I Re-Cut "The Princess" w/ LumaFusion and it's Savage!!
Sometimes, all it takes to elevate a good action scene into a great one is a tighter edit. In this blog, I’ll show you how I recut a fight sequence from The Princess starring Joey King—one that originally missed the mark on its beheading moment—and turned it into something far more savage, using LumaFusion on iPad.
🎬 What’s Wrong With the Original?
The original sequence—despite a $26 million budget—delivers one of the weakest beheadings I’ve seen in years. Poor timing, lack of impact, and a missed opportunity to really sell the moment.
🎥 Fixing It In the Edit
I took the original scene into LumaFusion and began reworking the pacing. One of the first things I tackled was building tension before the kill. Quick reaction cuts, hard pauses, and a new sound design layer brought out the menace I felt was missing.
⏱️ Rhythm, Rhythm, Rhythm
Editing fight scenes is all about rhythm. You want to feel the momentum with every hit. I slowed down the pace just before the beheading and gave it a breath—letting the anticipation land before the blade does.
🧠 Micro Cuts and Layered Sounds
This was where the magic happened. I added a split-second insert of the sword swing from a better angle, mixed in a sharper SFX hit, and tweaked the impact sound using layering techniques.
💬 Final Line Reframing
And finally—her last line hits harder. In the original cut, it lands too quickly. I gave it space, then cut to black just a beat after. That space makes all the difference in how it lands emotionally.
📱 Why Use LumaFusion?
LumaFusion gives you pro-level control on a mobile device. I did the entire recut with keyframing, audio layering, and precise trimming—no desktop needed.
👑 Verdict: Long Live the Princess
This was a quick experiment to prove a point—sometimes a better edit can save a bad scene. The new version doesn’t just look better. It feels better. Sharper, darker, and way more satisfying.
Let me know what scene you’d like to see recut next. Until then… keep your blades sharp, and your cuts sharper.
Stu | AI Film School Follow me on YouTube for more editing breakdowns, tutorials and AI content.
