Culture & Lifestyle
‘Film editing is an instinctive emotional art form’
Nimesh Shrestha, one of the most prominent film editors in the Nepali film industry, talks about his craft, the challenges of working in Nepal as a film editor, and the qualities a good film editor must have.Ankit Khadgi
Nimesh Shrestha has dedicated more than 15 years of his life to the Nepali film industry, editing more than 60 feature films till date. From editing commercial potboilers like Senti Virus (2020), Sailli (2019), and Mr Jholay (2018) to realistic cinema like Kalo Pothi (2015), Dasdhunga (2010), and Badhshala (2010), Shrestha has been the unsung hero of many projects.
Likewise, he has also been part of many short films like The Flute (2012), Supermonk (2018), and Kalam (2019) that have been screened at various prestigious international festivals like Venice Film Festival and Busan Film Festival.
In an interview with the Post’s Ankit Khadgi, the three-time National award-winning editor talks about his creative process, his role in a movie and the factors that push him to make a shot pass through the final cut. Excerpts.
How did you start your career as an editor?
My career as a film editor was an accidental one. When I was pursuing my Bachelor’s degree, I saw an ad on the television of a place that was offering film courses. So I along with my friend planned to apply for the course. However, we decided that he would learn how to direct while I would learn to edit since we didn’t want to do the same thing.
I was a quick learner, so I easily grasped the technical aspect of editing. In 2005, I received my first break, given to me by Shyam Mohana Pradhan, one of my teachers, to work as an editor for a series called Nari, which was broadcast in Kantipur Television.
From then I started editing the tele-series of MaHa Jodi (Madan Krishna and Hari Bansha) and others as well. It was in 2010, when Apil Bista, the producer of Dasdhunga, approached me, that my career in feature films started.
A lot of people think that editing only means cutting and assembling. Likewise, unlike the other crew, editors do not receive enough exposure for their job. Could you describe what exactly is the job of an editor?
The role of an editor is to help the director achieve their vision for the film. Editors work closely with directors and our main goal is to make sure we justify the vision the director has.
But many people are unaware about our work. In movies, you hear the sound. You see the costumes. These things can be seen and felt due to which you are aware of who is involved in it. Our work is not very obvious as it isn’t tangible like other aspects of film making.
What’s your work process like? How do you start editing a film?
The first and foremost important thing I do, before I start editing, is I watch all the footage, back to back. Then as per the script, I start selecting the best footage that fits the film and make a rough cut which has no sound and music. Then the director looks at the rough cut, and after taking their suggestions, I try to restructure the previous edit.
After the song and music are confirmed to fix the pace, there is another round of editing to make sure that it fits the narrative seamlessly. Before the final cut of the movie, there are also many trial shows of the film, which are shown to a group, who provide their feedback. Then we make all the necessary changes as per the feedback for the final edit of the film.
There are bound to be differences in opinion between you and the director. When conflicts arise, how do you guys try to manage to be on the same page?
Yes, there are a lot of discussions and conflicts during the editing process. But we try to reach a point where we can reach a conclusion. However, in the end, it's the director's movie. They are the captain of the ship and as an editor, my role is to help them achieve their vision. But that doesn’t mean I don’t try to put forward my views. I do make attempts to convince the director by giving my input.
The approach, however, differs from director to director. If I am working with a director with whom I share a great bond then the discussions are more open, whereas if I work with someone with whom I am working for the first time, the tone of the discussion becomes soft.
Many editors have gone on record and said that editing is based on intuitions and emotions? Do you believe that too?
I strongly believe that as an editor you have to make your decisions based on instincts, so I agree that editing is an instinctive emotional art form. When I sit down to edit and see the footage, I observe like an audience. The footage I am seeing should make me feel something, only then do I use it.
As an editor, you watch hours of footage. What are the main factors that you look at when you decide that a certain cut makes or doesn’t make to a scene?
My first priority is the performance of the actors. If they perform brilliantly in a scene then it's fine, but if they perform badly, I try to hide it. Also, the main factor that determines what makes a scene to the final cut and what doesn’t is whether it adds value to the film or not. The length is another factor that determines what to include and what not to include.
In your view what are the qualities a good editor must have?
I believe one needs to have a lot of patience. As an editor, you have to watch hours-long footage, so you should have enough patience to watch everything in peace.
Another quality is they should be able to work under pressure as well. When you are editing a film there are many things you have to do in a rush, because of the deadline, and when things don’t fall as per your plan, things might be tough. But you need to be smart enough to find quick solutions to your problem.
Likewise, an editor must have a good sense of time and space. Since editors have to make sure that the flow of scene after scene is smooth, having the sense to understand the rhythm is significant as well. In Nepali filmmaking scenes, I see less of that, as people don’t have enough rhythmic sense. But that also comes with a lot of practise as well.
What are the main challenges you face as an editor working in the Nepali film industry?
While I haven’t faced a lot of difficulties, there are a few challenges that I have had to encounter working as an editor. First of all, timing is always a problem. Editors rarely get enough time for their work which means little time for revision. At the end of the day, the more time you get, the better the edits become.
There’s also no decent pay for the job. For anyone working as an editor in Nepal, survival can be difficult. This has to do with the fact that most people don’t know the significance of editing. They believe that the role of an editor is just to use a computer and assemble the shots.
Anyone’s work do you like to suggest that can be a great source to learn the craft of editing for aspiring editors?
There are many good editors out there who have done excellent jobs. But I would suggest aspiring editors watch the movies edited by Thelma Schoonmaker, Martin Scorsese’s frequent collaborator. If you want to learn the craft of editing, you should follow her work.
I would also recommend watching Tim Squyres’s films. He frequently collaborates with Ang Lee. For aspiring editors or those who want to understand the art of editing, their films can be a great source of learning as they are one of the experienced editors out there who play with time and space exceptionally well.