Making/Editing of: Part 3

The most nerve-wracking part of the project was filming underwater. The idea first came to me after studying the movie Rebecca. The film opens beneath the water’s surface, with the title floating gently, swaying with the currents. I was captivated by that imagery, it felt haunting yet beautiful. I began brainstorming how I could incorporate something similar.

From the very beginning, I knew I wanted nature to play a central role in my film opening. Initially, I imagined filming in a forest during spring, to reflect the joy and renewal that comes after seasons of harsh weather and decay. But then, one night at church, everything shifted. The pastor spoke about fears, phobias, and traumas, how they grow with us as we age and experience more of the world. At that moment, I remembered one of my biggest fears, drowning.

That fear has followed me since childhood. I don’t venture far into the sea or ocean; I always stay close to the shore. Over the years, I’ve tried to overcome it. I learned to swim, and I learned what to do if I ever found myself in danger. But the fear runs deep. Even something as small as getting my head stuck in a shirt while changing can make me panic. Just a few seconds of feeling trapped can be enough to overwhelm me. Despite all of that, I chose to face this fear in my film. 

On my last day in Egypt, my uncle and cousin came with me to the sea to help film. My cousin offered to capture some behind-the-scenes moments, and before getting started, we spent some time messing around, searching for corals and seashells. Eventually, I found the perfect spot to shoot. The water was crystal clear, with shades of blue and green that shimmered in the sunlight.

Even then, I didn’t have the courage to venture far from the shore. My initial idea was to create a POV shot that looked like someone drowning, using my arms to stir the water. But because the water was too shallow, it didn’t quite work. Still, I plan to add diegetic sound, muffled yelling, so the audience can interpret the scene the way I intended.

After a few trials and errors, I finally got the perfect shot. Later that day, I edited the color and brightness using the Photos app. The footage begins in an emerald green and gradually transitions to blue. I did this to give the impression that time is passing like life slipping away. I also tilted the camera closer to the water’s surface, which, to me, symbolizes being so close to freedom yet so far away. That final glimpse of the sky, the same one you saw when you were born, acts as a powerful reminder of how fragile life is and how deeply our choices shape it.

Behind the Scenes:

Final product after editing: