I knew Sailli from back when I was producing music,” Rim said. “We ran in the same circles and once I became a creative editor and director, he asked me to make his music video.”

“He explained that the song is about self–discovery—finding the inner light of one’s true self. I held onto that intention and started brainstorming.”

Rim’s invaluable blend of instinct and artistic simpatico—a rare intellectual and emotional proficiency—enabled him to really analyze and elevate Sailli’s concept, refining it to a strikingly impactful and collaborative creation. As editor on the video, Rim undertook a fascinating, less-is-more approach, one reliant on pure visual design, a fixed camera and a single, continuous shot.

“In this work, I wanted to express the sense of a motion picture,” he said. “I wanted to make the film feel literally like a single moving photograph, to encapsulate the idea of ‘a picture paints a thousand words.”

The simplicity and affect of this idiosyncratic, minimalistic work is arresting and heightened further by a very unusual graphic design element, one that broke some important new technological ground, another key aspect of Rim’s far-ranging skill and vision.

“The 2D collage effect was something completely new,” Rim said. “Even my team was hesitant of the feasibility of it, since it was something they hadn’t seen previously.”

While the finished product seems deceptively simple, for Rim it became a trial by fire.

“Pre-production was perfect, but the post-production creative editing was pure hell,” he said. “It was a very effect heavy edit, and as an editor with no experience in CGI, it was painstaking and miserable. I literally cried at one point.”

“Since this was a single take shot film, there wasn’t any room for trial and error–if I was unsatisfied with a frame, I couldn’t simply transition to another one. I had to be very intentional with the whole project and understand the confines of the footage.”

The dedicated auteur nonetheless saw it through, rising to meet each challenge head on and always refusing to accept anything but the full blown realization of his own perfected intention.

“It was very tough, and definitely different from my other works,” he said. “It was also such a memorable process, with lots of emotional ups and downs, efficiency and strain. There is no room for error, and no way to edit the flaws out. You just have to stick it through, and make sure that each frame is as great as could be. We worked on 5000 individual photographs that ended up making this great motion picture. Ultimately, it worked out and all these elements and challenges made this work enjoyable.”

Most importantly, he remained true to himself: “I was able to convey my vision as I had pictured it—which made it all the more satisfying. I made it work, and my first true baby was born into the world.”

Although still at the dawn of his career as an editor-creative editor, Rim has already established himself as a powerhouse force in New York’s highly competitive film and video arena, one whose ability to stand out—from the start—is his professional calling card. Rim’s winning combination of uncompromising creativity, technical knowledge, aggressive trouble-shooting skills and steadfast dedication to pure artistic expression places the editor in a league of his own and accounts for impressive, and his steadily rising, reputation.

“My personal creative philosophy is that there is no single right answer to anything,” Rim said. “The world isn’t black or white, its shades of grey—anything and everything can happen. I think good art is that which you can hear the artist’s unique voice, see the artist’s unique color and perspective. Most importantly, the artist must stay true to himself.”

 

Film, Film Editor, Reviews, Interviews & Features!

Graham Fortin talks passion for editing and working on ‘Roam’

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GRAHAM 1
Graham Fortin, photo by Katrin Braga

Growing up in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Graham Fortin enjoyed putting puzzles together from a young age. He felt a rush when he would connect two pieces together, slowly creating a beautiful picture. As a teen, when he was taking a film class in school that required him to make a match cut of someone opening a cupboard door, he was instantly satisfied. He felt the same thrill from when he would make a puzzle, and he knew in that moment he found his passion in life.

Now, Fortin is an internationally sought-after editor, working on many hit films and television shows. Best known for his work on Viceland’s The Wrestlers and Mister Tachyon, Khalid’s Free Spirit, and the award-winning Pour Retourner that premiered at the iconic Tribeca Film Festival, Fortin has had a tremendous career, living his childhood dream.

Fortin enjoys working on many different types of projects, which is evident when you glance at his resume. Whether working on a hit film or unique passion project, he puts his heart and soul into his work. The 2017 drama Roam is a perfect example of this determination.

