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Editing Your Film or Video 2ND EDITION
M I C H A E L W I E S E P R O D U C T I O N S

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Contents

List of Tables 2nd Edition Foreword 1st Edition Foreword Preface: The Practical Alchemy of Editing Acknowledgments Permissions Introduction: Stepping Aboard and Navigating the Book

STAGE I SETTING UP AND ORGANIZING YOUR PROJECT

Introduction

Part One Starting Your Project

Introduction 1. Decisions, Decisions: Getting Started on the Right Path through Postproduction Appendix AProject Checklist 2. Video, Digital, and Film Basics: Terms, Concepts, and Practices

Part Two Organizing for Editing

Introduction 3. Setting Up the Cutting Room: Workflows, Labeling Shots, and Other Cutting Room Common Tasks
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Appendix BDIY Postproduction Schedule 4. Preparing Dailies Appendix CStage One: Budget Form for Dailies

STAGE II EDITING
Introduction

Part One How to Approach the Footage

Introduction 5. To Cut or Not to Cut: Where to Cut and Why 6. Everyday Editing Challenges 7. From Animation to Reality: Editing Different Genres

Part Two Getting from First Cut to Final Cut

Introduction 8. Making the Cuts: Editing on a Digital System 9. The Process: Getting from First Cut to Locked Cut Appendix DTape and Tapeless Show Continuity Form Appendix E Film Show Continuity Form Appendix F Stage Two: Budget Form for Editing

STAGE III COMPLETING YOUR PROJECT

Introduction

Part One Sound, Music, and the Mix

Introduction 10. Designing Sound and Music 11. Editing and Mixing Sound and Music Appendix G ADR Cue Sheet Appendix HStage Three: Budget Form for Sound, Music, and the Mix
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CONTENTS

Part Two Finishing and Delivering

Introduction 12. Finishing on Tape, File, or the Web 13. Finishing on Film and via DI Afterword Appendix I Stage Three: Budget Form for Finishing How to Find an Editing Job Resources Glossary Bibliography Index

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List Of Tables
1.1. Coding and Measuring 1.2. Determine Your Finishing Format 1.3. Film and Video Formats: How Shows are Shot, Input, and Finished 2.1. Digital vs. Analog Video 2.2. Worldwide Tape and Television Signal Standards 2.3. Drop and Non-Drop Time Code 2.4. NTSC Frame Size, fps, and Scanning Types 2.5. Retrofitting a 16:9 to a 4:3 Aspect Ratio 3.1. Typical Postproduction Schedules 4.1. Reel Labeling Methods 4.2. TV Series and Multi-cam Show Labeling Methods 4.3. Daily Database from Telecine 4.4. Database File for Telecined Negative 4.5. How Data Typically Enters the Editing System 4.6. Telecined Negative Database File Entry 5.1. Smooth Cutting Angles 5.2. Mismatched Shots and How to Fix Them 5.3. Editing Styles: Classic vs. Modern 6.1. Parallel Action and Cross Cutting 6.2. Examples of Montage Types 6.3. Scenarios for Cutting Picture and Music 8.1. Insert and Overwrite Edits 8.2. Types of VFX 9.1. Three Methods to Play Out to Tape 9.2. Sample Change List 10.1. Translating Story to Sound and Music 10.2. Scene Beats, Sound, and the Wizard of Oz 10.3. Types of SFX and Viewer Perception 11.1. ADR Cue Sheet 11.2. Sound Effects Mix Cue Sheet 12.1. Disk Sides and Layers 12.2. EDL vs. Project Files 13.1. Fixes for Cutback Frames and Frame Re-use 13.2. Sample Cutlist with Key Code

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Stage I

Setting Up and Organizing Your Project

The buck stops in the cutting room. Dede Allen, A.C.E.1, Bonnie & Clyde, Dog Day Afternoon, and Reds.

