Closing the Gap in 30 Days - and I'm terrified

I'm editing in public all June to show how a film goes from the version in your head to the one on the screen.

I haven’t started yet.

It’s the night before Day 1 and I’m sitting with a project that needs to go from raw footage to a solid rough cut in 30 day, or I have to pay back a $10,000 grant.

I want to be honest with you - I’m hella nervous.

Not because I don’t know how to do this. I’ve edited hundreds of projects across 300+ credits for Netflix, Disney, Paramount, blah blah blah. I am the person in the room who gets called when a film is in trouble. I know how to finish.

But knowing how and doing it - live, in public, with real money on the line - are two very different things.

So why am I letting you watch?

Because I’ve spent the last year talking to filmmakers who are stuck in post - really stuck - and I kept saying the same thing you. are. not. alone. This part is hard for everyone, the industry just doesn’t talk about it. And this past week I realized I needed to stop just saying it and actually show it.

This is me showing it. Totally terrified.

The film is Before We Knew - I’ve been talking about this film over the past few posts, but as a refresher it’s a narrative feature I shot last year that I love deeply and have been terrified to face.

Finishing a feature film typically takes 12–16 weeks to reach a solid rough cut. But life has been lifing… and now I only have 30 days.

Every day in June I’m going to show up, open the timeline, and document what actually happens. The wins, the ugly sessions, the moments where I can’t tell if a scene is working or if I’ve just watched it too many times to know anymore. I promise I won’t overshare, but I will make sure it’s helpful and relevant but most importantly I want YOU, the indie filmmaker to know, you are not alone.

Even someone who knows HOW to get a finish across the finish line can and does get stuck.

Before We Knew has been a labor of love, we postponed shooting by 1 year because we weren’t ready in 2024, but then 2025 hit even harder. We lost my brother-in-law to cancer, and if you’ve ever lost a loved one you know how much that can wreck you.

With everyone set in motion my husband and I made the call to have me go ahead and shoot, be on set and get it “in the can” at least. But after that I’ve honestly had to pick up so many life pieces, including making sure my family is supported as the sole bread winner. SO it meant this labor of love, that was unpaid, had to wait.

I know I’m not alone. I SEE YOU.

THIS is what I want you to know if you’re reading this and you have a film sitting on a hard drive somewhere…

The shame you feel every time one of your crew or cast ask you “is it finished yet?” That’s not some childhood trauma you need to address. That’s what happens when an entire industry teaches you how to SHOOT a film and then goes completely silent the moment the shoot wraps.

Nobody hands you the playbook for that part. How to do this no matter what your budget or circumstances.

THAT is what this month is. Me handing you mine, one day at a time, in real time.

If you want to follow along:

Come find me on Instagram: @imshawnacarroll. I’ll be posting every single day (or at least try to) the morning plan, the evening reality of what actually went down. First lesson of post, what you planned for and what actually happen are NEVER the same thing. These will be the lessons worth knowing. It’s going to be honest and a little (ok maybe a lot) messy and I think that’s exactly the point. Which is why I’ve decided to just go ahead and pull the trigger no matter what, and force myself to share this journey out loud.

And if you’re not subscribed here yet - do that too. Every week I’ll be writing a longer piece pulling out the real lesson from the week. I don’t know maybe this is dumb.

:: wait stop that, no it’s not ::

I think there are those of you out there who would really love feeling less alone in this post process. So no, it’s not dumb, it’s gonna be great.

(please send encouragement 🙏😅)

Day 1 starts tomorrow.

Let’s finish something.

Until next time,
Shawna Carroll