NOVEL WEB Exploiting Hollywood 1980.
Chapter 33 Editing
Chapter 33 Editing
"This is the last roll, and the audio and video synchronization of the film has been processed." Ronald let out a long breath.
After a day's rest, Ronald went back to the editing room and did audio-video synchronization for more than ten days. Finally, together with two female colleagues, he synchronized the 12 feet of film and tape.
Fortunately, the main shots of the whole film were all shot with a single camera, so it is easier to find the picture and sound of the board.
Only the explosion shot was shot with two cameras.It was very troublesome to synchronize the film and sound. Ronald still asked two female assistants to help him.
Larry, a senior editor, has started to work on the editing machine with the two directors for several days. They waited for the assistants to complete a part of the audio and video synchronization before starting to edit the film.
Of course this is to save time and streamline operations.
In the past few days, Ronald has often seen them operating the huge editing machine on the other side of the room.It made my heart itch, and I really wanted to watch it.
Finally got a chance today.
Walking to a corner where the two directors were working, they heard a rumbling noise.An old-fashioned Moviola editing machine, like a heavy sewing machine, sits on the ground, and the gear transmission makes a loud rumbling sound, coupled with the sound of film rewinding, it is really like a giant beast.
There were three people in front of them, discussing something.Allen, who is 2 meters tall, stood directly in front of the machine, and Joe Dante talked to Allen while touching his hair.Larry, the editor, waited for their decision.
"Look at another film for this shot." Allen directed Larry, the editor.
Ronald hurried forward to help the editor Larry move the film, and learned to load the film and audio tapes into the machine and fasten the tenon and buckle.Director Allen flipped the switch into forward and pressed a pedal.
"Booming... Kalala..." The sewing... The editing machine started, and Ronald heard the sound of the board being hit. Director Alan stared at a small piece of frosted glass above the machine. Inside was the projection of the film. Only Allen and Joe Dante standing next to him could see clearly.
"The screen is so small, I can't see anything..." Ronald was a little frustrated, he took a few steps back and stood behind to observe their discussion.Occasionally continue to help carry film and tape.
Director Allen stared at the frosted glass screen and stepped on the stop pedal.Then he opened a hatch and made a mark on the film with a water pen. "Come and see," rising to give way to Joe Dante.
Joe Dante stepped forward, turned the switch to reverse, rewound the film, turned the switch straight, and stepped on the start pedal.
"Crack!" Joe Dante also stepped on the stop.Open the hatch.Then shake the handle, search a few squares back and forth, and see the mark made by Allen.
This shows that the two of them have the same judgment, "Yes, I feel that this one should also be cut here."
Larry the editor stepped forward, pulled a guillotine-like handle, and cut the film and tape with a snap.
"Ronald, put away the cut film and record the number." This was Joe Dante, teaching himself how to work again.
Ronald hurried forward, carefully packed the cut film and audio tape in a plastic bag, then took a large workbook on the table, wrote down the number of the cut, and put the cut film and audio tape in order Put it in the archive box.
The film used for editing is specially developed by the laboratory, and each frame has a unique number. These cut films and audio tapes need to be carefully recorded and preserved.
That's the boring job of an editorial assistant.Ronald couldn't see the image and wondered why the director made such an edit?Why cut the scissors here and not there?
All he could do was archive the clips that were cut out, like a coroner.
After working for several hours, Ronald felt rather bored. He brought a new Stanley brand stainless steel thermos cup, poured some pre-prepared hot black tea into the lid, and drank it.
The smell of black tea attracted the two directors and editors, and everyone came to watch.So Ronald went to get a few disposable paper cups and poured a cup for everyone, and everyone took the opportunity to sit down and rest.
"Ronald, how does the new job feel?" Joe Dante asked with a smile while drinking black tea.
"It's a bit mechanical to be honest, I don't really understand editing yet."
"It's very simple," Joe put the cup down, pulled Ronald up to the Moviola editing machine, "Look here." Then he flipped on the switch.
Ronald put his head forward just in time to see the frosted glass on the viewing window, reflecting the film footage, like a small TV.The synchronized sound is read by the magnetic head, converted into an electrical signal, and restored to sound in the speaker.
"And step here," Joe directed Ronald to step on the stop pedal.
With a snap, the image on the frosted glass freezes.
