Day 17: Editing with APAK

As a filmmaker, I have been on dozens of sets in my day. Never, however, have I gotten the opportunity to assist on a set in an entirely different language. I had the amazing opportunity to help APAK, the Asociation de Productores Audiovisuales Kichiwas, in creating a promotional video for the indigenous Imantag community, specifically a traditional dance/theater group called Sisa Waiku. Sisa Waiku started as a labor of love within the Imantag community, working to keep alive the traditional art forms that make Imantag unique. As they grew, however, they saw a need for branding and organization, which is where APAK comes in. We worked with two women named Lucia and Amparo, who helped us develop our concept in pre-production.

This post covers the day we spent editing our footage. I served as primary editor for our rough cut, and worked with Edison and Narcisso, two members of the APAK team and the directors of photography and sound for our video. My limited Spanish came in clutch for this experience; as I worked, I was able to understand when one of the directors wanted a longer or shorter cut, a different take, or a specific effect. It was incredible to discover that, just like our filming day, the conventions of filmmaking were able to transcend a language barrier—I was able to wordlessly deliver the effect that the directors were looking for, simply because of my prior knowledge.

In many ways, I felt very much at home in this unfamiliar environment because of the familiarity of the routine. Get in by 9 a.m., spend all day editing, and go home for the day at 5; it was just another day at my co-op. Watching our video come together throughout the course of the day was a true joy, especially since we had been around for the genesis of the idea. I grew a lot as a videographer throughout this day, and I’m really proud of our video—I truly believe it’s powerful in any language.