January Update

Now that I'm doing the fine tuning of the rough cut -- into a final cut, I'm increasingly bumping up against my limitations as an editor. Hopefully those limitations will all be overcome by the time you, dear reader, encounter the film. (In fact, the fact that you will watch the film later, makes me hesitate at disclosing my inadequacies; but I still believe in the film enough to believe that my admissions won't weaken your viewing experience.)

It just becomes increasingly obvious to me how intuitive some editing skills become over time....and so in these moments I'm aware of how I can grow both as an editor and as a director. Which ultimately is probably good.

This fine tuning includes syncing sound and visuals more tightly, getting into & out of scenes more quickly, being ruthless about cutting lines, being more creative (and sometimes more conventional) with transitions...

Daniel and I decided this month that we need to actually put both of our energies into one movie at a time and still try to finish MLR within the February / March time frame, leaving SITM for our best energies afterward.

He's just finished a reboot of his business & has started to inch down the matrimonial aisle (a long and unbelievable story that also grows out of our filming time together in July...).

November Update

With a rough (rough, rough) edit my left pocket, my (paid) job heating up, and a window of opportunity looming, Daniel and I together focused on getting some ADR done in Chicago.

My yearly academic convention was scheduled for late November, and both Levi and Anna live and work in Chicago. So the two of us glutted ourselves on self-taught crash courses in ADR & looping. Books, websites, calls in to experts. Daniel finally settled on using Logic and a software add-on that would simplify the process.

I took the bus from Canton to Chicago -- Daniel drove over from Michigan and we transformed our hotel room into a sound-damped-down space with a huge recording set piece in the middle of the room. I taped sound panels at head level at intervals around the entire room, we duct taped sheets and bedspreads in front of doorways, entrances and one entire wall. We pulled the curtains absolutely closed.





We got two of Levi's lines done (finally!) after many malfunctions when Anna showed up. We had finished her lines when the system went down again (!). Anna and Levi and I went around the corner to Buddy Guy's and had some great conversation over some great jambalaya while Daniel stayed on the phone with tech support.

At the end of the day we were disappointed to have to give up on looping Levi, but had at least enjoyed being together again with these creative spirits who we enjoy so much.

August Update

For both Daniel and I, August has been the time to catch up with all the things that we put on hold in order to make the movie happen.

For me that's meant getting ready for starting school and starting classes. For Daniel, it's included the overwhelming tasks of selling a house, selling most of his belongings, navigating a divorce and moving -- all while trying to father two-year-old twin boys.

We have divided the projects between us. Daniel will be editing STICK IN THE MUD.

I'll be editing MULTILEVEL RELATIONSHIP.

I'm eager for school to start so hopefully film editing will fit more neatly into the space that I've carved out for it (Thursday mornings --- and occasionally ALL DAY Thursday).