In 2023 I had the opportunity to edit the film Six Inches of Soil, an indie documentary produced by DragonLight Films that started its journey in 2021. The story follows three new farmers in their first year implementing regenerative agriculture, a practice that heals the soil and restores biodiversity while combating climate change.

Editing my first feature documentary proved to be a valuable experience that taught me a lot of things, both technical and personal. This was one of the most challenging experiences of my professional life as an editor, but it was worth the time and effort to create such an impactful film. In this article, I will explore some important and unexpected lessons that I learned while working on this project, reflecting on the role of editing in the storytelling process and offering a behind-the-scenes look at bringing Six Inches of Soil to life.

1. Be passionate about the film or find your passion within it

In my opinion, feature documentaries are the hardest type of film to edit, because you have to find a 90-minute story within tens, if not hundreds of hours of footage. You’re about to embark on a demanding marathon, which will take up a lot of your time, energy, and creativity, so make sure the subject matter of the project is something that appeals to you.

It’s not only about whether you are passionate about the subject, but also if it aligns with your values. In my case, while Six Inches of Soil’s exploration of farming wasn’t my ultimate passion, the subject overall was important to me, because it’s a story that gives solutions to the climate crisis. If I was someone who didn’t care about climate change, I would’ve had an even harder time working on this documentary. However, knowing that the story of this film was going to make the planet better by inspiring people to make healthier choices motivated me to do my best work.

2. Organise your footage and get to know it well

Folder structure from Adobe Premiere Pro — Folder Structure of the raw footage from Six Inches of Soil.

This is probably obvious, but still so important that I have to write it down. As an editor, you will watch interviews and shots over, and over, and over again! Then you will come back to re-watch even more.

Make sure everything is well organised in your editing software of choice, so you can have easy access to any scene or interview. In my case, I knew that we would follow the protagonists of our documentary in a roughly chronological order. As a result, I first created a folder for each character, then made subfolders with each month, day and year. That way, even if I were to jump from one time to another, I would at least keep the seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter) in order. Your documentary might have a different approach to the story. Just make sure you create suitable folders that are well organised.

Take many notes, mark, and label the footage to make it easier to search for something specific. And last, but not least, create transcripts! This is a crucial step, as sometimes it’s easier to find hidden sound bite gems when reading or searching for keywords. With AI tools (in my case, the ones offered by Adobe Premiere) you can now automatically transcribe your videos with ease. I assure you they are worth having in your editing tools arsenal!

3. Break it down into smaller steps

Once you start collating and watching all the footage you may feel overwhelmed by how much you have to do in order to finish a feature documentary. You might not know where to start or what the big picture is.

If that happens, take a deep breath, relax, and make a list of all the steps you have to take. For example, there is no point in worrying about transitions if you’re working on an assembly, and still figuring out the narrative of the film. There’s no need to worry about the ending if you haven’t even edited the set-up of the film. Concentrate on breaking each of these big steps (first assembly, rough cut, fine cut etc) into smaller, more easily achievable tasks (such as choosing the best soundbites for the beginning, then focusing on the intro etc) which can be taken one at a time. That way you will not be overwhelmed by all the work that’s ahead of you.

4. Go with the flow of the story

Unlike fiction, documentaries lack a fixed script. You likely only have the story outline and some notes from the director. This makes the editing process dynamic and somewhat unpredictable. The story of the documentary will change the more you watch, edit and re-edit your work. Scenes sometimes unfold organically and the narrative will take unexpected turns. Embracing this unpredictability is important to keeping your creativity engaged.

Going with the flow and being adaptable allowed the essence of Six Inches of Soil to emerge from the hundreds of hours of interviews and footage. Finding a balance between the personal human stories of the three main characters and the broader themes of our film was an important part of our process. The director and I knew it was essential to stay true to the heart of individual narratives, as well as ensure these stories aligned with the overarching philosophical message of the documentary. Through feedback and discussions, we aimed to honour each story while ensuring they collectively contributed to the greater narrative about nature-friendly farming and a better agricultural system.

So experiment by rearranging shots and scenes! Ask yourself: “What is the purpose of this scene and how does it connect to the one before, after, and the overall message of the story?” Allow editing breakthroughs to change the course of your work. After all, that’s why we have multiple versions of our films in non-linear editing software!

5. Clearly grasp the director's vision

Because of the changing nature of the documentary’s story while in the post-production process, it’s important that you clearly understand the director’s vision. Throughout the editing stages, keep checking in with the director and ask them questions to see if their vision changed, morphed or adapted as you edit more of the footage and interviews.

