She Comes in Colors Everywhere

If you are lucky in life, you find someone you want to be with. This isn’t restricted to romance; it could be a best friend, or in the case of filmmaker Shaun Yu…it means convincing the perfect editor to help you manifest your vision for a piece of cinema. Yu was adamant that Yuan Liang edit She comes in Colors Everywhere simply because Yuan is the best. Her resume includes working closely with director Renny Harlin (Die Hard II, Primetime Emmy nominated Burn Notice, White Collar, Golden Globe nominated Covert Affairs, etc.) on the Chinese 3D hit feature film Legend of the Ancient Sword II, award-winning indie films like The Monkey King is in Town, and CBS’s iconic Entertainment Tonight; all of which is more than vetting. It was Liang’s reputation in the indie scene which led him to her. Together, writer/director and editor fashioned this romantic comedy which was recognized with awards at the New Your City International Film Festival, Miami Independent Film Awards, and others.

Filmmakers are passionate. It’s obvious that director Shaun Yu is passionate about connection. She comes in Colors Everywhere is centered on this idea. Some stories are about grand adventures and action while those like She comes in Colors Everywhere fix their attention of the characters. Harold and Annie become the proxy for each of us at some point in our life. The mission of the film is to create connection and community among the audience. To properly deliver this message, Shaun needed to have complete trust in the film’s editor; which led him to Yuan. There are moments in which the intuitive nature of director and editor are palpable. The characters are so clearly defined and sincere that one feels as if you are eavesdropping on their thoughts. Yuan communicates, “She Comes in Colors Everywhere is probably my favorite experience as editor on a film. I love the story deeply in my heart because all the emotions in this film are so true and very easy to connect with. I had lots of room for creative work and everyone involved in the film were exceptional. This is probably the best situation an editor can ask for.”

Harold is the “hero” of the film. He’s a lonely writer who has gone as far as to create a make believe girlfriend [Lois]. Seemingly perfect, the most endearing quality she lacks is imperfection. Harold witnesses Annie, his local barista, being kicked out of her apartment one day. She invites herself to stay at Harold’s until she can figure things out; providing him with some perspective on relating to actual women. Annie reads the book Harold has written and begins to understand him better as Harold comprehends what a “real” woman is like, complexities included. He must decide if he prefers his neat & controlled lifestyle or accept the chaos and surprise that Annie could contribute. While the romance between these two is the primary subject of the film, it’s the presentation of the imaginary Lois which is an unexpected delight. The director’s choice of unusual camera angles is intriguing. Yuan relates, “Lois is a character only known to Harold. When it came to scenes with Annie, Harold, and Lois, I needed to cut in a way that reminded the audience that Annie can’t see Lois but she feels Harold is hiding something from her. This is like a psychological game for me; cutting the scene required me to get into each character’s mind and put myself in their shoes to see if the reaction or pacing is correct.” She comes in Colors Everywhere reminds us that knowing and sharing ourselves with someone else can result in greatness, just as the makers of film have achieved with this production.

Written by Kelly King