Telling the story of one dark night on the road to adulthood, where a teenage boy must choose between his friends and his future, Roam is a passion project of Writer/Director Michael Milardo. Milardo had a very clear vision as to what he wanted and Fortin enjoys that as an editor. If he knows what the director is going for ahead of time, it helps him feel incredibly comfortable signing on, knowing he is in good hands.

“I like Michael’s story, that it reminded me of my own youth. It reminded me of moments where I was peer pressured into being part of the group. I think it’s important to reflect on those moments and consider that maybe you’ve got to fight that even as an adult. It’s easy to just go with the flow in life. Sometimes you’ve got to listen to that inner voice and create some conflict to move forward,” said Fortin.

Fortin heavily related to the story, who had similar teenage years and tapped into that. He remembers roaming the streets as a teenager aimlessly with friends. He wasn’t the alpha male of the group, so he related to Jacob, the main character. At the end of the film, Jacob kind of stands up for himself a bit, or is at least on the road to it, and Fortin used his own experiences to hit those emotional beats.

roam_short_film_bobby_shore“I liked the subject matter of the film. I liked the vulnerability of the main character. The project was well thought out look and style wise, and I had a lot of options in terms of footage, so it was a great puzzle to put together. I’m into films that take place during one night, as I find it’s a cool headspace to be in. The role technology plays in our lives is also part of the story. It takes place in the 90s and you forget what it was like to have to rely on landlines,” said Fortin.

Fortin’s connection to the film ended up touching the hearts of its audience. The project was a Vimeo Staff Pick, and for the editor, it was amazing to see all that hard work pay off. He always hopes that his projects will be a success, but seeing that “Staff Pick” sticker on the corner of the video was an amazing feeling.

“I’m happy to get it out there and hear people enjoy it. Having people connect emotionally with the story is the most important thing. I think people related to the main character and cared about his arc. I’m incredibly proud of the story we told and how it turned out. Sometimes you work on projects that don’t quite connect and this one did,” he said.

Watch Roam here and see Fortin’s heartfelt editing.

 

By John Michaels

Film, Film Editor, Reviews, Interviews & Features!

Editor Shuo Wang tells impactful LGBTQ story in award-winning documentary

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Film is a window for audiences to feel emotions and experiences that they may never have the chance to otherwise. The editor plays a fundamental role in the filmmaking process, the storyteller behind-the-scenes. Whenever Shuo Wang sits in the editing room to begin her work, she feels she is in her own space to create a compelling story. It is her time to express her creativity, where she can explore endless possibilities to captivate audiences all around the world.

As a sought-after editor in her home of China and abroad, Wang knows just how to tell a good story. This is evident with her films like A Mistake, Outlander, Mire, 100 Days Under, and more. She uses editing to entertain and educate her audiences on various concepts and loves every moment of it.

“As an editor, I like to try different possibilities and to see different results. Under my editing, I want to make the individual clips into a live and vivid story. The story may have some life experience, suggestions and principles that could share with the audience and give them inspiration. Every time I am editing different narrative films or documentaries, I also meet different characters and real people with their own stories. I want to use my editing ability and thoughts to make every story look more alive,” she said.

Wang strives to tell impactful stories through her work, which is just what she did with her recent documentary Somewhere Between. This true life story is about a Christian living a double life. On one side, she is a devote Christian, and on the other side, she is homosexual. Her life is battled back and forth, and she continues to find the answers of it. The story is about self-identification and finding the balance between two different sides in one person’s life.

“The interviewee Farrahn is not the only person in this situation that has this confusion about her life. There must be a large group of people in similar situations and might have different struggles in their life. This is an ordinary everyday story that could happen to many people around the world. People who see this story will hopefully feel some encouragement and hope to overcome their struggles and difficulties and become who they want to be,” said Wang.