Introduction
Stage I lays the foundation for every project. It is the critical stage where you set up and organize your show so it passes smoothly through the cutting room and emerges as a well-edited film or video. Part One informs you about the important editorial decisions you must make at the start of every project and helps you make them. In Part Two dailies arrive in the cutting room and you learn how to organize them and the cutting room for the next stage in the postproduction process: editing. Stage I, as well as Stages II and III, contains a number of appendices which consist of charts and forms. You can photocopy them and use them on your projects or download them from www.joyoffilmediting. com by clicking on the Free tab.
1. A.C.E., American Cinema Editors, is an honorary society of editors who are voted into membership based on their professional achievements, dedication to the education of others, and commitment to the craft of editing. A.C.E. always follows their names on screen. A.C.E. hosts its own editing awards ceremony after every year for which winners receive a Golden Eddie award. It also runs an editing internship program.

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Part One

Starting your Project

Introduction
In Part One you will find out how to make the critical decisions necessary to set up your project properly for editing. Chapter 1 provides you a thorough overview of the editorial process and supplies you with a checklist for setting down your decisions and do-it-yourself flowcharts for plotting your projects path through postproduction. You can also download the checklist at www.joyoffilmediting.com by clicking on the Free tab. Chapter 2 of Part One takes you on an introductory tour of the two types of cutting rooms digital and film to help you choose which system youre going to edit on. After Part One youll be ready to step into the cutting room and learn how to prepare it for the task of editing in Part Two.

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CHAPTER 1

Decisions, Decisions
Getting Started on the Right Path through Postproduction

A film is like a boat; its just waiting to be sunk. Francois Truffaut, director

Overview
n order to stay afloat and on course, you must put your project on a proper path through postproduction. To do this, you need to make critical decisions right at the start: Its best to know where youre going before you set out! Consequently, this chapter begins by summarizing the six phases of film and video projects. Next, a substantial section advises you on shooting correctly to achieve an efficient postproduction process and create the best footage possible for editing. The chapter then lays down some key cutting room terms and acquaints you with how and why shows are measured and coded. This leads to the last part of the chapter which details the formats that projects shoot, edit and finish on. Youll then be ready to determine your projects format(s) in Appendix A, which follows thechapter. Lets begin!

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Be clear on what happens before and after editing

Ten years ago postproduction was at the end of the food chain. Now we are in production meetings. Alicia Hirsch, VP of postproduction, Fox Television Studios

There are six phases to any film or video project. Understanding what goes on before and after editing will give you more insight into the filmmaking process and make you a better participant in the process. It will help you communicate more effectively with those whose work overlaps yours, primarily the script supervisor and cinematographer (from the production phase) and promo producer and publicist (from the distribution phase). More importantly, current workflows are converging postproduction with production and even preproduction, especially in animated shows and those with lots of VFX (visual effects). The lines between filmmaking phases are less distinct today and will get even fuzzier in the future. The following list describes each phase.

Six Phases of Every Project

1. GREENLIGHT: Project is formally approved and acquires its financing. Once greenlit, a.k.a. greenlighted, it moves into the development phase. 2. DEVELOPMENT: The script is set and director, producers, casting director, and principal talent (actors) are hired. 3. PREPRODUCTION: Preparatory phase during which script and money are finalized, the rest of talent and crew hired, locations and schedules locked, and sets, wardrobe, props, etc. created. On animated and VFX-driven films, previsualization (previz) takes place in the cutting room or VFX house to plan and prepare for the shoot. 4. PRODUCTION: Also referred to as the shoot or principal photography, this phase sees primary filming take place on set and location and VFX created at the lab or VFX house. 5. POSTPRODUCTION: Also referred to as editorial, editing, or simply, post, its the final creative phase during which all picture and sound editing takes place, music is composed and sound mixed, visual effects are finalized, and all other finishing work completed. It produces the final show for viewing on tape, file, disk, and/orfilm. 6. DISTRIBUTION: Time when completed project goes to market (with a little or a lot of marketing!) and its audience sees it.

