Editor Monika Radwanska discusses her editing process, her approach to Sorority, and working on set as both editor and DIT.
What drew you to the project?
In a nutshell, James Webber, the director. James and I met for the first time at a BAFTA Networking event. We spoke briefly and exchanged business cards. After the event I went on his website and, straight away, I knew this was a filmmaker I wanted to keep on the radar. His previous films were beautifully crafted, visually compelling and rich in substance. When we met again, we spent the first hour just talking about films and I could tell we would get along, and that he was someone I could see myself working with.
When I received the script for Sorority I felt it was a project I wanted to be a part of. I love that Sorority is about the relationship between two sisters, who were there for each other through the most testing times of their life. It is a story that I hope can inspire and empower women.
You’ve worked on some huge films in the past. How did you find the experience of Sorority when compared to them?
I was really impressed with how organised and well managed Sorority was. Although the budget was tight, we were able to achieve a level of professionalism similar to which I have seen on some of the larger productions that I have worked on. However, what was even more priceless, was the feeling of camaraderie on set. Everyone was willing to go the extra mile because they enjoyed and believed in the film.
For me the important thing was getting on board early in pre-production. It gave me time to create my workflow, meet the team and familiarise myself with the script. That preparation made post-production run really smoothly and on schedule. We also agreed to follow the process that is practised on studio films, whereby the editor’s cut is followed by the director’s cut and consequently the producers’ cut. It was amazing to have four weeks for my editor’s cut. I know James was anxious to see how the cut was developing, but he never rushed me to deliver it before the agreed date. I think that was another sign of James’ professionalism and understanding of the process.
You were also the on set DIT. Did this help you when it came to editing the film?
It was great to be on set and to be part of the team, however, the work of the DIT is a huge task on its own. Transcoding the media, organising the footage and backing up, is worlds away from the creative mindset required for storytelling. My priority on set was to prepare the footage so I could hit the ground running as soon as we wrapped.
For an editor, the set is full of distractions. As lovely as it was to chat with Kate Dickie, I work best on my own, in my editor’s cave! It is really important for me to get in the right state of mind before I start editing.