Reframing The Story Through Cutting Scenes (Blog #38) PRODUCTION

Although it was a little disappointing to remove parts of my original vision, these decisions will help make the opening more concise and focused (I finally understand why director's cut are a thing).They’ll allow me to concentrate on showing the character’s current state and personality, which is already enough to highlight how unhealthy and overwhelming her life has become. By trimming unnecessary scenes before even filming them, I will be able to work more efficiently and ensure that the final film opening feels polished, clear, and impactful. 

During the editing process of my film opening, I made the decision to cut a few planned scenes even before filming them. One of these was a flashback sequence meant to show a glimpse of the main character’s past, highlighting who she was before school began to take over her life. The idea was to contrast her carefree, balanced past with her current unhealthy lifestyle. However, before filming, I realized that including the flashback scene might make it difficult to stay within the strict two-minute time limit. Looking at my rough draft, it became clear that the main character’s struggles and unhealthy habits are already very evident through the way her present life is portrayed, so I decided the flashback sequence wasn’t necessary. 

I also chose to cut a montage showing her unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as staying up late, skipping meals, and neglecting her wellbeing. While these scenes could have added more detail, I felt that the opening already communicates enough about her current struggles, and adding a montage would have been repetitive. By cutting both the flashback and the montage, I’ll be able to focus on the scenes that are more essential for the telling the story while keeping the pacing tight and trying to stay within the time limit since there are still some scenes missing.

(The new shot list with annotations from editing, filming days and scene cuts)