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Shoot Right for Postproduction

Too many projects show up in the cutting room sadly compromised due to poor audio, lighting, or planning in general. Dont let this happen to your show. If youre an independent or student filmmaker, youll probably be participating in all phases of your project and production will be a most critical phase. So when youre on location or on the set, remember that after the wrap someone you will have to put the footage together. You serve the editor/yourself and the show by getting the critical shots, recording the important sounds, and keeping accurate logs and records during production. Shooting correctly also saves time, stress, and money in postproduction. Heres how:

Maintain an Organized Shoot

A well-organized shoot sets the stage for a well organized editing room. During the shoot be sure to: Keep accurate records, notes, camera logs, and sound logs. This gives the editor important information about the shots and assists the editing crew immensely in keeping track of the footage. Maintain good communication with the crew. Good communication, particularly between director, script supervisor, camera, and sound recordist, means that the right shots are filmed and printed and editorial does not have to chase down the crew or the lab to get the anticipated shots. Stick to the shooting schedule as much as possible. This makes it easier to coordinate and schedule work in the cutting room.

Shoot Good Slates on Every Take

Mark the slate clearly with: f Scene and take f Date and location f Camera designation (A, B, C, etc.) f Camera roll and sound roll f Director and production name f MOS (if shot has no recorded sound) Hold the slate squarely in frame and voice slate the take e.g. "Scene 57, Take 5 on a scripted show or McDonalds farm, 12/15 on a
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documentary piece. Then clap it if youre shooting double system (sound and picture captured on separate mediums) before whisking it out of frame. Clearly slating each take consumes but a few seconds in the field and saves valuable time and temperaments in the cutting room. Voice slating is essential because dialogue editors will need to find the original takes for the audio tracks used in the show. We cant see the slate, explains dialogue editor Victoria Rose Sampson. We locate takes by the voice slate.

Cut in the Camera

NOT! Dont dictate where the editor should cut by ending shots or pointing the camera away from the action too early. Always remember: The camera sets the pace of the shot, the editor sets the pace of the show. An inexperienced camera operator, believing static shots are boring, may push the zoom button as if playing a trombone. This frustrates the audience and the editor. The editor can set a fine rhythm with a lovely series of static shots and should not be limited by a hyperactive camera that zooms and pans without purpose and gathers no usable shots.

Get Coverage
To cover a scene means to shoot angles in addition to the master shot such as close-ups and two-shots. Directors usually plan coverage for every scene. Why? Because most scenes when edited dont work when played all the way through in a master shot. Coverage adds needed pace and points of view and gives editors options for how to cut the show. Additionally, coverage serves as insurance in case the planned shot doesnt work, e.g., a master shot drags or is repetitive in the middle. By cutting to coverage, the editor can skip over the slow spot and cut back at a more vital point. Directors who dont cover themselves usually regret it.

Hold and Repeat Action at the Start and End of Takes

When shooting a new take, dont just continue from where the last take left off; repeat dialogue and actions from take to take. Lets say youve filmed a master shot of a dining room scene where nutty Uncle Ed sits

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down and tells a weird joke. When you film the medium shot of Uncle Ed, dont start with his joking. Rather, have him sit down and begin joking, repeating the action of the master. When you repeat action at the tail (end) of one angle and the head (beginning) of the next angle, the editor has the latitude to cut to any take at the best possible frame.

Hold the camera

Before starting and after ending every shot, be it a static shot, a zoom, pan, or dolly, hold the camera still for five seconds. As with repeated action, these static seconds can make all the difference in the editor being able to cut to shots at the best moment. Additionally, these action handles allow for dissolves, wipes, and other effects that an editor may apply to transition between shots. Occasionally, holding the camera even solves an editing problem: For example, editors sometimes use the footage from when the camera was rolling before the director yelled Action! or after they said Cut!

Shoot Good Continuity

A good script supervisor, who keeps an eagle eye on continuity, is always an MVP on a film set. Make every effort to match pacing, actions, lighting, wardrobe, placement of props, hair, makeup, etc., from take to take. Its a shame to force the editor to cut earlier or later than optimal due to a lack of continuity. Weve all noticed the laughable mismatch between an interior and exterior shot of a traveling car moving at different speeds and with different scenery in each shot. This continuity mismatch underscores why continuity is so important: Mismatches can take viewers out of your film, risking their distrust and disengagement, and lead to bad word-of-mouth. Here are four important components of achieving good continuity:

1) Shoot Cuttable Angles

Shots that are similar in angle and focal length jar the audience when cut together. If jarring is what you want, shoot this way. Otherwise stick to the 30 rule: Vary the new camera angle at least 30 from the last and your angles should cut together like butter. (For more on cuttable angles, see the sections on smooth cutting angles and mismatches in Chapter 5.)