Wang was there during shooting over the course of two months, understanding Farrahn’s life and how to best tell the story when it came to editing. When it came time to create the first cut of editing, she had a good idea of the interviews and the timeline which made for a seamless editing experience. However, after watching the film, she realized there needed to be more information about her life before the documentary started shooting, and wanted to include information about her childhood that Farrahn described as horrible. Therefore, Wang added b-rolls and included more of Farrahn’s internal struggles and changes. B-rolls are the cutaway shots that play an important role in any documentary. After the second cut, she decided to add a scene of the interviewee singing, to allow audiences to truly understand the emotion behind the story. Her editing played a fundamental role in the shaping of the story.

“As the editor in this project, I am the visual storyteller and kind of the second writer to create a live and vivid story. Sometimes, I am more familiar with the footage than the director. Therefore, under most circumstances, I have the accurate ability and observation to make decisions about shot choices. And also, as the editor, I have the ability to find a unique story through all the footage I received and put all useful clips together to create the story in a visual way,” she said.

Somewhere Between premiered early 2019, and has since gone on to win several awards, including Best Documentary Short at the London Independent Film Awards and an Official Selection at the Oceanside International Film Festival. Wang is thrilled for the success of the film, but the greatest reward for the editor comes from sharing such an important story with audiences around the world.

“Although it is a sad and heartbreaking story from the perspective of an outsider, it is also a story that shows how she struggles and tries to find herself from the perspective of the interviewee. As an editor, I consider myself a visual storyteller behind the scenes. Making this documentary is not only about getting awards, but more importantly, this emotional story could have a positive influence on those people who see it,” she concluded.

 

By John Michaels

Film, Film Editor, Reviews, Interviews & Features!

Zekun Mao uses editing to create a thrill for audiences

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Zekun Mao still remembers the first time she truly noticed film as a form of art, beyond a simple form of entertainment. She was watching Christopher Nolan’s 2000 blockbuster Memento, and she was fascinated by not just the story, but how it was being told. She began to immerse herself in movies, making her realize a passion that she never knew she had. She knew from then on that she was meant to go into filmmaking, and now, as an award-winning editor, she is living her dream.

“Whatever style the story requires, I will cut the film in that way. I would describe my style of editing as naturalism. I came from a documentary background. Being natural, or being real, is the most important thing. When I am editing, I like to stick to the style of the footage and stick to the tone of stories. I love showing the story as it should be. If it should be emotional, then I will make sure the way I cut the movie will make audiences feel that particular way,” she said.

Becoming an industry leader in her home country of China and abroad, Mao knows just what it takes to captivate an audience. This is exemplified with her work on films like Jie Jie, And The Dream That Mattered, Janek/Bastard, and American Dream, to name a few.

Last year, Mao also saw worldwide success with her film Our Way Home. The dramatic thriller tells the story of Chinese-American James, who picks up his older sister Barbara from college for Thanksgiving 1962. After a racist encounter in a diner, they think they’re being followed, but it’s not someone they expected. The story spoke to Mao, who has experienced similar forms of racism in her own life, which is why she felt compelled to work on the film.

“The story is about racism, especially at this moment when a lot of similar things are happening in the world. A lot of the feelings that immigrants have are painful, confused and embarrassing. Through this story, I want to tell the world that racism is a terrible thing and it shouldn’t happen to anyone. Moreover, the story is about Chinese immigrants. I want to highlight stories that are about my own community and about our history. As a Chinese filmmaker, I see that as one of my responsibilities. I think it is very important to show the difficulties and struggles that Chinese immigrants have even today,” said Mao.

Our Way Home had its world premiere at the Hollyshorts Film Festival 2018 where it was an Official Selection and is expected to continue its film festival run this year. Mao was pivotal to the film’s success. As it is a thriller, creating tension and uneasiness is key to captivating the audience, and editing is a vital tool to achieve this. Her work created the tone, bringing the audience into this dark world, making the thriller just that: thrilling.

“I am really happy that our film has been such a success. I feel really rewarded. All the hard work that we put in was really worth it. I am so happy that the story let the world pay attention to racism that still exists today. I am happy that through this film, I speak out loud what a lot of people want to say. I am also happy that I highlighted the story from my own community,” she said.

When editing, Mao made the decision of using fast cuts. During one crucial scene where the characters are being chased, Mao used her skills to create a feeling of danger, using jump cuts. The cuts are constantly jumping between cars and between the inside and outside of the car.

