Inside the Making of ‘Remaining Native’ with Filmmakers Paige Bethmann and Steph Khoury

This submit was written by Michelle Gallina and initially appeared on the Adobe weblog on Might 12, 2025.Regardless of having no coach at his highschool, Ku is set to be seen by his dream faculty, the College of Oregon.Directed by Paige Bethmann and edited by Steph Khoury, the movie follows Ku’s journey to run a collegiate qualifying time, all whereas reconciling with the reminiscence of his great-grandfather, Frank Quinn, who, at eight years previous, ran 50 miles throughout the desert to flee an Indian boarding faculty. The documentary thoughtfully explores the interwoven nature of Ku and Frank’s experiences by years of footage and archival materials.Bethmann and Khoury used Adobe Artistic Cloud to inform this story, together with Premiere Professional, Photoshop, After Results, Body.io, and extra. Productions in Premiere Professional particularly helped them collaborate seamlessly throughout the largely distant post-production course of: “For options or any tasks with a considerable amount of media, Productions permits you the area to interrupt it down into smaller chunks,” stated Khoury. “Jess Epstein, our producer, and Beth Kearsley, our Affiliate editor, might be engaged on archival, Paige might be reviewing a scene meeting, and I might be navigating the totally different folders and accessing my selects whereas assembling an act.”Learn on for extra Premiere Professional suggestions from Bethmann and Khoury and a behind-the-scenes have a look at the making of Remaining Native.Paige, how and the place did you get into directing?Paige Bethmann: I’ve at all times beloved movie, and in highschool, I’d typically attempt to get out of writing essays by proposing video tasks as a substitute. After I graduated, I went to Ithaca Faculty (the place I met Steph!), however I studied Movie and Tv. I believed I needed to be a stay studio director. I did lots of work on the published facet, after which after I moved to NYC, I used to be producing lots of short-form non-fiction content material for Vox Media. I fell in love with documentary and non-fiction primarily based work and was actually impressed to attach with an actual story to tackle myself.Steph, how and the place did you first be taught to edit?Steph Khoury: In highschool, my superior artwork class was canceled, and I used to be positioned in video manufacturing to fill my schedule. On the time, I used to be a scholar athlete, so I began to movie competitions and edit spotlight reels. I loved the modifying course of and pursued Documentary Research and Manufacturing at Ithaca Faculty (the place I met Paige!). We had been constantly making movies all through faculty, and every time I used to be drawn again to modifying. I beloved spending time within the modifying suites reviewing materials, discovering patterns, and seeing the story take form.The place had been you whenever you discovered you bought into SXSW? How did you’re feeling?Khoury: I used to be engaged on one other edit when Paige informed me the information. I used to be actually excited, and it felt surreal after engaged on the undertaking for almost two years to get the information that we made it and had been screening at SXSW. I had been to SXSW in 2018 for the premiere of Demise Metallic Grandma, and knew this pageant was the proper match.Bethmann: Our producer, Jess Epstein, picked me as much as drive to our sound combine in Brooklyn, and as we had been driving, I noticed the e-mail and instantly screamed. I felt an enormous sense of aid realizing that I’d be capable to have an awesome launching pad to share Ku and his household’s story. Additionally, realizing that Austin has such a big operating group was thrilling to consider methods we will plan activations across the movie. We ended up internet hosting a 5K run in partnership with Nike to deliver native runners and Indigenous group members collectively to rejoice our World Premiere and join with the story on a bodily stage!How do you start a undertaking/arrange your workspace?Khoury: Earlier than every undertaking, whether or not it’s a characteristic or a brief, I often describe my workflow as “serving to my future self.” First step is conversations with the workforce to get some understanding of the primary characters, scenes, areas, setting, archival, or occasions, so we will successfully start sorting materials out in applicable methods. This turns into a basis to develop a shorthand with the fabric, scenes, and themes throughout the undertaking. Throughout this time, it’s actually necessary to know simply sufficient data to assist set up, however not main particulars, so the story can unfold by the screening course of with none added views. The technical organizational work up entrance permits creativity to thrive throughout the edit, since you’re not spending 10 minutes looking for that one second you want.Inform us a couple of favourite scene or second from this undertaking and why it stands out to you.Paige, Steph and Affiliate Editor, Beth Kearsley. Picture Supply: Steph Khoury.Bethmann: My favourite moments have been the time we obtained to spend collectively in individual. Steph and our producer Jess got here to Reno to edit and in addition participated within the Remembrance Run in 2023. To have the ability to share that have with them and infuse it into our means of modifying felt so good. They had been capable of meet all of Ku’s household and run on the land during which the story is informed.Khoury: Engaged on Arcadia was most likely one in every of my favourite scenes to edit, due to the vitality of the occasion, but in addition due to the evolution of the scene. We had a number of iterations of it, and for a very long time, Ku’s voice was interwoven by the race. It was the largest race and an necessary scene, nevertheless it wasn’t hitting the best way we’d hoped it will. Throughout an in-person edit, we began to query if together with the interview was the appropriate choice. We determined to edit with out the interview, and the ultimate model grew to become a good looking fruits of the poetic type we had constructed throughout the movie over quite a few cuts. It was such an thrilling breakthrough to unravel as a workforce.What had been some particular post-production challenges you confronted that had been distinctive to your undertaking? How did you go about fixing them?Bethmann and Khoury: The legacy of Indian Boarding colleges and Ku’s great-grandfather’s story is sort of heavy and painful. We had been capable of get entry to tons of of pictures from The Stewart Indian College’s archive. We spent lots of time going by the pictures, which confirmed the method of assimilation with youngsters who had been taken away from their households, was extraordinarily heartbreaking. We knew we needed to have the ability to share the historical past with out having to stroll the viewers by a historic timeline, however we weren’t fairly positive on the right way to