Finely Sliced: Unravelling the Story with Carina Etae

Carina Etae is a British Vietnamese editor based in London.

LBB> The first cut is the deepest: how do you like to start an editing project?

Carina> I spend quite a long time obsessing over footage, often making several rounds of selects. Depending on the project this process could take a while. I think it’s important to delve deep into the world of the material in order to discover and understand the language of the edit.

LBB> Non-editors often think of editing just in technical terms but it’s integral to the emotion and mood of a film. How did you develop that side of your craft?

Carina> I think editing is essentially story-telling and every story has its own arc/pace/language. Surrounding myself with different books/films/people with unique and interesting ideas helps me understand a variety of perspectives. I try to be observant and analytical in everything I do; reflecting and being self-critical is an integral part of any creative process, especially editing.

LBB> How important is an understanding of story and the mechanics of story?

Carina> It is absolutely fundamental! Without a story the edit just wouldn’t be as compelling, no matter the idea.

I love seeking out stories in footage that may seem to lack narrative. It could be a simple fashion studio shoot but the story could be hidden in the movement of the models, to how they interact with the camera and/or each other or even in the way they blink.

There’s always a story to unravel in everything if you look hard enough.

LBB> Tell us about a recent editing project that involved some interesting creative challenges.

Carina> My favourite project has to be Nike x MMW - Series 004 with director and fashion photographer Sharna Osborne. While there was an overarching theme, there wasn’t really a limitation on how to use the footage so it was a methodical process of trying out lots of different things. I love being hands-on and experimental so it was a challenge I revelled in. Together, we pushed the limits of what we could do with the footage and sound, continuously bouncing ideas off each other, night after night, laboriously. What resulted was something quite crazy but also fun - absolutely worth it.