Mao thoroughly enjoyed her time working on Our Way Home. Everyone she worked with was dedicated to making the best film possible, and it shows in the final cut. Mao formed great professional relationships on set, which was almost the best part of working on the film. The best, she says, was sharing the story with a worldwide audience.

“The story is the reason why I worked on this project, and telling the story is the most enjoyable part of this process. I am very happy that I was able to tell this story, because I believe a lot of people experience racism in different ways. And a lot of Chinese-Americans had the confusing moment of figuring out who they really are. I hope after watching this film, audiences can think about all these problems,” she said.

Be sure to check out Our Way Home to see a telling and timely story, and just what Mao is capable of as an editor.

 

Written by Annabelle Lee

Behind the Scenes, Film, Film Editor, international Talent, Reviews, Interviews & Features!

Yu-Ying Chuang Serves Up No Deer for Dinner

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No Deer for Dinner

Chemistry; it’s vital to great filmmaking. Yes, this relates to the actors visible on the screen but even more so to the talent interacting behind the scenes. Director Yuhang Chen, Editor Yu-Ying Chuang, and Writer Otoniel Walker combined their talent for one of the most suspenseful and unique thrillers of the year in No Deer for Dinner. There’s more than one perspective on morality by the different characters in this film and it’s presented in a highly entertaining fashion because of the work of this trio. Chuang confirms that her initial discussions with the director about the story excited and convinced her to take on the editing responsibility. Her editing work has a pronounced and beneficial mark on this film which was the winner of Best Horror Short and Best Thriller Short at the Independent Shorts Awards this year. The twists and turns of the story become more understandable when viewed through his explanations of the process which sculpted it.

In a mountainous Nevada town, many people have gone missing without a trace. For the past thirty-six years, a single individual has vanished each year without any belongings left behind. When a young couple enters the town after robbing a bank, they take refuge in the home of an elderly couple by taking the residents captive. In a plot that keeps viewers guessing who is the greater threat, it becomes uncertain who is the captive and who is the captor. No Deer for Dinner is the sort of film which instills the idea that the most dangerous and lethal situations are the ones just slightly out of sight. The young felonious couple comes to the realization that hunters disappear in this Nevada town for a frightening reason.

“You might need to use editing to support me.” This was the phrase that director Yuhang Chen greeted Yu-Ying with when proposing she edit the film. His frustration was a result of conditions during the filming. Several scenes had been deleted leaving holes in the story. Chuang informs, “When I got the footage, I was surprised because it was not the same as the original script. We discussed how to solve the problem and how to create suspense from the footage we had. There was certainly some difficulty to this approach but it wasn’t impossible.”

Yu-Ying concentrated on spotlighting key scenes to make the tone more prominent. The fast pace of a frantic hunter being chased in the first scene is exponentially more panicked by the quick-cut editing. When the elderly couple are eating dinner and engaging in an unusual conversation, Chuang lets the scenes linger to an almost uncomfortable extent which maximizes the awkwardness. Describing the end of the film, Yu-Ying explains, “The penultimate scene ended in Roger killing the police and taking the gun out to shoot the female robbers. At the beginning of the last scene, I wanted to have a little suspense about what kind of a person Roger is. The first picture I used is Roger is preparing food and when the camera slowly slides back, the woman is tied on the chair and the policeman’s body is on the table. I wanted to make the audience think that it was a normal day. It’s this shocking realization that Roger hunts the hunters to eat their organs and meat.”

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While editors are referred to as filmmakers often equal to the director, in many cases they are dubbed “problem solvers.” No Deer for Dinner has a disturbing and chilling feeling most prominently because there seems to be a realistic path to this situation actually occurring. For this film, Yu-Ying Chuang has drawn and highlighted this line with great effect and success, to the benefit of the film and audiences.

Film Editor, Interviews & Features!