When working on Six Inches of Soil, New Doc Editing’s Documentary Story Focusing Exercise was very helpful. It had simple questions that helped us bring out a clear vision, keeping us on track with our timeline for the project.

6. Less is more

In order to create a compelling film that does not bore or confuse the audience, the story needs to be clear and concise. Often, that means recognizing that the strength of a narrative lies not only in what is included, but also in what is not. Trimming certain scenes or, as we say, “killing your darlings”, can and will enhance your overall story, by making the documentary more focused and impactful. After all, you can always bring that scene back in from a previous version of your edit. So don’t be afraid to cut, cut, cut!

Incorporating moments of silence in a documentary also serves as a powerful tool. In Six Inches of Soil, the scenes in which we see our main characters farm quietly on their land (without voiceover) transport us into their world, allowing us to feel connected to nature and understand why this vocation is important to them. Such pauses provide the audience with moments to breathe, absorb the information, and strengthen the emotion of the scene. In the quiet spaces with no voiceover, viewers can experience the essence of the film and create a deeper connection with the narrative. So use silence to your advantage!

7. Keep on learning

In the age of the internet, learning has never been easier. Whether you are an editor that’s just starting out, or an experienced filmmaker, there is always something new to learn. So read books, watch tutorial videos, or go to the cinema/streaming service of your choice and watch a documentary. You never know what new information will bring your next edit breakthrough, when you feel uninspired or lost in the editing woods!

In terms of online resources, I already recommended New Doc Editing as something that was helpful for me. Their newsletter was insightful and even inspiring at times. As for film festivals, if you’re in the UK, definitely go to Sheffield Doc Fest. That’s where I learned through other documentaries how silence in scenes can help you tell a story more effectively.

8. You will doubt yourself, but stay strong!

This might come as unexpected, but throughout the process, you’ll have moments where you dislike your edit. Not only that, but you will also question your skills and sanity, contemplate why you accepted editing a feature documentary in the first place, and, ultimately, wonder if you should actually change careers and retire to a cabin in the forest.

When I showed the director and supervising editor my first assembly of the whole film, I felt unsure about my editing abilities. I was worried that I hadn’t used the best moments in the interviews to convey the essence of the story. Doubts kept creeping into my mind as I thought of all the other ways I could have edited the film. However, their reaction was surprisingly positive and reassuring. They enjoyed my edit and offered constructive feedback, highlighting what worked well and guiding me on areas that needed improvement. Their encouragement and helpful insights helped me regain confidence in my editing skills and reassured me that I was on the right track.

Believe it or not, these doubts are a normal part of the editing journey. Editing is an intricate and invested process and, at the beginning, you may not like what you work on. However, with each edit and refinement, the story will slowly take shape and come to life. It's about persistence and growth as you shape the story into what it was always meant to be, so stick to it! You got this!

A Polaroid photo of Daria Hupov and Jason Brooks working on a desk in the DragonLight Films office. They are both smiling. Daria is pointing at Jason's laptop screen. — A Polaroid photo of me and Jason working on Six Inches of Soil.

9. Have a mentor you can rely on

If possible, have either an editing supervisor, a second editor, or an assistant editor that you can rely on. Editing documentaries is complex and you can often get lost in the depths of the footage and interviews. Having a collaborator who can help you step back, offer valuable insights, constructive feedback, and a fresh pair of eyes on the project can help so much. This collaboration will bring technical precision, spark creativity, and contribute to a better overall documentary.

For me, Jason Brooks was such an amazing person to work with. As the project’s editing supervisor, not only did he teach me a lot, but he also kept me sane in moments when I felt the process was too stressful for me.

If you don’t have another editor to work with on the project, find support from other friends who are editors. Talking with them about the project you are working on will help you overcome creative obstacles through their different viewpoint. Alternatively, you can also find communities online that can support you in your editing, such as the r/editors.

10. Get audience feedback

Feedback sessions or test screenings can be intimidating, especially when presenting unfinished work to an audience outside your film crew. However, it’s an important step, as it will give you a fresh perspective on your film from individuals who haven't seen the documentary or who have little knowledge of the subject.

For Six Inches of Soil, we screened a rough-cut version to an audience about halfway through post-production, and their feedback proved to be really useful. Questions I had been thinking about for weeks on how to make certain parts of the documentary better were resolved through their feedback. That test screening proved to be inspiring!