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2) Match Eyelines
When a scene calls for cutting back and forth between shots of interacting characters, they need to be looking at each other, i.e., their eyelines must match. If shot incorrectly, their eyelines wont match and the characters will not be looking in the right direction. This may confuse the audience and cause them to take an unintended meaning from the characters interaction.

POV and eyeline

A common eyeline error occurs when making the Point of View (POV) shot. Lets say youre shooting a closeup of someone and their eyes (and possibly head) move left to right as they look at something. When you cut to that something, youre cutting to their POV. To match their eye and head movement, the POV shot must move the same direction, from left to right.
1.a Example of an eyeline match. Notice that in the boys close up, he maintains the correct eyeline.

3) Match Screen Direction

If a character or object moves left out of the frame, they need to enter the next shot from the right of the frame so they look like theyre moving normally, from 1.b Follow the floating balloon as it matches screen direction. left to right. If exits and entrances dont match, your audience wastes time keeping up with the action instead of immersing themselves in your movie.

4) Dont Cross the Line: Observe the 180 Rule

Crossing the line (a.k.a. crossing the axis), is an extension of screen direction.

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1.c Crossing the line. Shoot the pawns from the correct cameras or they will appear to jump sides.

Example A car is going down a street and you shoot two angles, one from each side of the street. Perfectly valid angles but if cut together, the car appears to be traveling in the opposite direction. Reason There is an invisible line in every camera set up that bisects the scene horizontally at 180.

The 180 Rule: How to observe it

Scenario If two people face each other, the 180 line runs across their heads. When editing, if you cut to the angle behind them, the person on the left now appears to jump to the right, disorienting your audience. Add another person and you add another 180 line. The Rule When shooting, keep Person A on the left and Person B on the right by not moving the camera across the 180 line. When editing, dont cut angles together that cause people to unintentionally jump sides in a scene.

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Example Cinematographers and their crews shoot football games from one side of the field only. This way there is no chance to cut to the other side of the field and make the players appear to be running toward the wrong goal.

observe this rule daily when they

Robert Wise would always plan his axis changethere was always one key shot. When you dont get those shots, and you just have somebody coming in without any reason, then you have a scene where nobody relates to anyone. Nobody is looking anybody else in the eye, and its totally disorienting. The audience might get thrown out of the scene because its non-connective. Film is con-

Get the angles you need without crossing the line

Of course there are many times nective; thats what film is. when you want to shoot a lot (Emphasis added.) of angles that cover both sides Dede Allen of the action. Here are several methods: 1. Establish a new 180 line Have the characters move within the shot or move the camera within the shot to break the line and create a new one. As Dede Allen notes, director Robert Wise always anticipated his axis changes. 2. Shoot cutaways Cutaways diminish the disorientation, allowing the editor to cut away before cutting to the line-breaking angle. An overhead angle keeps the audience oriented and enables the editor to freely cut to any angle. Jumping the line disturbs the audience, especially in 3-D movies, which, by their nature, immerse viewers more deeply than 2-D movies. 3. Break the 180 rule deliberately If you choose to ignore the rule, be aware that you are breaking it and be smart: Shoot some cutaways for insurance, just in case you dont like the resulting cut. More frequently, due to the influence of modern-style cutting, filmmakers ignore the 180 line. (More about this in Chapter 5 To Cut or Not to Cut: Where to Cut and Why, during the discussion of traditional editing style vs. modern style.)