Then Joe Dante opened a small window in the middle of the machine. "This is exactly the one you see on the frosted glass."
Ronald bent down to compare the two images, and nodded to express his understanding.
Then you make a mark with a pen, and Joe pulled the guillotine and motioned to Ronald to see, "Just press it, and the film will be cut, and the audio tape here will also be cut at the same place."
"This is the meaning of your audio-video synchronization work. We only need to look at the picture when editing, and don't care about the sound. Or vice versa."
Ronald nodded frequently, looked left and right at the editing machine, tried two more times, and reluctantly got off the machine.
The design of this machine is quite ingenious. When a person stands by, his eyes are aligned with the frosted glass, and there are two start and stop pedals under his feet, which are similar to the accelerator and brake of a car.
"Cut the piece, and then use the connector to the place to be connected, you already know how to use it"
"The film numbers on both ends have to be recorded," says editor Larry.
Ronald quickly took the work notebook, stepped forward and copied down the number.
After drinking the black tea, director Allen, editor Larry, and Joe Dante started editing again.The three played the film continuously back and forth, and then negotiated an editing point, which was cut and Ronald stepped forward to record.Everyone gradually cooperated with each other tacitly.
However, the efficiency of editing work has not increased much.Editing is a typical slow work and careful work. Every time a decision is made, it must be watched and discussed repeatedly.
Sometimes the parts that have already been cut are found to be inappropriate later, and the cut parts have to be taken out and connected, and then edited again.
At such times, Ronald stepped forward, carefully peeled off the scotch tape on the editing point, checked the work records, found the clips that were cut, and then used the scotch tape to restore the film and tape.
This was repeated over and over again, and after a day, Allen only cut more than 10 shots.
Ronald did the math. A 90-minute feature film needs about 400 shots. Then it will take one month to edit, plus sound mixing, to complete the editing of the whole movie. It will take three months.
Screenings, replays, discussions, editing,...
Time passed day by day, and the film was formed day by day.At every editing point, the director strives for a natural transition.
This morning, it's almost lunch time.The editing team finally cut to the shot that Ronald was in charge of shooting.Director Allen specially asked Ronald to come forward and learn how to find editing points.
"After the start, just when you feel the need to cut the shot, step on the stop pedal. Don't think about anything else, just rely on your intuition." Joe Dante began to teach live again.
Ronald rubbed his hands, and couldn't wait to stand in front of the editing machine.
Looking at the frosted glass for observation, a relatively dim picture came into view.
This scene is Liv and Kate, two girlfriends who were detained by the principal for punishment.The two comforted each other under the setting sun and walked slowly towards the setting sun.
Ronald still remembers that this was the last shot he took.I was very proud when I was taking pictures, and I paid attention to the use of light.At the beginning, I used the positive light to show the friendship between the two girlfriends, and then used the backlight to shoot the outline light.
Contour light is also called Jesus light, which diffuses a circle of golden light around people's hair, and the lens is very poetic.
This is one of the best shots I've ever taken.
After going up and playing several times, Ronald was completely intoxicated in his own camera.When it felt like the two of my girlfriends had been walking for about a long time, I stepped on the stop pedal.
Then I picked up the fountain pen and made a mark on the stopped frame of film.Ronald took a step back, vacated the machine, and asked Director Alan to check it.
Allen came too.There is no difficulty in editing this shot, as long as there is enough time for the two to move forward under the sunset.
After stepping on the stop pedal, Allen also picked up a pen and made a mark.Then shake the handle and start looking for the mark marked by Ronald back and forth.Very good, the director's choice of editing point is only ten frames away from his own, which is less than half a second.This shows that the two people's judgments on the editing points of the shots are basically the same.
Ronald was kind of happy, the first cut didn't seem to go wrong.
"Very good, Ronald, you do have some talent. Come and see Joe." Allen admired Ronald very much.
When it was Joe Dante's turn to go up and watch, he rewound the film for a while and played it back, "Hiss, this shot..."
"What's the matter, Joe? There's nothing wrong with Ronald's editing point?" Allen wondered.
"Tsk," Joe Dante rewound the film a further distance, and then asked Allen to step forward, "Look at it from here."
"Well, there seems to be a problem, and you're right, Joe."
Allen called the editor Larry again, "Look at this part."