Roma Kong takes audiences behind the scenes with Nickelodeon

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Roma Kong has always been a big movie fan. Growing up in Lima, Peru, Kong’s favorite childhood pastime was taking in the latest flick, whether at the local cinema or on her couch at home. Even from that young age, she knew she wanted to eventually go on to make films like the ones she enjoyed so much.

“The moment I truly decided I wanted to make movies for the rest of my life was back in 2001 when I went to see Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring on opening night. To see these iconic literary characters and worlds come alive on the screen was mesmerizing. I remember how mind-blowing and epic the film was, and I just thought, I want to do that. I want to be one of those people who make magical worlds be a reality before the audience’s eyes,” she said.

Now, Kong is an industry leading editor in both her native country and abroad. Having worked on several prolific projects for none other than Disney, Kong has established her reputation with her versatile talent.

One of Kong’s other long-standing professional relationships is with Nickelodeon. Working on several projects for the company since 2016, Kong’s work has been appreciated by audiences all around the world. Earlier this year, she embarked on a new project for the celebrated production company, taking viewers behind the scenes of their favorite Nickelodeon shows, featuring some of the shows’ biggest creators and cast members.

“I think these videos give the audience an idea of what it’s like to work in the industry. It shows them that we are all human and not this kind of over the top industry where everything is super glamorous. That people that are part of this industry also do all the silly things everyone else does at work, we all joke and we all work incredibly hard to make the content that everyone loves watching. It grounds the industry for the audience and makes it more accessible for everyone,” said Kong.

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Roma Kong at Nickelodeon

The online video series includes a behind-the-scenes look into the Fairly Odd Phantom, Butch Hartman’s new crossover animated short, and has exclusive interviews with the casts of The Fairly Odd Parents, T.U.F.F. Puppy, Danny Phantom, and Bunsen is a Beast. They were all published through Nickelodeon’s Social Media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Together they are some of the most viewed social media videos published by the studio, amassing over 400,000 views.

“I’ve always loved working on BTS projects. They’re always fun because not only are you looking to give the audience a glimpse of how their favorite shows and movies are made but also, you’re looking to catch those extra special funny moments that only happen behind the scenes. Making these for Nick and editing videos with some of their biggest creators at work really stood out for me,” said Kong.

Kong was the sole editor for every one of the BTS Nickelodeon videos. As the videos were very time sensitive, the production company needed an editor that was effective working at a fast pace. Even working quickly, Kong excels at catching great moments that not only are humorous and entertaining, but that look good on camera. On top of this, she has a unique ability to edit to the rhythm of the music in the video, making them that much more captivating. The use of music was essential to each videos success, which could not have been achieved without Kong’s touch.

“I loved these because it was awesome watching the footage and seeing these people in action. Being able to catch great moments of their personalities and how much they love what they do and being able to tell a story with those moments was fantastic. It was great watching the action go on and then something completely unexpected and funny would happen and I would just burst out laughing and call my teammates and we would have a great team moment. They were incredibly fun to work on,” she said.

Storytelling was a fundamental element for Kong when editing the videos. Even though they were just going behind the scenes of a show, she knew she still needed to tell the audiences a story. She was given all the footage and went through everything to find the best moments and tell a coherent story. Because they were behind the scenes videos, at the beginning, it was difficult to figure out how to structure it for everything to make sense and not just be a series of funny bits or bloopers. Kong therefore decided to first separate sections of the video, parts where everyone was laughing, parts where they were recording voices, etc., and then, depending on the video, she would either keep the sections separate or intercut them, jumping from one section to the other. She then added small sections from the actual show to help the audience make the connection between the part that was being made and the exact moment in the piece.

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Roma Kong at Nickelodeon

“Nickelodeon is one of the big ones. Every kid grows up watching Nickelodeon and adults my age all had their lives impacted by them. Everyone knows them and what they stand for and their great reputation. It fills you with a sense of pride knowing that you’re working for a company that so many consider part of their lives. Whenever I talked to my friends about the shows they used to watch growing up, 90 per cent of those shows are Nickelodeon shows. It feels amazing to work for a company that has been so influential for so long,” she said.

