[Deep Dive] DIY Post-Production: Editing, Color & Sound on a Micro-Budget
- Indie Film Podcast
- May 29
- 3 min read
In this final episode of our Dive trilogy, we roll up our sleeves and get into the weeds of DIY post-production. From rough cuts and color theory to sound masking and plugin confessions, this one’s for every indie filmmaker who's ever tried to finish a film on sheer willpower, borrowed gear, and caffeine.
Post-production doesn’t have to break the bank; but it will break your spirit just a little. Here’s how we survived it.
Editing on a Micro-Budget: What We Kept, What We Cut
Director and editor Victoria Horn walks us through her editing process, which—like most DIY post workflows—started with a rough cut that was way too long. Despite loving every line and beautifully lit moment, hard choices had to be made to bring the short down from 10 minutes to 8 (including credits).
Key takeaways:
Walking away from the edit for 24 hours helped make brutal cuts easier.
Continuity errors weren’t the problem, pacing was.
The process of “killing your darlings” was real and emotionally exhausting.
If you're editing your own indie film, take this as your permission slip to cut the thing. Shorter is often stronger, even if it hurts.
Color Grading Without a Budget (Or Sanity)
Cinematographer and colorist Daniel Klamerus shares how he tackled the visual tone of Dive using split tone color grading: a budget-friendly technique that creates contrast between highlights and shadows, helping a 2D image feel more 3D.
What worked:
Using red lighting in the bar helped with visual drama.
Split toning added shape and cinematic depth.
Daniel's DaVinci Resolve certification helped… but impostor syndrome didn’t.
Whether you're a DP or just stuck doing your own color in DaVinci, this section is packed with practical advice for DIY color grading on a limited timeline.
Sound Design and the Art of Hiding Mistakes
Location sound was a mess. Fridges, HVAC systems, and ambient bar noise made clean dialogue nearly impossible. But instead of letting it ruin the film, Chuck Norton used sound design as a cover-up tool, turning noisy chaos into moody ambiance.
The tricks:
iZotope RX became a lifesaver for cleaning dialogue.
Ambience was added intentionally to distract from persistent hums.
Music was filtered through tinny reverb to create a believable, empty-bar vibe.
This is the kind of DIY post-production audio wizardry that turns a noisy shoot into a finished product that actually sounds decent.
Motion Graphics and Text Message Mayhem
A surprising amount of the film’s tension lives in text messages—19 of them, to be exact. Rather than cut to a phone screen 19 times, Victoria built custom animated message graphics that float on-screen.
Why it mattered:
The entire story hinges on text dialogue.
Creating legible, emotionally clear motion graphics was a massive lift.
Audience feedback on TikTok inspired a better final design.
Lesson learned? If your story structure relies on a visual device like text bubbles, you’d better get it right.
DIY Post-Production: Festival Strategy and Final Thoughts
With the film wrapped, Victoria submitted Dive to a mix of fast-turnaround and first-year festivals. The goal? Stack laurels to build hype for a future feature pitch, without jeopardizing premiere status.
Results so far:
Wins at Dunwich Horror Festival and The Monthly Film Festival.
Official selections at IndieX and others.
Valuable feedback, validation, and exposure — without a massive PR budget.
Final Thoughts: Post-Production Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect — Just Done
This episode is a love letter to DIY post-production: the hard, messy, educational chaos of making something with nothing. We didn’t have a full team. We didn’t have money. But we had time, resourcefulness, and a willingness to mess up in public.
If you’re working on a low-budget film, trust us, you’re not alone. And if you learn from our mistakes? You might even get there faster.
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