Editorial Update

By Kevin Gasca editor

Hello All. We are currently in the final stages of the picture editing for Palo Alto. This is the point-of-no-return for Danny, my co-editor, and myself to make final changes to the film before we deliver it to our sound, music and visual effects departments. This is pivotal because we are constantly making changes to the cut based on reactions from you, the audience, after the first test screening that we had a couple weeks ago. Once the picture cut is “locked”—within the next two weeks--it cannot change anymore, so we are editing with Brad numerous times a week to get it where we ultimately want it and where it does the story the most justice.

The road to locking picture is long and arduous. We are currently on our 7th or 8th cut of the film and each cut is significantly different from its predecessor. At this point we are fine-tuning and molding the scenes together so that it plays the best it possibly can. This is a big task because there are so many possibilities to explore. This is where my whole crew has been huge in coming through and stepping up to the challenges that the production has confronted us with. My want to express my deepest gratitude to the greatest apprentice editors an editor could ask for: Leigh Cousins, Chelsea Fiske and Katie Kirk. Thank you again for all your hard work. Pretty soon you will all be taking my job!

Once we are done with the picture editorial, the film goes to the sound, music and visual effects department. With this genre of film, the real task for all of these departments is to make the film look and sound the best that it possibly can, while at the same time having the sound and visual effects not call attention to themselves. This is the challenge that we have ahead of us.

Hope this has been informative for those who are interested. See you all when it’s done!!!