Kong worked on BTS Nickelodeon from January to May of this year. Every video she did provided a new learning experience for the editor, which is why she loves what she does so much. Every time she steps into the editing studio, she remembers what it was like as a child, being so captivated with movie magic, and she strives to engages her audiences the way she was once so engaged. That drive is what makes her such a tremendous editor, and for those looking to follow in her footsteps, she encourages you to never give up.

“Never ever think that you can’t be a part of this industry, you absolutely can. It’s a very intense industry. It’s not glamour and glitz as they like to show, it’s long hours, very short deadlines, hard work and lots of different personalities to deal with. So, you have to be sure this is what you want to do for a living. Really sure. Once that’s settled, educate yourself. Filmmaking is a creative line of work but it’s also very technical. You need to learn how to do it. Watch all the content you can, no matter how good or bad you think it might be. You’ll be surprised how much one learns from bad movies. Learn the tools of writing and storytelling, your job is to tell stories, so learn how to properly tell them. Lastly, talk to people, reach out to people already in the industry, ask for their advice, ask if you can meet up for a cup of coffee. We all started somewhere and we all know how much talking to people already working helped us,” she advised.

Film Editor, Reviews, Interviews & Features!

Colorist and Editor Cynthia Chen artistically portrays grief and loss in ‘The Last Page’

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“To me, filmmaking is like making a delicious meal. The process of shooting is like gathering the ingredients for the food, whereas post editing is like cooking. Editors reorder the different materials, and create different dishes through proper dressing and seasoning,” she said.

Chen is recognized around the world for what she does. Having edited highly successful films such as Slingshot Prince, Offsprung, and most recently, I Don’t Want to Sleep Alone, Chen is an industry leading editor in China with her work celebrated both there and abroad.

Chen is also a celebrated colorist, often combining her roles on many films. She has enhanced many films through color with her work, including Maskand The Last Page. The latter was a motivational project for the Chinese native, as she was telling a true story about another artist.

The Last Page is a short film that follows the story of a once famed comic book writer Emanuel Delgado. After a long career of award winning comics, and a mega fan base, it’s been nearly a decade since Emanuel abruptly ended his career because of the death of his brother. He is living in a house littered by the drunken debris of his depression until one of his fans show up who is the same age as his brother and encourages him to restart drawing comic books.

“I like this film because it carries positive energy and is both motivating and encouraging. It’s a story about a person coping after the big mental trauma of losing everything to picking himself up and changing his miserable life. It encourages people to never give up on their dreams, reminding them there are always other people supporting and caring about them. We need to cherish our own lives and do more meaningful things in the limited time that we have. I was totally touched when I finished watching this film. It is not only about remembering the people we’ve lost, but also encourages those people who lost their hope from losing the one they love to get out of the deep sorrow and tell them that there is always somebody else supporting and caring about them,” said Chen.

The film premiered at the Los Angeles Independent Film Awards 2017, where it took home the top prize. Chen was both happy and surprised when she heard that The Last Page was an award-winning film, knowing that it touched audiences the same way it touched her.

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“I remembered those countless nights that I was talking with the director about the color grading ideas and how we could make this film into a better piece of art. And right now, we can all be proud of ourselves that we made it to the end, although it was just a small step on a long road ahead of me, I will keep up and be more creative as a filmmaker,” she said.

Chen was in charge of all the color grading for this project. The director described what kind of color effects he wanted for each scene after showing her the editing. Chen marked down every detail he mentioned and spent weeks turning his vision into a reality.

There are a lot of scenes in the film that express a decadence and hopeless feeling, and Chen used color to enhance these emotions. She used a heavy yellow and green color tune for showing the messy house environment. After the character’s internal emotion changed, she used some bright and clean color tunes to represent the delightful changes in his life. The whole color tune changed from cold to warm. Her color grading works highlighted the transitions of the moods and echoed the arc of the story, different color rhythms made this whole film vivid and lifelike. Her work took the film to a new level.

