From the editing suite...

So, last night (Tuesday) at about 11:59 (so, almost Wednesday!) I watched Where's Duff? with Ken Arnold, who has been acting as my sherpa through the editing world...the Obi Wan to my Luke. Ken and I spent all day Sunday, and six more hours Tuesday in the suite...and Ken had been there all day Monday and Tuesday morning working on digital effects and color correction. Needless to say, in the last three days, we've both seen Duff a LOT...and last night, just prior to midnight, we watched the final product for the first time. The film is locked down. We will not be going back in and changing it again, before an audience sees it.

This is my first time as the editor on a film. I have sat in with Chilly (Cucillo) and Matt on most of our other films, in the editing process, and learned a lot there...and I have a good idea of what I like, personally, as far as pacing and editing, just from years and years of absorbing as much as possible from the movies that I love. But this was the first time that I was in the chair, with one hand on the mouse and the other on the keyboard, playing with the puzzle pieces. There was a lot of weight that went with this gig. The events in this film really happened. Duff was Gerry's father-in-law. So I felt a personal responsibility to Gerry and Kathi to get it right...to tell her Dad's story with respect and dignity, and not allowing it to become contrived or cliche. Watching it last night, and signing off on it, as far as a finished piece, I think we accomplished that.

What we're happiest with is that the film doesn't drag. We've seen 6 and 7 minutes films at the 48 Hour Film Project, and in film festivals that felt like 45 minutes. This film is just over 16 minutes, and feels like 8, maybe 10...and that's after Ken and I have seen it a couple hundred times! The film looks great...particularly the scenes on the water. Cucillo and Roy Heisler shot that last day, and the footage is amazing! The final shot of the film is my favorite. I still say "wow" when I see it.

Ken Arnold has been a huge part of this. He has put in so much time on this project...and it wasn't his responsibility. He and Asteros Filmworks were kind enough to allow me the use of their editing suite for this project. But he's put in so much more than just allowing me to use the equipment. He has taken on the Digital Effects Design, and done some amazing stuff with the Duff flashback transitions. I can't thank him enough for what I've learned from him on this project, and what he's brought to the film.

We had several sources of music in the film. Matt Mickelson came up with some very, very nice themes...haunting at times. Damon Foreman, who has a loyal following that stretches from DC to Canada, also contributed original music for the score...but there was one particular piece from him that fit the film so perfectly. Ken and I were very happy with how the different music from Matt and Damon complimented and built off of each other, and provided just enough of a different flavor to give the film more texture and depth. Matt has done original music for several of our other films (Matchbook, Shutter, Die+anetics, m.o.s., and The Date). This might be some of his best stuff. Damon joins Wes McDonough and the Eric Byrd Trio in the ever-growing collective of local musicians who have been generous enough to lend their voices and talent to our films. We thank him for that!

I think that we are coming back with a really nice film, with a lot of heart and spirit. I hope that the people who lived through this in real life are happy with it, and that I got it right. And that the people who were involved in the project are proud of it. I am. And I'm so relieved to be able to say that Where's Duff? is finished. Can't wait to show it.