Editing Process

The editing of the movie was primarily handled by my teammate, Carla, who used DaVinci Resolve to complete the task. My role was mostly focused on generating ideas and brainstorming the creative aspects of the project. Since this was my first experience working on a laptop, I wasn’t able to contribute much to the practical editing work. However, we worked together to decide on many of the sound effects and production elements.

Before settling on the final version, we went through 3-4 drafts and gathered feedback from both our teacher and our team on areas for improvement. We kept an open mind and were always willing to consider new ideas throughout the process. All the editing was done by Carla, and I’m really grateful to have such a creative and talented teammate!

Regarding the sound, which was initially my responsibility, a few changes were made in the final version of the movie. For example, during the running scene, we wanted to heighten the sense of insanity, so we reversed the original audio to create a more terrifying atmosphere. This moment occurs when the victim witnesses an alternate version of herself having a tarot reading by an entity. We applied this effect using the same editing software, DaVinci Resolve, that we used for the movie itself.

After several rounds of trial and error, we decided to keep the piano music at the beginning of the film and end with a synth. The piano at the start gives a mundane, slice-of-life vibe, suggesting that the protagonist is going through a regular, routine activity. The synth at the end represents shock and surreal setting. It mirrors the victim’s complex emotions as she adjusts to the sudden shift back into her everyday life. It conveys the overwhelming feeling of needing to act but being frozen, unable to move. The synth symbolizes that gut feeling, the unsettling sense that something is off, like waking up from a long dream that feels too real.

To add to this, we decided to incorporate additional sound effects over the synth. First, we added distorted voices to emphasize the paranormal presence in the story. Then, Carla included the ticking of a clock and a recurring doorbell sound. These serve as diegetic sounds that tie the soundtrack to the events of the film, while also creating an unsettling atmosphere. Repeating noises like this can make the audience feel uneasy, even without a visual threat. This helped to enhance the eerie, unsettling vibe of the film and made the experience more intense for the viewer.