The film Emergency, which premiered at this year’s Sundance, is a dark comedy/thriller about two best friends who are thesis students attending a mostly white university. Kunle is focused on his academics, while Sean is more laid back and focused on one last night of partying before they graduate.
Kunle and Sean, who are black, run into a complicated situation before their night begins when they find a white girl (Emma) passed out on their living room floor. Kunle wants to call 911, but Sean doesn’t because he fears the worst scenario could happen — they would not get the benefit of the doubt from the police. They are accompanied by a third friend, Carlos, who often helps bring levity to moments of drama.
Lam Nguyen
“The film is really a love story between Kunle and Sean and how their different views force tough choices during this wild night,” says the film’s editor, Lam Nguyen, who cut last year’s Sundance film R#J. Emergency was directed by Carey Williams (who directed R#J) and shot by DP Michael Dallatorre.
Let’s find out more…
How early did you get involved on this film?
I was involved early, before the production even started. Carey and I discussed a lot about what’s more important to capture and what’s extra — things that would be great options to have. I was assembling the edit daily while they were filming in Atlanta. This gave us the flexibility to stay on top of what was working and what might be needed to save any pickup shoots during post.
What direction were you given for the edit? How often was Carey taking a look at your cut?
This is my second collaboration with Carey Williams. We aligned immediately on what the film should be, which was this love story between our primary characters. Although there are sensitive themes that we touch upon, we wanted to make sure the edit was perfectly balanced between comedy and drama. The main key was to focus on Kunle and Sean’s relationship and to experience their arc by the end of the journey.
Carey didn’t look at any cuts during production. He trusted what was needed, and so I was able to assemble the first edit on my own. Then I shared the first draft a week after production wrapped, and we moved forward from there in refining the story together.
Lam Nguyen and director Carey Williams
Was there a particular scene or scenes that were most challenging?
One of the most challenging scenes was in Terence’s apartment, where Maddie (Emma’s sister) and her friends arrived and almost got to Emma before the boys drove off. We were concerned with the timing for the comedic punchline and the dramatic moment when Maddie could have gotten to her sister in time. How long do we stay in the comedy, and when do we move forward with the drama?
We were bouncing in and out of the scene so much initially that it felt disorienting. So we ended up focusing on the boys in the apartment first. Getting that scene right for the comedic moment all way to the end when they take off.
We would use the apartment scene as the baseline and insert Maddie’s arrival and POV to break up the scene. Usually things come in threes, right? So we challenged ourselves to cut to Maddie only three times before the boys took off to make the timing believable. It was very rewarding when we finally found the right combination.
Did you do more than edit on this film?
I was glad to be able to wear only one hat on this project, which was editing and making the best out of the film — especially with this challenge of drama, thriller and comedy. This allowed me to spend more quality time with the footage and the scenes to balance these emotional moments as best as possible.
Can you talk about working during the pandemic? How did that affect the workflow?
I’ve gotten used to it, especially with my experience on R#J with Carey last year. This required a lot more communication to address notes and scenes, but that helped me understand tendencies from the director and allowed me to make my edits more spot-on to save any extra time for revisions.
I think working remotely is also beneficial. I’m able to save two to three hours of traffic time in LA and use that time more efficiently on crafting a story. It feels like we were able to achieve a lot more each day. I’ll admit that there’s nothing like being in person and feeling the creative juices flowing to fix a scene right on the spot, and there will be a hybrid of that for future filmmaking. The time spent putting the first couple drafts together remotely definitely got the movie much further along before working closely with the director to refine the story.
What system did you use to cut?
Adobe Premiere Pro.
Is there a tool within that system that most people might not know about that you use?
This was my first experience working through the cloud with Adobe, using Amazon AWS system. I didn’t realize Adobe had a feature called Premiere Pro Productions. This is where my assistant editors and I were able to access the same projects simultaneously and keep our projects up to date seamlessly.
How did you manage your time?
I used to be really bad at managing time. As an editor, you often get so wrapped in the project that you don’t realize you’ve been at it for 12 hours. I’ve learned to balance my days better and to have more energy so that I can be more effective creatively. So I often work in four-hour chunks and try to keep it to 10 hours maximum.
However, I hate feeling behind, and I’ve learned that you can get a lot more done when you are less fatigued and that it’s okay to save it for the next day – unless there’s a deadline (laughs).
You mentioned having assistant editors. How did you work with them? Do you see them as only technical or as creative collaborators?
I had two assistant editors on this. Jaime Blanco, who handled the majority of the work from the beginning, and Darnell Stalworth, who jumped in later in the game to handle VFX duties.
Lam Nguyen’s edit space
Jaime was great. Very organized and on top of everything. I see roles for assistant editors as collaborators. I believe in fresh eyes and often would get his input on scenes that I put together. I would have him cut some scenes together as well. I think that involving AEs creatively helps make a much better product in the end.
Darnell was great as well and very patient in handling VFX duties that could become very burdensome. I would also get his inputs on scenes along with VFX ideas to help improve a shot.
How do you manage expectations with reality/what can really be done?
I usually address all producers notes and will be honest in the feedback if it is not working. But if a note doesn’t work, I still try to address it by doing something different with it. I think that’s what helps meet producers’ expectations — give them something unexpected as well. It was an organic process to find something new in scene that often works better.
I usually will take a day after the notes meeting to let it sink in. Play the scenarios in my head throughout the day and come in fresh the next day to work the notes.
If there’s something I feel strongly about, I respond by showing versions of the scene to compare and decide which works better. Often it’s a mesh between two ideas that solves the puzzle.
How do you take criticism? Do you find yourself defensive or accepting of other’s ideas (good and bad)?
At times it can be sensitive because you’ve worked on something that you hope works. Truth of the matter is, I’ve grown, and I am not defensive anymore. I’ve learned that feedback is really to help make the story better and not an attack on the work. I approach feedback with an open mind and am a big believer in fresh eyes. Editors can be too wrapped in the footage, and often you catch something new from an idea that you never thought of.
Finally, any tips for those just starting out?
I would say everything is more accessible now. You don’t need a big, expensive computer to make a movie. I’ve been able to create stories all from my laptop.
Storytelling is all about feelings. We cry, we laugh, we embrace; try not to be afraid and voice what you believe in. Allow your passion to resonate through your edit. I often say, “Edit with emotions.” Keep an open mind because there are so many combinations to craft a story — the question is which one makes it best for the story?
