Jessie Wilde and Scott Bednar on editing NASA’s “Planetary Defenders”

Image Source: Jessie Wilde.

“Planetary Defenders” is a documentary about the high-stakes world of asteroid detection and planetary defense that follows a dedicated team of NASA-funded astronomers and scientists who are tracking near-Earth asteroids.

We sat down with co-director, editor and videographer, Jessie Wilde, and co-director and videographer, Scott Bednar, to hear about how they used Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects and Frame.io to tell the story of those on the front line of planetary defense. Wilde and Bednar filmed in many different environments including mountaintops, observatories, laboratories, tiny offices and conference halls, and had to work with an array of footage from various sources. They leaned into Premiere Pro to maintain visual and tonal continuity in the edit. Wilde and Bednar also used Text-Based Editing to transcribe source footage and quickly edit dialogue from the transcription sidebar.

Scott, how and where did you get into directing?

Bednar: I got my start in directing almost by accident, but I did come into this world through storytelling — producing short-form videos for NASA. Honestly, I’m a huge nerd and I really enjoy figuring out how to distill complex and technical ideas into compelling and relatable products that matter to people. I didn’t go to film school so I learned by doing, collaborating and watching really, really smart people work. Working with Jessie as co-directors (and for eight+ years!) has only strengthened that process. We each bring our own perspectives and skills to the table and we’ve really built a natural and trusting creative rhythm together. And frankly it makes the whole thing a lot more fun.

Jessie, how and where did you first learn to edit?

Wilde: I first learned to edit in grad school for journalism. I thought editing would be some foreign thing that would be really hard, but I realized that since I was already a writer, it was just another way to tell a story — infusing sound and video. “Planetary Defenders” is the longest documentary I’ve ever produced. It started as a 15-minute video in concept, but when I got into the edit, I realized we had so much more story to tell. Scott and I had lots of conversations around how to let this story become what it deserved and we landed on making a full feature-length doc. It was awesome that we were both in for that idea and so was NASA.

How do you begin a project/set up your workspace?

Wilde: I start by organizing everything into bins — interviews, b-roll, sequences, graphics, etc. Then, I match up cameras and edit the interview audio in Audition so I’m working with good audio from the start. I listen to each of the interviews all the way through, cutting out the questions and organizing them into different sequences based on topic. This process helps my brain absorb everything that’s in the project, so it’s all in there somewhere when I go looking for it later — like a game of Memory. For this documentary, I also listened to the work-in-progress sequences over and over again while I was doing other things like cooking dinner or washing dishes. This way, I started to feel the natural cadence of the story and then I could almost feel what should come next.

Tell us about a favorite scene or moment from this project and why it stands out to you.

Wilde: I think our answer might be the same for this one. One of the most incredible moments was when we were there to witness the discovery of a potentially hazardous asteroid at a mountaintop telescope on a cold November night. We were filming when the asteroid was discovered and we knew based on the data coming in that it was a significantly-sized asteroid, so we had to keep holding our cameras still even while on the inside we were screaming with excitement. Then, getting to edit that moment into the very opening of the doc was super fun — setting the scene and capturing the thrill felt like a great lead-in to “Planetary Defenders.”

Bednar: It really was an unforgettable night. Up until that point we were filming a story about planetary defense, but suddenly we were watching it happen in real-time as the process of discovering a potentially hazardous asteroid unfolded right in front of us. I remember later that night we were shacked up in the most adorable mountainside cabins drinking buckets full of water (I had a wholly irrational fear of altitude poisoning and was convinced that overhydration was the remedy) and musing over if we might get to name the asteroid and tossing around potential monikers, just in case. Spoiler alert: we didn’t.

What were some specific post-production challenges you faced that were unique to your project? How did you go about solving them?

Bednar: We filmed in so many different environments — mountaintops, observatories, laboratories, tiny offices, conference halls — and maintaining a visual and tonal continuity in post was a big concern. We also had to work with a wide variety of material from different sources: DSLRs, archival footage, camcorders, even iPhones and digitized VHS. Because of this, we approached color correction in a new way for our team and it ultimately helped create a world where real science could feel cinematic.

