Apple Cinema Tools 4 - Manual (Page 25)

Your budget will likely determine which format you use. Although it’s generally best to
use the same film format throughout your production, Cinema Tools does not require it.
Each database record has its own film format setting.
Transferring Film to Video
In order to digitally edit your film, you need to transfer it to video so that it can be captured
by the computer. There are a few ways to do this, but an overriding requirement is that
there be a reliable way to match the film’s key numbers to the edited video’s timecode.
This relationship allows Cinema Tools to accurately calculate specific key numbers based
on each edit’s In and Out point timecode values.
You also need to make decisions regarding film and video frame rates used during the
transfer. These affect the editing timebase and impact the accuracy of the cut list that
Cinema Tools generates.
Telecines
By far the most common method of transferring film to video is to use a telecine. Telecines
are devices that scan each film frame onto a charge-coupled device (CCD) to convert the
film frames to video frames. Although a telecine provides an excellent picture, for the
purposes of Cinema Tools the more important benefit is that it results in a locked
relationship between the film and video, with no drifting between them.
Telecines are typically gentler on the film and offer sophisticated color correction and
operational control as compared to film chains, described in
Transfer Techniques That
Are Not Recommended . Another advantage is that telecines can create video from the
original camera negative—most other methods require you to create a film positive
(workprint) first. (Although from a budget viewpoint it may be a benefit not to create a
workprint, workprints are generally created anyway since they provide the best way to
see the footage on a large screen and spot any issues that might impact which takes you
use. Even more importantly, they allow you to test the cut list before working on the
negative.)
In addition to providing a high-quality transfer, most modern telecines read the key
numbers from the film and can access the video recorder’s timecode generator, burning
in these numbers on the video output. An additional benefit of the telecine transfer
method is its ability to provide synchronized audio along with the video output. It can
control the audio source and burn in the audio timecode along with the video timecode
and the key numbers.
25 Chapter 2 Before You Begin Your Film Project