Shen understands all the small aspects and big challenges to his job. He knows how to overcome a curveball or take an image and make it miraculous. That is what he does as an editor.
“What I do is collect all the original footage and select what I want to use, then put them together in editing software. I will do the first draft on my own, and show it to the director and talk about each scene and each pace, even a 0.1 second frame,” said Shen. “I personally actually do not totally rely on the script, because sometimes the picture would create a new language and logic in a timeline that is different with the words on script.”
Shen has worked on films such as Red String, Emily, Stay, and Cartoon Book, all of which have gone on to see tremendous success at many international film festivals. The important thing to be successful, as an editor, is not to feel overwhelmed.
“The most common challenge in my profession is that it is difficult to choose the right option for editing, because there are always multiple choices that will work. When I am in this kind of situation, I will put the footage away for a while, and even watch some similar movies to get ideas. Or I will talk with some directors who have done a similar genre of film to get some advice. You never know where you will find inspiration,” said Shen.
Shen was born and raised in Beijing, China, and has helped to tell many impactful stories in his native country and abroad. He has made a name for himself as one of China’s best, but also earns the respect of everyone he works with. Mark Carlis, the lead actor in the film The Rabbit, The Horse, The Wolf, which Shen edited, was thoroughly impressed with his capabilities.
“When Minghao and I work together, it goes really well and smooth. After each shooting day, Minghao would check the footage carefully. He could make decisions based on both the Director mind and Editor angle. He helped other crews and actors to work more effectively and he was extremely organized. We avoided editing issues and found the cutting points during the action with his perspective,” said Mark Carlis.
Shen’s work on the horror film Inside Linda Vista Hospital is the perfect example of what he is capable of as an editor. In a horror film, editing is essential for its success, as each image has to be edited and shown perfectly to capture the intense and scared emotions the audience members should be feeling.
“Horror film is always about beats. The director worked very closely with me to ensure each second of the film was perfect to make the film the best it could be,” said Shen. “The director and I worked together previously and both of us believed that we would work smoothly together again when we took this film on.”
Inside Linda Vista Hospital tells the story of a young girl who wakes up in a hospital surrounded by police covered in the blood of her boyfriend. With the help of a video camera, she slowly pieces together what happened, and she may not like what she finds.
“It is the great script and looked like a bit challenge, which is I always like to try,” said Shen.
The film has gone one to do exceptionally well at some of the world’s most prestigious film festivals. It was an Official Selection at the Festival de Cannes Short Film Corner and the Pasadena International Film Festival, it won Best Director and Best Horror at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, Best Editing at the United International Film Festival, and Film of the Year at the AFMA Film Festival of Young Cinema 2017.
“It is not the first time that the director got a lot of awards on one of his films, so it was not really surprise, but I still was really glad that the film got so much encouragement. It is good for all of our team members and supports their hard work,” he said.
None of the success could have been possible without Shen, who was pivotal to the project. The director of the film, Jun Xia, knew Shen was the best man for the job as editor.
“Jun is a talented director who really value to work with, he always enthusiastic about his films,” said Shen. “He was always looking for the perfect moment on everything, so it helped me as well to get the best stuff we want.”
As the editor on this project, Shen helped the director chose and collect a large amount of footage. Tt is important during the production to keep the shooting in the right organizational step according to Shen, and he likes to be there while shooting to get a better idea of what he will then need to edit.
“I will do the rough cut the first time, and then talk it with director for the next draft, based on the basic story line, I will keep my eyes on the acting, visual and the movements all the time. What I really like is finding that best one,” he concluded.