Refrain (Pilot)

Refrain delves into powerful themes of desperation, hope, institutional control, and the stigmas surrounding the deaf and mute community in a dystopian future. The story revolves around two main characters: Paz, a deaf and mute prisoner and father, and his brother Everan, who is determined to help Paz and his family.

As the editor, I approached this project with a strong focus on organization and planning. I created a meticulous folder structure on the MCASI server to streamline the post-production workflow, ensuring each day of footage, audio, and rushes were well-organized and accessible for the director and DOP, Marina and Ben. This allowed us to make quick edits on the go, speeding up the process.

​

Editing Refrain presented unique challenges, especially due to the significant amount of dialogue in sign language. To avoid disrupting the flow for the deaf audience, I opted for action-based cuts and carefully manipulated the pacing of the film. I worked closely with the director to maintain a slow build-up at the beginning and gradually increase the pace, particularly during emotional scenes, like Paz's frustration when he breaks his watch.

​

I drew inspiration from films like A Quiet Place and Mercury to tackle this complex narrative, borrowing techniques from their editors, Christopher Tellefsen and Vivek Harshan, to manipulate pacing and incorporate sign language without interrupting the actors' performances. These films helped me understand how to convey tension and emotion through precise cutting and pacing, which I applied in key scenes like Paz's emotional breakdown.

​

To enhance the sci-fi aesthetic of Refrain, I experimented with color grading in Davinci Resolve, aiming for a cool, minimalistic tone. Although I'm proficient in Premiere Pro, I recognized the need to expand my skills in Davinci to achieve the desired visual style. I worked closely with my DOP to settle on a blue tint to create the dystopian look. I plan to continue improving my color grading skills in Davinci during the semester break to fully realize the film's visual potential.

​

One of the key visual effects challenges involved a scene where Everan shows Paz a video of his daughter on his phone. Initially, we planned to add this in post-production, but after struggling with Mocha tracking and masking in Adobe After Effects, I realized it would be more practical to film the scene using a green screen, ensuring a smoother and more realistic final result. I also dedicated time to refining the scene where Paz is injected by prison guards, using POV shots and visual effects like blurring and ghosting to simulate his fading consciousness.

​

Throughout this project, I recognized my strengths in organization and proficiency in Premiere Pro. However, the tight deadline posed significant challenges, especially in balancing color grading, VFX, and sound design within a week.  This experience underscored the importance of realistic post-production schedules. Moving forward, I’ll advocate for a four-week post-production timeline to avoid burnout and deliver higher-quality work as this is only the pilot.

​

Despite the challenges, Refrain has been a rewarding experience. I successfully navigated technical hurdles, such as masking and syncing, and found creative solutions to enhance the emotional depth of the story. The team’s collaboration was key to overcoming these challenges, and I’m proud of the work we accomplished together. Looking ahead, I’m committed to further refining my VFX skills and deepening my knowledge of Davinci Resolve to continue growing as an editor and elevate my future projects.