Apple Cinema Tools 3 - Manual (Page 131)

Chapter 7 Editing 131
Step 5: (Optical printing) Transfer the opticals using a telecine, add them to
the database, capture them into your sequence, and export a cut list
If you are having opticals created for your film, this step is ideal because it provides a
cut list that most accurately documents the opticals, and because it allows you to
preview the opticals in your sequence and see if you like the way they work.
Alternatively, if you have a workprint, the negative cutter may be able to use it as a
guide for cutting the opticals into your film so that you don’t need to transfer them to
video and create a new cut list. Be sure to check with your negative cutter to find out
what they require.
Step 6: (Optical printing) Give the optical negative to the negative cutter
Assuming you have screened the opticals and are happy with them, give the optical
negative, along with the original camera negative and your entire film list, to the
negative cutter. With the film list (and the workprint if there is one) as a guide, the
negative cutter will cut and splice the effects into your film.
Step 7: (Contact printing) Give the film list to the contact printer
When the conformed negative is ready to be printed at the contact printer, make sure
the contact printer is given a film list that includes information about your titles and
supers and any transitions you want them to print into the film.
Note: The negative cutter makes a list of printer cues, including transition needs, and
this list is given to the printer with the cut original camera negative.
About Interpositives
Because the original footage is negative, the whole film must be printed from
negative images in order to result in a normal, positive film image. This means you
want your opticals to be negative when they are spliced into your original camera
negative. The optical lab typically uses a low-contrast film print (of the relevant parts
of the original camera negative) called an interpositive as the raw source footage from
which to assemble the opticals. After the opticals are assembled from the
interpositive, they are printed as optical negatives that can be spliced into the
original camera negative.
Usually, before the final interpositive is created, one or more trial prints are made with
the guidance of a color specialist in order to find the proper combination of exposure
and color balance.
Note: In some cases, when opticals need a very stable image (as with images behind
text), a registration interpositive is required. Registration interpositive printing
minimizes unwanted lateral film motion in the optical printer gate. The optical lab will
tell you when a registration interpositive is needed.
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