Clip 1 (1:13)
Clip 2 (4:37)
Entire Video (11:33)
Flying is a short film about a man named Roger who does not know why he is at the airport or where he is going, but what he does know is that he is sick and wants to call his family before his flight takes off. The airport is eerily empty but for a blonde flight attendant and an older, white-haired gentleman named Paul who engages Roger in conversation as they wait for their boarding call.
I edited this film from footage provided in my editing class as an educational exercise, so I make no claims to ownership of the footage. But I’d venture to say that I learned more about editing (e.g., pacing, split edits, audio) from this working on this project than any other that I’ve completed thus far in my short filmmaking career. The opening scene of Roger walking through the airport had no recorded sound, so I had to spend a lot of time searching for the right ambient sound effects to build the soundscape of the airport. It certainly wasn’t a trivial task, and I was exhausted after finishing this project.
My cut of this film certainly isn’t perfect because there are things that I should probably take another look at; but if I had to guess why my cut seems to work, it’s because I was able to make editing choices that supported the mood and tone of the film. Much of this required putting myself in the place of Roger to try to feel what he might be feeling. What is it like knowing that you will die soon? How frustrating is it to not be able to reach your family on the phone?
On a personal level, this project took on special meaning because about the same time that I started editing this film a close friend of mine learned that her long-time friend, like Roger, had a terminal illness. Unfortunately, her friend succumbed to his illness a few months later, but perhaps, the thought that this project might provide her, even if momentary, some sense of comfort made the many hours editing this film worth it. There are, after all, things that add up to more than passing moments or the sum of all hours experienced and to be known.
