The Cheese Thief - Production Breakdown

The Cheese Thief was the second film project I completed at university and provided a valuable opportunity to develop my skills in filmmaking and post-production. The brief required us to create a film that demonstrated key visual continuity techniques, including a close-up using three-point lighting, a focus pull, an over-the-shoulder interaction between two characters, and a montage sequence. With these requirements in mind, my team and I developed a concept that allowed us to integrate each technique naturally and effectively into the narrative. I took on multiple roles throughout the production, working as a runner, actor, and editor. Editing was the aspect of the project I found most rewarding, as it allowed me to shape the pacing, structure, and overall flow of the film. This experience further strengthened my ambition to pursue a career in film editing.

The Pre-production Stage

Although my primary responsibilities on The Cheese Thief were as an actor and editor, I was still involved throughout the pre-production process by contributing to our team's weekly planning meetings. During these sessions, we reviewed our progress, shared feedback on the work completed so far, and discussed ideas to strengthen the overall production.

The pre-production phase began with developing the script and storyboard, ensuring that the required filmmaking techniques were incorporated naturally into the narrative. Once these documents were finalised, we confirmed our filming locations and completed a risk assessment. After all the necessary paperwork had been approved, we were ready to move into production.

As the film was set across just two locations with a straightforward narrative, we scheduled two filming days to complete principal photography efficiently. While the rest of the pre-production was taking place, I also began planning my approach to the edit. Using the storyboard and shot list as a guide, I started considering how I would structure the film, pace each scene, and assemble the footage to create a coherent final product. Thinking ahead in this way gave me a clearer vision of the edit before filming had even begun, reinforcing my interest in pursuing a career in film editing.

The Production Stage

Our first day of production ran smoothly and gave us the opportunity to put all of our pre-production planning into practice. We arrived at our first location, a classroom that we had booked for our interrogation scene, at 9:00 a.m. and began setting up the equipment. Although I was acting in the film, I also worked as a runner, assisting the crew with a variety of tasks, including arranging the background of shots, helping to position the lighting, and ensuring the set was ready before each take.

Before filming, we discussed the most efficient way to capture the scene. As moving the camera frequently would have required us to continually reposition the lighting and reset the set, we decided to film every shot from a single camera angle before moving on to the next. At first, this process became slightly confusing, as we occasionally lost track of which lines, shots, and take numbers we were filming. To overcome this, we adjusted our workflow by recording the entire scene from one angle before changing camera positions. This simple change made the shoot much more organised and allowed the rest of the day to progress far more efficiently.

Once we had completed all of the wider shots, we moved on to the medium shots and close-ups, ensuring we had enough coverage for the edit. Capturing a variety of shot sizes gave me greater flexibility as the editor, allowing me to control the pacing of conversations and maintain visual continuity throughout the scene. By the end of the day, we had successfully captured all of the footage required for the interrogation sequence and packed away the equipment on schedule, leaving us well prepared for the second day of filming.

Our second day of production was much shorter, as we had significantly fewer scenes left to capture. We began by filming the montage sequence, which was one of the key requirements of the project and an important part of the film's storytelling. We decided to film my character's scenes first, as they were the messiest and completing them first meant we would not need to repeatedly clean up and reset the location.

During this sequence, we encountered a small challenge when trying to position the camera inside the refrigerator to create the perspective of the door opening. To achieve this shot, we removed a few of the fridge drawers, allowing us to place the camera at an appropriate height while maintaining the framing we had envisioned. This simple adjustment solved the problem and enabled us to capture the shot effectively.

Once my scenes were complete, we moved on to filming the second suspect. These shots were much more straightforward and required very little preparation, allowing us to work efficiently while keeping the location tidy. With the montage finished, we filmed the final scene, where all of the characters return to the kitchen and discover who stole the cheese. As the existing kitchen lighting provided sufficient illumination, we did not need to set up any additional lighting equipment, which helped us maintain a steady workflow.

To ensure we had enough coverage for the edit, we followed the same shooting approach as on the first day. We began with the wide shot to establish the scene before capturing medium shots and close-ups that would give greater flexibility during post-production. Once we had completed the planned shot list, we reviewed the footage together and decided to capture three additional shots as a safety measure in case any gaps became apparent during editing. Finishing ahead of schedule gave us confidence that we had all the material we needed, and we were then ready to move into the post-production stage, where I would take the lead as editor in assembling the final film.