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Getting the Film Look with a Digital Camera

We want the film look, says the client or producer. Many budget-conscious filmmakers, notably students, independents, documentarians, and television networks, use low cost digital video cameras but desire the film look. Weve all seen the scratchy, old timey film look applied after the shoot and many of us have used software to produce a supposed film look. But what exactly is the film look and whats the best way to get it when you shoot digitally? As an editor, how do you advise clients and producers? As production and post overlap more and more in the area of perfecting a shows images, these questions continue to crop up. The topic has been coming up in Final Cut Pro and other digital system users groups for awhile and heres 1.d Millennium film camera. Photo courtesy of Panavision. the common wisdom: To get the film look, shoot for it surprise during the shoot! Below are a few tips on how to do this. Film and digital cameras capture images in two distinct ways. Film capture is a photochemical process which creates the grain (texture, fullness) and highlights were accustomed to seeing. Digital 1.e HVX200 digital camera, Photo courtesy of Panasonic. capture relies on electronic signals to produce non-grainy images that are cool, clean, and crisp and often described as harsh. Digi-cams ability to capture film-like shots is continually improving. So get the best digicam you can afford; either video camera or the new DSLR still cameras that can shoot videos. As of 1.f EOS 7D HDSLR camera, Photo courtesy of Canon.

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this writing, however, the best HD camera does not approach the look of 16mm film, let alone 35mm. So, to achieve a film look, address the differences between the two mediums using these specific methods: 1. Shoot 24p as this format has the most film-like motion characteristics. 2. Be conscious of how you block the camera: Leave enough room for zooming and separate the camera from the set. If space is lacking, direct the talent to move forward; this is preferable to having them move sideways. 3. Set the proper depth of field (DOF). Since video has an infinite DOF and film has a shallow DOF, you need to narrow the DOF to approach film. Do this by using film-style lenses, zooming, adding a digital adapter, and changing the F-stop to widen the aperture. 4. Light film-style to avoid the cold video look. Go beyond room lighting and use key, fill, and backlighting in different scenes. 5. Adjust the white balance to mimic films photochemical color timing. 6. Pay attention to what the audiences focal point will be with every setup. What will they notice first? Catch in their peripheral vision? Gravitate to next? 7. Finally, because sound is vital to viewers acceptance of visual images, record high quality audio to bolster your film-image look. Which neatly brings us to the last topic in this subject.

Record Location Sound

One misconception that many people in the film business have...is that if you want great sound in your movie you dont really need to think about sound early on. Randy Thom, C.A.S.1, sound designer and mixer, How to Train Your Dragon, The Incredibles, The Right Stuff, and Return of the Jedi.

To create the best-sounding film or video, start during preproduction. You want to anticipate how your show will sound, budget for sound, and record your desired audio during the shoot. This way youve got the sound you want for when your picture comes together audio-wise during sound editing in StageIII.

1. Cinema Audio Society, U.S. sound honorary society equivalent to A.C.E. for sound mixers and their associates: sound editors, recordists, and technicians.
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Record clean tracks

Be the sound editors best friend. Record clean tracks: no helicopters whirring overhead, no doors banging, no dolly squeaking, etc. Make sure all dialogue is crisp 1.g Fostex digital sound recorder, Photo courtesy of and clear so your audience wont American Music & Sound. miss a word. Poor sound can only be corrected so much in postproduction and usually at a cost so do it right during production!

Get RT and WT on every location and set

RT, a.k.a. room tone, ambience, or presence Record a minute of RT wordless, noise free background sound for every scene. Sound editors need RT to smooth out scenes, especially dialogue scenes. WT, a.k.a. wild track or wild sound Record WT non-sync, non-dialogue sound on every outdoor location. Get the forest sound, the traffic soundall the natural sounds. Record specific sounds that are crucial to how you want your project to sound. The sound editor can access thousands of sound effects but wont have the mating sound of the ring-tailed lemur your shows documenting. Picking up such sounds later could be costly. Make a list beforehand of WT you need to record and add to the list when youre on location.

Create a sound vision

Part of realizing the vision of your film is conceiving what the viewer will hear. Think about the different scenes or parts of your show and how you want them to sound: light and sprightly, cheery with a sinister threat in the air, painful but upbeat, etc. You might start by imagining each character or subject as an instrument or a theme: What would they sound like? What tune would they play? Next, envision how scenes or sections will sound as purely musical themes. The goal is to get an idea of the subtle and grand tones of your film and consider how sonics can support them.

