After so many days of filming and preparation, production finally came to an end, and we were able to move into the editing stage. This felt like a major shift in the process, because everything we had planned and filmed now had to come together into a final product. Editing quickly became its own challenge, separate from everything that came before it. Having footage is very different from having a finished film, and the gap between those two stages is where most creative decisions are made.
Importing and Organizing
The first step was importing everything into Adobe Premiere Pro and organizing it in a way that made the editing process manageable. The footage came from multiple filming days across two locations: Nadia’s house and the park. Within each location, there were multiple scenes, several takes, and different camera angles.
Creating a clear folder structure before editing was essential. Each scene was labeled and grouped, which made it easier to locate clips and compare takes. This step showed me that organization is not optional in editing. Taking time to set up the project properly made the rest of the process much smoother and more efficient.
Building the Rough Cut
The rough cut stage revealed what footage actually worked. Some shots that looked strong during filming did not work in context. In some cases, the pacing felt off. In others, the transition between angles felt unnatural.
The argument scene required the most revision. Dialogue editing depends heavily on timing and performance rather than movement. Because of this, I had to carefully adjust cuts so they matched the rhythm of the actors’ delivery. This took multiple versions before it felt natural.
The opening montage was one of the most interesting parts to edit. It relied entirely on visuals and music rather than dialogue. This meant the focus was on pacing and rhythm. I had to experiment with the length of each shot to keep the sequence engaging without making it feel rushed.
I also made a purposeful editing and color decision in the running sequence before the characters collide. I kept the tones more muted and slightly grey during these shots. This created a visual contrast so that when they finally bump into each other, the scene feels warmer and more alive. That shift makes the moment feel more romantic and significant without needing dialogue.
Color Grading
Color grading was done using Lumetri Color in Premiere Pro, and it ended up being one of the most detailed parts of post-production. At first, I focused on understanding the basic tools, such as exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, and white balance. These adjustments helped correct the footage and make sure everything looked consistent before applying any stylistic choices.
After correcting the footage, I started working on creating the overall look of the film. The goal was to achieve a warm, romantic tone that fits the rom-com genre. To do this, I increased the temperature slightly to bring out warmer tones, especially in skin tones, while also adjusting the tint to avoid making the image look too orange. I lifted the shadows slightly to create a softer look and reduced harsh contrast so the image felt more natural and less dramatic.
Saturation also played an important role. Instead of increasing it across the entire image, I adjusted specific colors to enhance warmth without making the footage look unrealistic. For example, I slightly boosted reds and oranges while keeping other tones balanced. This helped create a cohesive color palette that felt intentional.
The park footage was used as the base for the overall look because it had natural golden lighting. From there, I matched the house footage to that same tone. The house scenes originally had cooler lighting due to natural window light, so I warmed them up in post-production to maintain consistency. This process required small adjustments rather than extreme changes, since even slight shifts in color grading can affect the entire image.
Overall, color grading was not just about making the footage look better, but about reinforcing the mood and tone of the film. It helped create a consistent visual style while also supporting the emotional moments within each scene.
Purposeful Visual Choices
Throughout the editing and color grading process, we made several intentional decisions to enhance the storytelling. The muted, grey tones in the running sequence create a calmer and more neutral mood before the characters meet. When the color becomes warmer after they collide, it emphasizes the emotional shift and makes the moment feel more meaningful. The faster pacing in the montage helps build energy at the start of the film, while the more controlled cuts in the argument scene allow the dialogue to feel natural. The consistent warm tones across different locations help unify the film visually, even though the lighting conditions were different during filming.
I also had to keep in mind that this is a rom-com, so the film needed an overall more playful and light tone. Because of this, I made sure the color grading stayed warm and inviting rather than dark or overly dramatic. At the same time, I used slightly different looks in certain scenes to reflect the mood of each moment, which helped differentiate them while still keeping the film visually consistent.
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