From Passion Project to Premiere: Justen Turner on Crafting Sundance Debut “FreeLance” in Adobe Premiere

After years of directing and producing, the duo brought that journey full circle at Sundance this year with a comedy series they co-directed and wrote, “FreeLance.”

The series follows Lance (Spence Moore II) as he attempts to make his first film alongside a tight-knit group of aspiring creatives – each chasing their own artistic dreams, from music videos to documentaries.

In addition to co-directing and writing, Justen also stepped into the editing chair, shaping the series in Adobe Premiere. Having grown up shooting home videos and cutting them in Premiere, the Turners proudly consider themselves an “Adobe family.” Working alongside co-editor Evan Campbell, Justen wove together the show’s parallel storylines, balancing simultaneous creative journeys into one cohesive, energetic edit.

We caught up with Justen to learn more about the making of the series.

Justen TurnerCredit: Justen Turner

What did it mean to you to show this project at Sundance?

Justen Turner: It meant the world to me. We were presented with the opportunity to showcase our work on one of the most meaningful stages to us. I feel like “FreeLance” at Sundance reflects the genuine desire for a show that tells our stories as modern creatives.

How and where did you get into directing?

JT: I got into directing with my brother when I was a pre-teen. We would play around with webcams in our Mom’s computer room to make videos and short films with our neighbors and friends, and use transition effects to make it look like we had superpowers (including teleportation). Eventually, our parents noticed our interest and invested in our first cameras and editing software. They supported us with the same vigor and commitment as parents raising an athlete.

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

JT: I create a bunch of folders that label my video, audio, music, special effects (SFX), and graphics/stills, and then pull the video into a stringout to start watching in chronological order. I don’t actually have a set-in-stone system—I often only make categories I need for the specific project, and I like to jump in at different start points.

Sometimes I throw my music on the timeline first, but sometimes I start with the footage. I’d like to think I enjoy working in new ways, but I may just be disorganized!

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

JT: My favorite scene is where we scroll through the social media timeline of Lance’s roommates. We tried to explore unique ways to introduce the characters through the way they present themselves on social media, and juxtapose that with what it looks and feels like in real life. There’s a sort of surrealism in that scene that we leaned into.

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

JT: We used Premiere and After Effects to edit. I’m a long-time user of Premiere, and it felt second-nature to hop into this program. We used Frame.io through the whole process to quickly share preview files and exports, and have an efficient system to leave specific notes.

What were some specific post-production challenges you faced that were unique to your project?

JT: I’d say a post-production challenge for us was weaving multiple concurrent scenes together in the edit. We had multiple editors and an aspiration to create Christopher] Nolan-esque scene intercutting that utilizes the same principles as the “shepard-tone” illusion. This proved to be difficult to nail down, but I think we found a great balance. [Essential Sound was a really helpful tool here. The ability to detect which tracks were dialogue and which were foley made it a lot easier to layer the scenes together and insert the J-cuts and L-cuts I love so much that keep the momentum of the episode high.

What’s your favorite Premiere shortcut, and why?

JT: My favorite shortcut is probably Ctrl + "~" to full-screen the sequence. I had no idea this was a shortcut until I started editing this project. I used to just watch my previews in a small window.

What advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers or content creators?

JT: My most crucial advice would be to find the community and the collaborators that are down to work with you—and don’t wait on anyone else. If you decide to wait for the perfect opportunity, for someone to give you a chance, or for someone to come around, you may be waiting forever.

I’ve learned that I must always be prepared to take initiative and get a project off the ground. I can’t expect anyone else to have that initiative if I don’t.