‘Engagement points at 2 mins, 7 mins’: Film editor on how algorithms decide shows, accepts there’s some ‘merit’ to it

Film editors Nitin Baid and Antara Lahiri noted that while editing has become more streamlined compared to the past, their timelines are shrinking, giving them less time to deliver more work.

Film editors discussed the increasingly tight timelines for editing OTT shows.

Film editors Nitin Baid and Antara Lahiri recently discussed the changes the editing business has experienced with the advent of OTT platforms. The editors mentioned that makers now request engagement points at regular intervals to keep audiences engaged. They also noted that while editing has become more streamlined compared to the past, their timelines are shrinking, giving them less time to deliver more work.

Talking about the changing format of editing, especially after the arrival of OTT, Antara Lahiri told Suchin Mehrotra, “When I started working in OTT, I had this very interesting conversation with an executive who told me they wanted engagement points at 2 minutes, 7 minutes, and so on. I think I was working on ‘Yeh Ballet’ at that point. It was interesting and not incorrect. Even when I was working on theatrical films, like ‘Mere Dad Ki Maruti,’ you knew that the guy had to lose the car within the first reel. So, in a sense, you’re just extending that to a new format.”

When asked if they get instructions from makers that something should happen by a certain minute, Nitin Baid said, “There is an algorithm, and you can’t get away from it. The studios have also spent a lot of time understanding it, and they have proper research teams for it. But I do feel there is some merit to it because if you don’t get into it quickly, people don’t come back to those shows.”

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Antara spoke about how editing of shows and films has become more streamlined, but the timeline given to editors is shrinking as makers try to squeeze the maximum amount of work into limited time. Explaining further, she said, “Earlier, it was a very long-drawn procedure. I remember being on films for 1-1.5 years just in edit. Currently, for the show I’m working on now, I probably have to finish it in 6 months. That includes the director’s cut, producer’s cut, and network’s cut, with at least four network cuts on average. And it’s an 8-episode series. The timeline is constantly shrinking. Initially, we had a lot of time with series. I also think it’s about working in India and in this economy. The understanding is that we can squeeze a little more, and no one will say no because everybody needs a job.”

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