“The film had a big creative space for me to do the color grading, through the discussion with the director, I understood what he wanted and started to do the individual color design. Throughout the whole process I had a chance to use the color analyse from other different film types and apply them to this film project. I like the color tunes from Fight Club very much, and I was always trying to get a chance to apply them into my film projects. This short film fulfilled the wish for me by using the Fight Club dirty color tunes to highlight the messy house when the main character was at his lowest point. Also, it created a big comparison later when the main character was back into his normal life,” she said.

Be sure to watch The Last Page to see Chen’s outstanding work and be moved by Emanuel Delgado’s story.

 

Written by Annabelle Lee

Film Editor, Reviews, Interviews & Features!

Editor Yun Huang introduces China to rest of the world in compelling docuseries

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When Yun Huang was just a young child, growing up in China, her passion for film was born. Her grandmother was a movie projectionist and would share stories of her job with her granddaughter. She encouraged Huang to not only watch films, but to appreciate them. Since then, film has been an important part of Huang’s life, and she knew it was more than a hobby. Now, as a seasoned editor, Huang works in filmmaking every day, living her childhood dream.

Having worked on several successful projects, Huang is an internationally sought-after editor. Earlier this year, her commercial “Choice” amassed millions of views online, and her work on the film Stardust led the project to many awards at several prestigious international film festivals, including Huang herself being honored with Best Editing at Festigious International Film Festival.

“It’s important as an editor not to have one specific style. Your job is to help the director to create their own style. You can provide different editing styles that you think can be used, but you must respect the director’s thoughts. That is what makes a great editor,” said Huang.

One of Huang’s ongoing projects is Unveil China Outside China, a documentary series that allows her to share her country with the rest of the world. The series is distributed on people.cn, a large-scale news platform built by The People’s Daily. The People’s Daily is the biggest newspaper group in China. The paper is an official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, published worldwide with a circulation of 3 million.

“Yun was our video editor when we were doing the post-production of this documentary series. I have known her for a couple of years and always like her work. Yun works effectively and always has a good attitude for communicating with the crew. I believe her talent in editing will bring even more fancy artwork to the world,” said Leiqi Lin of The Oriental Vision, Inc.

While making the series, Huang and her team have conducted many interviews with foreigners, from American politicians to ordinary people in the streets of San Francisco, from the founder of international think tanks to the engineers of Silicon Valley. The idea of this, from an overseas perspective, is to let them tell the story of China. What kind of role does China play in today’s world? How does the world see the development of China? What is the expectation of the future of China? Through their narration, the audience can find different answers.

“The documentary series include aspects of Chinese achievements, innovation in China, ‘Made in China’, Chinese diplomacy, China’s economic globalization, important meetings of the Chinese government, reform and opening-up, and so on. We interviewed many foreigners who told stories of China in overseas perspectives. I like to know more about China in different angles. I’m so proud that I can introduce China to the world by editing this series,” said Huang.

Having had previous documentary experience, Huang knew she was up for the task of creating and launching Unveil China Outside China. The monthly series involves a lot of work, and when Huang receives the footage, she only has a few days to turnout a compelling installment. At first, she found this to be a challenge, but now she finds it exhilarating.

“I only have three or four days to finish an episode, which was a challenge for me in the beginning, because I also have to work on the stock footages and special effects, find the background music, and more. However, after I had edited two episodes, I knew that I enjoyed such high intensity work. It let me have a sense of accomplishment. I believe resilience is a skill that all editors should possess,” she said.

The first episode premiered in October of 2017 and was published on both people.cn and People’s daily app. The premiere received over 810 thousand views in its initial month of being live, and Huang knew then and there that they were making something special. Now, they have ten episodes, each more successful than the last.

Unveil China Outside China is just one of the many projects that exemplify what a versatile and talented editor Huang is. She knows that the most fundamental aspect of her job is storytelling, and she encourages all editors that are looking to follow in her footsteps to make sure they know just how to do so.

“Try to learn more things rather than simply editing, such as fine art, music, literature and so on. These are extremely important skills and knowledge while you are editing videos with various subjects,” she advised.

You can watch one of Huang’s most recent episodes of the series, Unveil China Outside China: Riding on a bullet train is fabulous, here.

 

Written by Annabelle Lee