The quarter is over, which means that Ipseity has finished the editing stage. It has evolved so much from the moment the idea was conceived up till now. The biggest change that occurred in the editing room was the structure of the story. I never gave it a thought going into this project to use flashbacks in my story. However, once I got in the editing room it was clear I needed to use it to enhance the story. By doing so, I had more flexibility and had more opportunities to develop my characters. This decision opened my mind and gave me more creative freedom. I would try new things, and sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn't. One thing I tried was jump cuts. I never enjoyed seeing jump cuts in films because it just never resonated with me. That is until I saw the movie Like Crazy. I was inspired and was excited to try it out in my own way. Unfortunately, I had to throw it out because it was not effective, but I am glad I gave it a try. In regards to the story as a whole, Ipseity stayed fairly close to the original script. The biggest thing that has shifted is character development, but the same story has always been the focus.

The reason there were significant changes in the structure and character development of Ipseity were motivated by clarity. The character development of Cameron needed to be much more prevalent. I was getting feedback during critiques that Cameron was self-destructive. Because of that, I spent time trying to change her character and show her in a little more respectable light. However, the more I edited, the more I realized that quality may be something I should finesse instead of covering it up and "fixing" it. The fact that Cameron is self-destructive builds her character in a more complex way. I was able to make that clear and part of Cameron's character. Without that, the clarity of my film was lost. The more I honed in on Cameron's character, the better the story would get.

In retrospect, my film really needed a director that was doing just that. I took on a bit too much. I produced, directed and was the cinematographer. I simply did not have the help I needed. I would go back to the pre-production stage and look for a cinematographer. Originally, I would have chosen my fellow classmate, Tim Torabpour, but he was also in the production stage and shooting his own film. Although I love cinematography, I aspire to be a director and wanted to use this opportunity to practice that skill and show what I can do in my Senior Film.

I am happy with how Ipseity has turned out, but I am going to continue finessing it until I graduate. This experience taught me so much and I can't wait to use the knowledge I have now in future projects.