Post-Production : A Third Story About "Stories": A Real Time Blog About the Making of a Passion Project Short Film by Maurice Vaughan

Maurice Vaughan thanks for sharing!

You're welcome, Cyrus Sales. Do you have any tips for editing movies, shows, cartoons, etc.?

Maurice Vaughan eat the elephant in chunks. I tend to break down my editing process into stages to avoid getting overwhelmed and on the other end to avoid burnout. Take time to plan out what you want to achieve.

For example, day one I might use that as a day to import footage, get organized, lay everything out on the timeline and make minor cuts. The next day I might go in and fine tune and do something else. Each time though I go into editing with intentions. I tend to avoid just loading up a project without some sort of idea of what I'm looking to accomplish or complete. Even if it's "spend 30-60 minutes editing." A broad goal but has some sort of intention behind it.

I'll pass on the elephant, Cyrus Sales. :D Great tips! Thanks for sharing them. Breaking down things helps me too (outlining, writing the script, rewriting, etc.).

Love this, Maurice — you’ve got such a gift for spotlighting stories with heart. “Stories” really shows how editing turns raw moments into rhythm, how every cut can make the soul breathe. Thanks for sharing this one.

You're welcome, Charmane Wedderburn. Thanks. I've heard over the years that learning editing can help screenwriters write better scripts. Like I mentioned in the blog comments, I've been thinking about buying the book In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch.

You’re absolutely right, Maurice — editing teaches you to hear the cut before the director ever calls it. It’s like learning rhythm for story — knowing when to breathe, when to slice, when to let the silence speak.

And In the Blink of an Eye — ah, the sacred text! Once you open that one, your inner editor never goes back to sleep.

I really want to read the book now, Charmane Wedderburn! Thanks.

Thank you, Maurice — that means a lot. The Cougars have claws, hearts, and a few secrets waiting to be discovered. I’ll message you privately about it.

You're welcome, Charmane Wedderburn. Are you talking about In the Blink of an Eye?

You’ll love it, Maurice — it’s one of those books that changes how you see every cut after. Let me know what you think once you’ve read it!

I definitely will, Charmane Wedderburn.