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Last word
Theres a belief in the film industry that you Pay it up front during production or pay it downstream during post. So, save yourself time and money by getting picture and sound right, right from the start. Shoot your footage correctly so that shots cut together the way you want and are logged and slated properly for maximum editorial efficiency.

Cutting Room Terms Overview

Cutty, hissy, tubby; editing has a language of its own. This section lays down the basic editing, audio, and film terms in this section and add more as we go along. But first, some background: Its helpful to know when and how the terms originated in the history of film editing so they make sense and are easier to remember.

A 10-frame History of Editing Tools or the Genesis of Cutting Room Terms

In the beginning the 1900s there was a light well for viewing film frames, a razor blade for cutting the film, and a cement splicer for gluing the cut frames together. Cutters, as editors were promptly called, propelled the film with their hands in order to see the footage move. In 1924 Iwan Serrurier invented a mechanical editing device. The Moviola featured a hand crank for moving the footage and an electric light. Before long it ran reels of picture and sound via electrified foot pedals and a magnetic sound head picked up the sound and amplified it through a built-in speaker. 1.h Moviola. Photo courtesy of Chris Senchack. Flash forward to the late 1960s and behold! The upright Moviola, with its two vertical reels, evolved into the flatbed, a table top machine with three or four reels running horizontally. And the flatbed became known as the KEM, the Steenbeck, or the flatbed Moviola according to its brand name.
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The 1970s begat more for editors: viable videotape editing machines. As tape was faster and cheaper, news shows and documentary filmmakers jumped to it. Many independent filmmakers, corporate, and commercial editors gravitated to it in the 1980s as did low budget TV shows. And 1.i Marking the cut point on a KEM. Photo courtesy of Chris Senchack. thus was born the term linear. By the end of the 80s a majority of TV shows cut on tape and the term nonlinear editor (NLE) arose. Now all this time feature film editors, with a few exceptions, remained on film. They held out until the digital age dawned, bringing film and tape together 1.j Ediflex, nonlinear tape editing system, which harin one machine in the early nessed 12 VHS decks to view and review cuts. Photo courtesy of Tony Schmitz. 1990s. By the decades end, news editors, TV editors, commercial editors, independent filmmakers, and feature editors were cutting on digital editing systems as were college students, prosumers, and home moviemakers. And thus it came to pass with the millennium that the computer has made digital technology available to all editors and 1.k Making the cut on a digital editing system. Photo almost all use it. Digital systems, courtesy of Les Perkins. along with the new editing terms theyve brought forth, are ever changing with each new version, plugin, add-on, download, and capability. Moral: Change will prevail and ever yield to more change. And that is the state of the firmament in which we all dwelleth until kingdom come. Or the next evolution.

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Editors Lingo: How Editors Call It and Do It

The clich about sculpture, that the sculptor finds the statue which is waiting in the stone, applies equally to editing; the editor finds the film which is waiting hidden in the material. Tom Priestly, editor and cinematographer, The Thomas Crown Affair, Deliverance, and Return of the Pink Panther.

General Cutting Room Terms

As editing has moved from being performed on film to being performed on video tape and then digital editing systems, new terms have been added and old terms have lived on. For instance, picture and sound film terms are freely mingled with audio and video tape terms into todays digital domain. Also, while the days when editors used scissors to cut film are scores of years behind us, editing is still referred to as cutting and the editing room is still called the cutting room. As more and more movies are shot, edited, and projected digitally, perhaps in the future well go to the theater to see not a film but a digi. But for now, film, video, and digital terms are freely intermixed in the cutting room and everywhere else. Here are the current general terms:

Picture editor, a.k.a. the editor

Editor who puts the show together.

Sound editor
Editor who perfects the shows sound. Sound editors finesse the dialogue, ambience, wild track, and narration and add sound effects among other duties.

Dailies
Footage, usually shot the previous day, from the production crew that arrives daily in the cutting.

Shot
Camera start to camera stop.

Take
A slated shot (which hopefully all shots have).

Edit (noun)
A portion of a take or shot put into a show.
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