obtain this. Throughout an in-person edit, we found a portion of the interview the place Ku stated, “Think about you’re 8.” We thought it was a robust motif to ask viewers to think about themselves as these youngsters whereas navigating their experiences with care and sensitivity. It was necessary to share the reality in regards to the abuse whereas additionally giving area to attach with the youngsters and their humanity. Gaze grew to become an necessary consider our conversations, the place we targeted on the expressions, but in addition tried to make use of the imagery so it might be seen from the attitude of a kid.What Adobe instruments did you utilize on this undertaking, and why did you initially select them?Bethmann: We used Premiere Productions, After Results, InDesign, Photoshop, and Body.io. We knew we needed to make use of Adobe Artistic Cloud as a result of all of our collaborators had been so conversant in the software program. Most of our edit was accomplished remotely, and it was very easy to share issues with each other and work collectively, staying throughout the Adobe universe. Body.io was a giant a part of our ending course of workflow for colour and blend. Speaking with my colorist and sound designer was seamless, to instantly determine the place consideration wanted to be drawn to.Khoury: After I got here onto the undertaking, they’d began to prep dailies onto string outs in Premiere Productions. If we weren’t in Productions, I’d have prompt it due to the flexibility of this system. For options or any tasks with a considerable amount of media, Productions permits you the area to interrupt it down into smaller chunks. So Jess, our producer, and Beth, our Affiliate Editor, might be engaged on archival, Paige might be reviewing a scene meeting, and I might be navigating the totally different folders and accessing my selects whereas assembling an act. Productions was additionally unbelievable when it comes to archiving totally different variations of cuts, acts, and scenes that we might simply refer again to.Should you might share one tip about Premiere Professional, what would it not be?Bethmann: I realized all my Premiere Professional suggestions from Steph. She actually helped me perceive group and searchability. My tip could be to arrange your undertaking and create a marker system in order that every thing you want might be searchable.Khoury: Including onto Paige’s tip, studying keyboard shortcuts exponentially sped up the speed at which I used to be modifying after I was beginning out. There are such a lot of sources on the market to be taught them, however you can even use the keyboard shortcuts window to seek for a command and create a novel keyboard setting, like syncing audio. Over time, I’ve developed my very own set of shortcuts for various levels of the modifying course of, reminiscent of one for logging materials throughout the screening course of. Premiere Professional lets you export your keyboard settings and import them if you’re engaged on a special pc. Identical goes for workspace layouts! If I’m working from a special edit bay, I at all times deliver these settings with me.Who’s your artistic inspiration and why?Khoury: I grew up documenting life by my drawings, however grew to become fascinated with individuals and tradition by my multicultural household. As a daughter of immigrants with relations from all around the world, I beloved studying from my aunts’ and uncles’ recipes, tales, and cultural nuances at holidays or household occasions. My artwork observe allowed me to see that there’s multiple method to interact with the world. I’m particularly influenced by impressionist artwork, as a result of it jogs my memory that visuals are like brush strokes, the place with every minimize, there’s a pacing or rhythm choice that shapes the story being informed.Bethmann: My grandmother was a standard Mohawk storyteller, and as a bit of woman, I’d take heed to her share tales about Sky Lady and the way maple syrup was made. I used to be at all times in awe of her capability to recall each element from reminiscence. She would typically inform me that our tales didn’t come from books however had been handed down from the land and our ancestors. I’ve at all times been impressed by her and have approached my work with the identical vitality she carried relating to storytelling by attending to know all the main points and connecting to put.What’s the hardest factor you’ve needed to face in your profession, and the way did you overcome it? What recommendation do you may have for aspiring filmmakers or content material creators?Bethmann: “Remaining Native” was my first impartial characteristic movie, and whereas I used to be grateful to have a lot help from of us who believed in Ku’s story, generally it obtained actually onerous to quiet the noise. Individuals come to your work with their very own relationships to the story, expectations, concepts, and experiences, and as a lot as you wish to settle for the assistance from others, it’s a must to keep in mind the unique the reason why you needed to create your work within the first place. Staying true to your coronary heart and imaginative and prescient might be the toughest factor to do when navigating an trade that places lots of stress on younger artists, however in case you return to what grounds you within the work, you’ll be capable to say and really feel that you just did every thing you may to struggle for the imaginative and prescient you had.Khoury: Be open to alternatives the place you possibly can lean into creativity and minimize as a lot as attainable. The consistency during which I used to be modifying early on was actually formative in growing my workflow in addition to honing my storytelling skills. I’m lucky to have labored with Julie Winokur and Reiley Wooten, who inspired experimentation and having enjoyable. The modifying course of might be demanding at occasions, comes with lots of ups and downs, however be sort to your self within the course of. It’s so stunning whenever you get to step again and see what you’ve created. It doesn’t have to be an award-winning movie – so long as you are creating, it’s artwork.What’s your favourite factor about your workspace and why?Picture Supply: Paige Bethmann.Bethmann: This can be a photograph from when Steph got here out to edit at my condo in Reno, Nevada. I like my workspace as a result of typically my cat, Disco, will are available in to oversee.Picture Supply: Steph Khoury.Khoury: I primarily work remotely, so two screens and the massive desk present me loads of area for me to take notes on my notepad, laptop computer, or iPad. Typically, I’ll additionally use my iPad as a 3rd monitor with Slack to speak with workforce members. I like having a window to the facet so I can get some solar within the morning earlier than having to shut the blinds within the afternoon. My favourite half is how colourful the area is. After I’m not modifying, I pull out my sketchpad and sustain with my artwork observe.