Editing film using digital methods – Apple Cinema Tools 3 User Manual
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Appendix A
Background Basics
Editing Film Using Digital Methods
The process of editing film digitally is constantly evolving, but the basic concept
remains the same—you start and end on film, with only the creative part of the editing
process changing. Following is a simplified workflow outlining the basic steps. (See
Chapter 2, “
,” on page 33 for a more detailed explanation of
these steps.)
Although this workflow appears more complicated than the one that illustrates the
traditional editing method, many of these steps can be automated. For most
filmmakers, the benefits of being able to edit digitally easily offset any added
procedures that the process adds.
Several of the steps are identical to the traditional method—as mentioned earlier, it is
only the middle part of the film editing process that is affected by editing digitally.
Step 1:
Shoot the film and record the sound
Audio is always recorded separately from the film, on a separate audio recorder. This is
known as shooting double system sound. While shooting the film, you need to include a
way to synchronize the sound to the picture. The most common method is to use a
clapper board (also called a slate or sticks) at the beginning of each take. There are a
number of other methods you can use, but the general idea is to have a single short
noise that is both audible and visible (you can see what caused the noise).
Step 2:
Develop the film
The developed film is known as the original camera negative. This negative will
eventually be used to create the final movie and must be handled with extreme care to
avoid scratching or contaminating it. The negative is used to create a video transfer
(and typically a workprint, as with the traditional method) and then put aside until the
negative is conformed.
Shoot
film
Mix audio tracks
Add sound effects
Conform original
camera negative
to cut list
Create
release
prints
Convert to
video with
a telecine
Develop
film
Edit
decisions
Telecine
log
Audio for edit
Audio
EDL
Cut list
Original camera negative
Original production audio
Edit video
and audio
Final Cut Pro
Reverse telecine
Conform
Capture
audio
Capture
video
Prepare
clips
Record
audio
Cinema Tools
Create Cinema Tools database
Export cut lists based on edits
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