Michelina Friss
Camp Hill, PA
Their Story
“So today was the day for editing my video. I went into it very nervous and anxious because I never had any experience in this area at all and anything to do with the working of electronics is definitely not my forte in the least. Mr. Triscari had made sure to stress to me that in the real world, to work with an editor is VERY expensive and so it is an absolute must that when you go into edit, you have done all the necessary preparation. So after coming up with the idea, writing the synopsis, storyboarding everything, shooting the actual interviews and B roll, this was going to be the final step in bringing the image I had in my head into a tangible film.
I remember when we first starting prep for doing the editing, I was a little shocked and overwhelmed with the amount of the decisions that needed to be made every step of the way. What’s the film? What’s the visual? Is there a better shot that could be used? Should sound effects be added? It literally is a blank canvas and as the producer you are brushing on every stroke. But, the second time around, it dawned on me that this whole “editing thing” could be really fun. This is where your creativity could kick into full speed and the sky is the limit. My feelings towards editing and my perspective on it took a total 180 degree turn.
Myself, Mr. Triscari, and Ryan, a staff member at the studio, sat down for a little over 4 hours and went step by step through the whole video and put together a rough cut. I definitely saw firsthand how time consuming it is but how absolutely VITAL this step of the process is as well. It was a priceless experience to have to be put on the spot like that about making decisions for what I wanted and to really be forced to step up to the plate and not sit back and let someone else make the decisions for me. I also saw that even when you do wear the “hat” of the producer, it definitely does not mean you know everything and can’t take someone else’s advice. If you are working with good people who you know you can trust, there needs to be some give and take as well in regards to the decisions that are made in the editing room. I felt like it was a priceless learning experience to see what it was like to be sitting in that position.”