The Post-Production Stage

As the editor for The Cheese Thief, I was responsible for managing the entire post-production workflow, from organising the media to delivering the final edit. Before beginning any work, I created a complete backup of all the footage to ensure that nothing would be lost if an issue occurred with my hard drive. Developing good file management habits is something I consider essential, particularly as I hope to pursue a career in film editing.

I edited the project in Avid Media Composer using a template that I had previously created, with separate bins already organised for different types of media. I first imported all of the footage, organising it by filming day, before importing the externally recorded audio. Once everything was in the project, I synchronised the video and audio clips and stored the completed syncs in their own dedicated bin, creating a well-structured project that would make the editing process more efficient.

With the media prepared, I carefully reviewed every take and selected the strongest performances and shots. These were moved into a separate bin before being arranged in story order, allowing me to plan the edit before assembling the sequence. Once the preparation was complete, I began building the first rough cut in the timeline. My initial focus was on establishing the narrative structure and pacing, ensuring that the story flowed clearly before making any creative refinements.

After completing the rough cut, I shared it with the rest of the team and gathered their feedback. They were pleased with the overall structure and pacing of the film, suggesting only a few small changes, which I incorporated into the second edit. This collaborative review process reinforced the importance of receiving constructive feedback, as even minor adjustments helped improve the final result.

The next stage of post-production focused on sound design. I spent a considerable amount of time searching for royalty-free music that matched the tone and pacing of the film. Finding suitable music proved more challenging than I had anticipated, but it highlighted how significantly a soundtrack can influence the emotion and atmosphere of a scene. Once I had selected the music, I organised it within the appropriate bins before adding it to the timeline and carefully balancing the audio levels so that the dialogue remained clear throughout.

Following another review with the team, I received feedback that the audio could do more to enhance the emotions on screen. I refined the sound mix, adjusted levels where necessary, and introduced additional sound effects during the final reveal of the film to create greater impact. These changes noticeably strengthened the overall viewing experience and demonstrated how much thoughtful sound design contributes to effective storytelling.

With the edit complete and the team satisfied with the final version, I added the end credits along with the required University of Hertfordshire opening titles before exporting the finished film. This project was particularly rewarding because it allowed me to take ownership of the post-production process from start to finish. It strengthened both my technical skills in Avid Media Composer and my understanding of how editing shapes a film's narrative, pacing, and emotional impact. More importantly, it confirmed that editing is the area of filmmaking I am most passionate about and the career path I hope to pursue in the future.

Once the edit was fully completed, I ensured that the project was properly saved and organised before moving into the final stages of post-production. I created an additional backup of the project files and media to prevent any potential data loss and to ensure that the edit could be accessed safely if any issues occurred.

After confirming that everything was correctly stored, I transferred the project and relevant media to the colourist so that the film could move into the colour grading stage. Although my main role on the project was editing, this stage helped me understand the importance of collaboration between different post-production departments. Ensuring that the project was well organised before handing it over allowed the colourist to work efficiently and maintain the creative direction we had established during the edit.

Conclusion

Looking back on The Cheese Thief, I am pleased with how the overall project developed and the final outcome we achieved as a team. The experience allowed me to strengthen my editing skills and develop a better understanding of how each element of post-production contributes to the overall quality of a film.

However, reflecting on the finished piece, I identified a few areas where I could have improved. One aspect I noticed after completing the project was that the music used during the credits was noticeably louder than the rest of the film. I feel that this affected the consistency of the sound design and did not fully match the tone established throughout the film. With more time and earlier awareness of this issue, I believe I could have explored alternative music choices or adjusted the track more effectively to create a smoother transition into the credits.

I also feel that the design of the credits could have been developed further to achieve a more professional appearance. Looking back at the final version, I would have liked to spend more time experimenting with different styles and layouts to ensure the credits matched the visual identity of the film.

Despite these areas for improvement, this project taught me valuable lessons about the importance of sound and music within filmmaking. I have gained a greater appreciation for how music can influence the audience’s emotions, control pacing, and enhance the storytelling experience. As someone who hopes to pursue a career in editing, this experience has reinforced the importance of refining every detail of a project, as even small creative decisions can have a significant impact on the final film.