Refining the Edit (Cutting & Pacing)

Once I had my rough cut in place, the next step was to refine the edit, turning a raw sequence of clips into a polished, well paced narrative. This stage was all about tightening the film’s flow, creating smooth transitions, and ensuring the pacing aligned with the psychological tension I wanted to build in Shaam. Some scenes dragged on for too long, while others felt too abrupt. The flashbacks, which were crucial in building the mystery, needed a surreal, fragmented quality but they still had to make sense within the overall story.

So, I got to work.

I began with cutting unnecessary footage. Some shots, though beautifully captured, slowed down the pace unnecessarily, So I trimmed certain moments to maintain tension especially in scenes where Ali was alone in the farmhouse.
Every second needed to serve a purpose, so I removed any footage that didn’t add to the story or mood.

Then I added transitions between the shots to fit the story perfectly. I played around with jump cuts, and smooth transitions to create an, unsettling atmosphere. Jump cuts were used in Ali’s paranoia driven moments, making the audience feel as disoriented as he did, and in the flashback scenes where he is reminiscing on what happened.

However I still needed to keep the audience on their toes and what better way than suspense? Suspense is all about timing. Some moments needed longer pauses to let tension sink in, while others required quick, sharp cuts to maintain energy. I experimented with lingering shots on small, eerie details like the swaying dupatta, the empty dhaba and the shaky pour of water in the glass, to build unease.

In contrast, the flashback sequences had faster cuts, making them feel fragmented and chaotic almost like distorted memories.






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