Engaging in such sessions not only helps identify blind spots, but also sparks ideas you might not have considered. It's a collaborative process that enriches the story, so welcome the discomfort of audience feedback screenings, as it often leads to the growth and success of your documentary!

11. Never underestimate a paper edit!

When editing a feature documentary, sometimes you just need a shift in perspective and stepping away from the edit can be really helpful. However, there can also be other, more creative ways of seeing your documentary in a different light.

While working on Six Inches of Soil, I had a moment when I was doubting the structure of the final act of the film. No matter how many times I rewatched the end of the film, it still didn’t feel right. Yet I found it hard to rearrange the latter third of the film, and I couldn’t imagine the structure in any other way.

After many hours of frustration, I decided to exit the editing software and print out the transcript of the last 30 minutes of the film. I then took the pile of paper transcripts and coloured every character with different crayons, to see each of them at a glance. Somehow, seeing the text bathed in a myriad of colours made me see everything in a different light. I grabbed some scissors and started cutting out all the different scenes and rearranging them in a different order. Then I read all the text again, playing the film that I knew so well in my head, but now in a different order. It was starting to get better, but it still needed more refinement. So I grabbed the scissors again and shortened the film by a few more minutes.

A table with many papers on it, each coloured with either blue, pink, red or yellow. The papers have a lot of notes on them, such as "This could be cut" or "This should be put earlier in the film." — The papers I used to edit Six Inches of Soil on the kitchen table

This process took an hour or so, but provided a very efficient medium for me to explore a different way of tackling the film. The next day, I brought the Frankenstein’s Monster pile of papers with me and reproduced the ending in my editing software’s timeline, ready to be sent over for feedback. The team loved the new ending!

A screenshot of the Adobe Premiere timeline, with a still of the Six Inches of Soil title card and thousands of colourful shots neatly edited together. — The lock-cut version of Six Inches of Soil in Adobe Premiere Pro.

12. Prioritise mental health

In the demanding nature of editing a feature documentary, it's crucial to prioritize your mental health. Long hours spent in front of screens can take a toll on you. It’s essential to take breaks, rest, and engage in self-care practices. Recognizing when to step away and recharge is key to maintaining focus and creativity. Moreover, don't hesitate to ask for help or seek support from colleagues, friends, or professionals when needed.

In the world of filmmaking, it’s seen as normal to grind, hustle and burnout. However, taking care of your mental health isn't a luxury—it's a necessity for producing your best work and sustaining a fulfilling career. So stand up for yourself and ask for reasonable deadlines if work ends up being too much for you. Setting boundaries, both with yourself and others, is vital to prevent overworking and burnout.

For mental health resources catered towards film industry workers, check out Film + TV Charity’s website.

13. If you can edit a feature documentary, you can edit anything!

There is a quote by actor and producer Travis Swartz that is very dear to my heart:

"Editing a documentary is akin to someone handing you a bag of sentences and asking you to write a book."

I read that quote in the midst of editing Six Inches of Soil, at a time when I wasn’t sure of what I was doing and I was doubting myself. It made me realise that I shouldn’t be so hard on myself, as editing feature documentaries almost feels like an impossible undertaking. I encountered many people in my life who told me things like: “Wow, I can never imagine doing what you do” or “How can you watch so many hours of footage? I can barely sit through a 2-hour film!”

If you want to be a documentary editor, you’re already braver than most of the filmmakers out there. If you already edited a few short documentaries, you’re more prepared than you think. And if you’re committed to taking it to the next level and edit a feature doc… Well, more people might be impressed by you than you can imagine.

After you finish a feature documentary, you might feel overwhelmed, even burnt out. But, as cliche as it sounds, you will rise like a phoenix and come out of it knowing more about yourself than you ever did before. You will learn new film production skills and how to tackle issues you may never have heard of before. You will get inside a character's head and heart, then draw out their best (and sometimes worst) qualities on screen. You will realise what you value the most when it comes to your career, but also your personal life. You will better understand your limits and when you should take a break in order to prevent burnout. You will see more clearly your strengths and weaknesses and be proud of yourself for not giving up. And you will look at any other editing project, whether a commercial, a fiction film, or a music video, and see it as the easiest thing to do in the world!

If you can edit a feature documentary, you can edit anything. And that, I feel, is a superpower in itself.

To learn more about the project go to sixinchesofsoil.org

13 Things I Learned While Editing My First Feature Documentary