Wilde: Our entire team lives in different states, which made for some interesting challenges, especially with the sheer magnitude of this project. When it came time to share the project with our motion graphics editor, Matt Schara, I mailed him two 4 TB hard drives. In order to send the project to our colorist, Jim Lucas, I exported a ProRes version of the doc and he sent me one back when he was finished. This required uploading and downloading huge files back and forth. Living on a boat, we had to run the generator to allow for the computer power so I could upload and download the files overnight (when our solar panels were not helping).

What Adobe tools did you use on this project and why did you originally choose them?

Wilde: I edited “Planetary Defenders” in Premiere Pro and I collaborated with Matt, who edited the graphics in After Effects. Matt and I both also used Audition to edit the audio. And we used Frame.io to share the project with the scientists at NASA. For the first time, I really relied on Text-Based Editing, which helped when we were looking for really specific soundbites, especially in the review process. I could search for soundbites rather than listening back to everything.

If you could share one tip about Premiere Pro, what would it be?

Wilde: Organize everything at the beginning before you even start diving into the edit. For a project of this size, I found it very useful to label each interview with a different color, so I could very easily look at the project and instantly see who was talking. Then, as I wanted to make changes, I could narrow in on each person quickly. Also, edit the audio globally before you dive in using Dynamic Link with Audition. If you don’t, you’ll lose handles on the audio clips at the end — I like the flexibility of being able to extend clips later on, so it helps to get it out of the way up front.

Bednar: I’ve moved away from day-to-day editing roles in recent years but some habits are burned in for life. Label your clips early and often. Consider it an early Christmas gift to your future self. Honestly, a well-labeled, clean timeline is one of the most underrated forms of self-care in this business. That and snacks. Always have snacks.

Who is your creative inspiration and why?

Wilde: I don’t really have one particular creative inspiration. I love reading and writing and my inspiration in that realm is the writer Annie Dillard. She writes about being in the moment, paying attention to every sight and sound, and stopping to appreciate nature. I think if you bring those same things to a film shoot, you’ll stop to notice the rustling leaves, the way the sun is hitting the mountain, the sound the telescope makes when it opens. And you’ll make sure to capture those sights and sounds. You will thank yourself in the edit when you have those scene-setting shots to choose from.

Bednar: I’ve been so fortunate to work alongside incredibly thoughtful, smart and creative people over the years, and just about every one of them has left some kind of imprint on how I work and approach storytelling. I’m sort of obsessively consumed by understanding other people’s perspectives — how they perceive the world, what they care about, what drives them — and it really shapes how I approach filmmaking. “If I put this light here, and it casts this shadow there, and our expert says this, how will a viewer feel about their answer?” It’s probably unhealthy, but it works!

What’s the toughest thing you’ve had to face in your career and how did you overcome it? What advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers or content creators?

Wilde: It’s always hard to deal with funding challenges — getting your creative aspirations to align with something someone wants to pay for. That’s why this project was so cool in my opinion — there is a huge story to tell and those funding it could really see that and really trusted us to bring that story to life. Which leads me to my advice: tell stories you really care about. And find people who you like to work with. If you can do those things, the challenges will be much easier to overcome and people will be able to tell in the final product that you cared about it.

Bednar: Because our budgets are tiny, comparatively speaking, our film shoots never include more than three people, often just two. The most challenging part is wearing so many hats simultaneously — director, producer, writer, cinematographer, lighting and even craft services. But ultimately it forces you to adapt quickly and get creative and I actually think those constraints sharpen your instincts all around. So, my advice to aspiring creators is: jump in the pool then figure out how to swim.

Share a photo of where you work. What’s your favorite thing about your workspace and why?

Bednar: I work from home and I’m pretty nomadic when it comes to workspace so it really just depends on the vibe I’m going for.

• Kitchen counter: This is my “I want to bake bread but I don’t get paid to bake bread” workspace.
• Dining room table: This is my “serious focus, deep thought” workspace, or at least that’s the intention.
• Couch corner: This is my “relaxed jungle nook.” I like to think the extra oxygen from the plants boosts creativity.

Wilde: I work from home and my home is a 44-foot Kelly Peterson sailboat. I love it because raw nature is only ten feet away. After I’ve been staring at a screen for a really long time, sometimes I climb outside just to look at something far away and the water is instantly grounding for me. I watch the sunrise. I watch the sunset. Stopping to appreciate beauty is really what I love about filmmaking, too. Also, snacks are only five feet away. (It’s a small living space.)