It takes all of those things.
You need passionate actors. You need a dedicated writer. You need crew willing to stay in post production when they should be in bed. You need a vision. You need images that speak where words don't. You need clarity. You need friendship.
And you also need music.
When Brianne showed me the first cut of Episode 7, I thought (very quietly) to myself, "Oh... I'm not very good at writing these investigation-style episodes. This didn't turn out very well. Darn it." But I found the little things that made me smile about the episode and I approved the cut. Brianne finished up the couple of changes I requested and we all turn in at about 4:30 in the morning.
Then today (well, Tuesday), the second cut of the episode came to me. Note how I don't call this the final cut. It never is. Because I tweak. Brianne has taught me just enough about how to edit in the program we use for me to know what we can and can't accomplish... even if it's difficult. It was my job to take the episode by myself today and watch it very slowly, composing or securing the music that would create the soundtrack.
And that's when the episode finally came together for me.
Suddenly, the little eyes watching the camera worked. Suddenly, the quirky characters and ominous angles were perfect. The pieces were there all along... they just needed a little glue to bind them all together and the music was the glue. It was such a wonder to watch the scenes come together. To bolster the emotional moments. To set the tone for every section. Beat became triumphant. Wiz became punk. Captain became goth and All-Star and Twink became epic. Harley, Cosmo and Reeve coalesced as a group, as friend. And Eve? Well, Eve became exactly what I needed her to become -- new little hero in the "Ghost Sniffers" world.
Because all of the kids and adults who acted in Episode 7 had given me their best performances. They trusted me and laid their offerings on the table. Sometimes, those gifts are enough for me to see the final vision of the episode but with Episode 7 -- a complex and challenging episode that played with new conventions and a dual timeline -- we had to live up to the trust placed in us and take all the raw materials that final big step. Brianne did cuts and fades and tweaks in timing -- more than ever before. Remember, we didn't have our new fancy equipment until AFTER we shot Episode 12! And I poured my heart and soul into crafting a soundtrack that spotlighted each of the actors to the very best of my ability.
Is the episode silly? Yes. Is it serious? Yes. Is it... epic? You know what... I think it is :)
Quietly, in my mind, I thought this episode wouldn't be my favorite. But now? We all worked together and made something incredible. Something sincere. And Bridget? You might want to have that box of Kleenex near by... because I lost it for the whole last ten minutes :}
Christopher, Jocelyn, Emma, Emerson, Tressa, Sierra, Caitlin, Sarah, Kyra, Coleman, Hannah... and Maxwell and Faith... thank you for giving me your all for Episode 7. I promise you, I have done the same.
