Chris Punsalan's Premiere Pro Tips for Editing 'Reeling'

The Journey of a Film Editor

At a birthday luau on his family’s homestead, Ryan struggles to fit in with old friends and family. As the pig slowly roasts in an imu pit and the partygoers cut loose, the celebration boils over when Ryan uncovers the missing memory of when his life took a tragic turn. This emotional journey is brought to life through the meticulous work of editor Chris Punsalan, who shares insights into how he used Adobe Premiere Pro to craft the film.

Getting Involved with the Project

Chris Punsalan was introduced to the project by Reeling’s post-production supervisor, Bill Klug, with whom he previously collaborated on the Disney TV series “Ultraviolet & Black Scorpion.” Their creative sensibilities aligned, and he was invited to join as an editor. For Punsalan, this opportunity was a significant milestone in his career.

A Moment of Excitement

When Punsalan found out that the film would premiere at SXSW, he was recording music at home. The news was thrilling, marking a pivotal moment for the project as it took its first steps into the world.

Setting Up the Workspace

Punsalan starts each project by watching all the footage and getting a feel for the direction and story. He uses an editing template but adapts it as needed. The flexibility of Adobe Premiere Pro allows him to rearrange and customize windows, which is crucial for his workflow. He always sets up a large waveform window since sound plays a vital role in editing.

Overcoming Post-Production Challenges

One of the unique challenges Punsalan faced was the use of multiple aspect ratios. This required careful reframing to highlight or hide certain elements. The cinematography was exceptional, and each aspect ratio shift presented different opportunities for creative framing.

Tools and Techniques

Within Adobe Premiere Pro, Punsalan used Speech to Text and Text-Based Editing extensively. These tools were invaluable for searching specific lines and jumping directly to corresponding clips, saving time during reviews and locating unique lines without manual searches.

Tips for Using Premiere Pro

Punsalan recommends using the tilde key to quickly full-screen a specific window and then return to the original layout. This feature enhances efficiency and streamlines the editing process.

Creative Inspiration

David Bowie has been a constant source of inspiration for Punsalan. He often reflects on Bowie’s quote: “Always go a little further into the water than you feel you're capable of being in. Go a little bit out of your depth. And when you don't feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you're just about in the right place to do something exciting.”

Career Challenges and Advice

Transitioning from assistant editing in reality television to editing independent feature films was a significant challenge for Punsalan. His advice to aspiring filmmakers is to position themselves in the field they ultimately want to pursue, as editors can easily become pigeonholed in one style of editing.

Favorite Aspect of the Workspace

Punsalan loves his three-monitor setup, which allows him to use the MAC full-screen feature and quickly swipe between apps using the Magic Mouse. Having Premiere Pro windows set up alongside a full-screen PDF of the script makes his workflow efficient and organized.