Editor Ryan Cauchi talks with Assistant Editor Annie Zhang about 'Greystanes'.
'Greystanes' was funded by Screen Australia and TikTok Australia via the Every Voice initiative with additional support from Screen NSW, Mario’s Pastizzi and the Maltese Cultural Association of NSW.
To watch the full series, head over to @greystanesseries.
Q. What is 'Greystanes' about?
'Greystanes' is a Maltese-Australian supernatural horror/dark fantasy series for TikTok. Set in 1995, in the suburb of the same name, it tells the story of precocious, horror-movie-loving tween Samantha and her older brother Marius. While visiting their Nanna (Maltese grandmother) and cousins during the school holidays, they discover a dark family secret and come under attack from a nightmare’s gallery of monsters and other nasties from Maltese folklore. Ultimately, the kids find that the key to their survival lies only in Nanna’s Old-World customs and beliefs.
Q. You not only edited 'Greystanes' but you also co-wrote and directed the series! How did you find jumping between those roles? Did you feel like being the writer/director helped with the editing side of things?
Absolutely! Being an Editor, I naturally write, direct and shoot for post. That is, I’m already thinking about the edit - its visual construct, timing and rhythm - as early as the script-writing phase, and then eventually when I’m working with the cinematographer and cast on set.
I sadly didn’t have a lot of time in pre-production on 'Greystanes', so during that period I really needed to decide which sequences were so complicated that they had to be storyboarded and which ones I could confidently improvise on the day.
If I didn’t have that “Editor’s gut”, I don’t think I would ever be able to adapt to problems on set as well as I did, nor make such quick decisions about coverage/angles on a mercilessly tight shooting schedule (effectively preventing overshooting and undershooting) and still get most of what I needed to tell my story in the edit. I say “most” because pickups and second unit photography on drama is almost always inevitable.
Also, being the Writer/Director and Editor of a project makes you the only one on set at liberty to say: “We can fix it in post”!
Q. You have a lot of experience in short-form horror stories. Do you think that the horror genre translates well to short-form digital mediums like TikTok?
Bite-sized, creepy one-shots that are lean on story but big on scares, such as Shortest Blockbusters, seem to be doing pretty damn well on TikTok. But episodic horror, like most scripted content, is still relatively unique to the platform.
Before 'Greystanes', I hadn’t released a horror story specifically for a short-form digital medium in over a year - that being my AACTA Award-nominated TikTok series Tales from the Dark Web: Moira Hill. TikTok was still pretty new then. During my time away, things were changing drastically, specifically users’ attention spans. Horror is a genre that relies heavily on structure and building atmosphere and tension - drawing things out so you connect with the characters in these fantastical, made-up situations, and ultimately to elicit fear and suspense. But that’s not going to work for every TikTok user. The sad truth is people’s attention spans are getting shorter and shorter and a lot of beautifully-crafted content - not just horror - is being lost in a user’s aimless scrolling on TikTok.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. Horror remains one of the most popular genres out there. It has a dedicated fanbase, so regardless of platform, build it and they will come! Just be prepared to rely on other forms of media outside of TikTok - like YouTube, Facebook and Instagram - to raise awareness for your project and direct traffic back to TikTok.
Q. Have you ever edited for TikTok before? What do you find interesting and challenging about editing for TikTok?
Before 'Greystanes', I had directed and edited two short films for TikTok, plus a bunch of promotional material specifically on the platform for reality television shows Farmer Wants a Wife (Fremantle Media) and Stars on Mars (Eureka Productions).
The rules are constantly being rewritten, but some things have not changed. The algorithm loves faces, so starting your edit with a character - preferably in close-up - rather than an establishing shot is going to connect with audiences faster. And speaking of fast, TikTok is a high-energy platform, so you need to keep things as lively and dynamic as possible. Something arguably easier in comedy - which flourishes on the platform - than in drama or horror.
But perhaps the most challenging/frustrating thing for filmmakers jumping onto TikTok, is that their content is at the mercy of audiences’ waning attention spans. Most users make up their minds on a video in 2-9 seconds. Back in my day, be it YouTube or Vimeo, it was more like 15 seconds! And it’s just going to get smaller! So the pressure to construct those opening seconds of a piece and pull in an audience has never been harder!
Q. What was your process for editing each episode?
After syncing and organising the rushes (budget was tight, so I was my own Assistant Editor!), I would often make my “selects” and then start cutting, usually with hardcopies of the scripts, storyboards and story notes laid out beside me. I will do this on any project - yes, even the ones I did direct and think I know inside/out. As an Editor, I feel that honouring the original intent of the story and its ideas is just as important as finding the truth in the footage and the performances.
The episodes were edited in order and I needed to keep them between 60 and 90 seconds to achieve maximum impact and reach on TikTok. Fortunately, I cut tight! Only three of the 18 episodes ran over 90 seconds. These ones specifically advanced story and character, and making them any tighter or even cutting them in half, would’ve been lethal to the rhythm, pace and emotion that I was going for. Fortunately for us, TikTok audiences didn’t seem to mind!
Q. The relationship between a Director and Editor can be really useful to bounce ideas back and forth in the cutting room and also be a sounding board for each other. Without that dynamic, were you looking to others to get feedback on your edits?
On every one of my directing jobs, there’s always been a group of people I can rely on for feedback on my edits. Colleagues and friends that not only understand my brand/point-of-view as a filmmaker, but who also aren’t afraid to give a no bullsh*t, no lies assessment of my work.
On 'Greystanes', I turned to my producer, Matt Ferro, and our series’ Development Executive at Screen Australia, Louise Cocks. Matt was also my co-writer - the only other person with equal understanding of the story, characters and tone - but he was never afraid to play devil’s advocate in the editing room. On the other hand, Louise understood TikTok better than either of us, so her feedback consisted mostly of editorial changes that would ultimately maximise the reach and impact of each episode on the platform. All in all, a very strong sounding board!
Q. Sound design is so important when it comes to heightening the tension in horror stories. Did you find yourself doing most of that work in the edit or were you just mostly temping it out for someone else (e.g. sound designer or sound effects editor) to fill in later?
So important. I love sound design but I try not to get too bogged down with it during the edit. I much prefer to just write detailed notes for the sound designer and then give them the space to do their own thing.
On 'Greystanes', I was fortunate enough to work with the phenomenal Nick Keate. I was blown away by his ingenuity, dedication and attention to detail on such an ambitious project. The only things I would ever sync up for him were ADR and creature vocals. As a Monster Kid, I’m very specific about the latter, so I just thought we would save on time and guesswork if I laid them up for him. Nick is definitely one to watch…or rather “hear”!
Q. What’s next for you?
More Maltese-Australian horror/dark fantasy I hope! But until then, we have some live screenings of 'Greystanes' coming up, and then I have to start thinking about how best to promote the series during spooky season (Halloween). Editing-wise, I’m returning to Assistant work for a while. The first time in 6 years. Wish me luck!
28th June 2024