Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1543164
P H OT O : N E O N WAY STATION: A scene from "It Was Just an Accident." 39 S P R I N G Q 1 I S S U E F E A T U R E begin creating proxies. While the laptop was processing, I returned to the set to continue assisting. Due to the sensitivity of the situation, we operate with a minimal crew. At the same time, our working method has always b e e n to b e g i n e d i t i n g s i m u l ta n e o u s l y with shooting. Throughout the shoot, I was always beside Mr. Panahi. After each take, he would ask for feedback not only from me as the editor but also from the cinematographer (Amin Jafari) and the sound recordist (Reza Heidari). If all of us agreed, the take was approved. CineMontage: How did you get dailies and then give empty cards back? At the end of each day, I collected all the camera and sound cards and drove back home with the actors. If anyone shared my route, I dropped them off on the way. When- ever I went out, before returning home, I would drive around several times to make sure I wasn't being followed. When I returned home, the first thing I did was transfer all the footage from the memory cards and SSDs to the main hard drives. Once the transfer was complete, I created backup copies and simultane- ously began generating proxies from the copied cards. While this process was running, I usu- ally took the time to eat, take a shower, and get some rest, though I constantly checked on the data transfer and proxy creation progress throughout. Once the cards were completely cleared and ready, I placed them in a small protec- tive case so that I could take them back to the set the next morning and hand them over to the camera crew for reuse. CineMontage: What was the process of editing and working with Mr. Panahi like? Once the proxies were ready, I synchro- nized all the sound and image files, carefully reviewed each take, and selected the best ones to start building the initial cuts. W h e n t h e e d i te d s c e n e s re a c h e d a presentable stage, I informed Mr. Panahi, who would then come to the house where I was staying. Mr. Panahi used to contact me through his wife's WhatsApp account, and before coming to the house where I was staying, he would turn off his phone for security reasons. During the editing sessions, I also turned off my own phone and the phones of anyone who came to that safe house, keeping them hidden in another room. We would review the edited sequences and discuss the details in depth. Many times, these discussions led us to rework certain scenes, and occasionally, we even decided to reshoot a sequence. There were also days when shooting was paused for the crew to rest, or days when filming finished early or started late. On such occasions, Mr. Panahi and I had more time to work closely together and advance the editing process in parallel with the shoot. CineMontage: In what ways did the circumstances you worked under influence creative choices in post while you were still in Iran? I have a personal trait that, when I focus on a project, I completely disconnect from