Ronald was a bit baffled. He didn't find any problems when he was shooting or setting out the samples.
"Is there something wrong with my shooting? Did it go wrong?" Ronald asked.
The shooting of low-cost movies is often in a hurry, and there are any props, scenes, shooting and samples that are not found, and they are often discovered during editing.
Ronald was a little worried. Not counting the scenes in his dreams, this was the best shot he had taken himself. Did something go wrong? "
"It's not wearing clothes, Ronald, come and see."
Larry, the editor, pulled him to the front of the Moviola editing machine, and then fell forward for 1 minute, "You played it through from here, did you find any problems?"
(End of this chapter)
"This is the last roll, and the audio and video synchronization of the film has been processed." Ronald let out a long breath.
After a day's rest, Ronald went back to the editing room and did audio-video synchronization for more than ten days. Finally, together with two female colleagues, he synchronized the 12 feet of film and tape.
Fortunately, the main shots of the whole film were all shot with a single camera, so it is easier to find the picture and sound of the board.
Only the explosion shot was shot with two cameras.It was very troublesome to synchronize the film and sound. Ronald still asked two female assistants to help him.
Larry, a senior editor, has started to work on the editing machine with the two directors for several days. They waited for the assistants to complete a part of the audio and video synchronization before starting to edit the film.
Of course this is to save time and streamline operations.
In the past few days, Ronald has often seen them operating the huge editing machine on the other side of the room.It made my heart itch, and I really wanted to watch it.
Finally got a chance today.
Walking to a corner where the two directors were working, they heard a rumbling noise.An old-fashioned Moviola editing machine, like a heavy sewing machine, sits on the ground, and the gear transmission makes a loud rumbling sound, coupled with the sound of film rewinding, it is really like a giant beast.
There were three people in front of them, discussing something.Allen, who is 2 meters tall, stood directly in front of the machine, and Joe Dante talked to Allen while touching his hair.Larry, the editor, waited for their decision.
"Look at another film for this shot." Allen directed Larry, the editor.
Ronald hurried forward to help the editor Larry move the film, and learned to load the film and audio tapes into the machine and fasten the tenon and buckle.Director Allen flipped the switch into forward and pressed a pedal.
"Booming... Kalala..." The sewing... The editing machine started, and Ronald heard the sound of the board being hit. Director Alan stared at a small piece of frosted glass above the machine. Inside was the projection of the film. Only Allen and Joe Dante standing next to him could see clearly.
"The screen is so small, I can't see anything..." Ronald was a little frustrated, he took a few steps back and stood behind to observe their discussion.Occasionally continue to help carry film and tape.
Director Allen stared at the frosted glass screen and stepped on the stop pedal.Then he opened a hatch and made a mark on the film with a water pen. "Come and see," rising to give way to Joe Dante.
Joe Dante stepped forward, turned the switch to reverse, rewound the film, turned the switch straight, and stepped on the start pedal.
"Crack!" Joe Dante also stepped on the stop.Open the hatch.Then shake the handle, search a few squares back and forth, and see the mark made by Allen.
This shows that the two of them have the same judgment, "Yes, I feel that this one should also be cut here."
Larry the editor stepped forward, pulled a guillotine-like handle, and cut the film and tape with a snap.
"Ronald, put away the cut film and record the number." This was Joe Dante, teaching himself how to work again.
Ronald hurried forward, carefully packed the cut film and audio tape in a plastic bag, then took a large workbook on the table, wrote down the number of the cut, and put the cut film and audio tape in order Put it in the archive box.
The film used for editing is specially developed by the laboratory, and each frame has a unique number. These cut films and audio tapes need to be carefully recorded and preserved.
That's the boring job of an editorial assistant.Ronald couldn't see the image and wondered why the director made such an edit?Why cut the scissors here and not there?
All he could do was archive the clips that were cut out, like a coroner.
After working for several hours, Ronald felt rather bored. He brought a new Stanley brand stainless steel thermos cup, poured some pre-prepared hot black tea into the lid, and drank it.
The smell of black tea attracted the two directors and editors, and everyone came to watch.So Ronald went to get a few disposable paper cups and poured a cup for everyone, and everyone took the opportunity to sit down and rest.
"Ronald, how does the new job feel?" Joe Dante asked with a smile while drinking black tea.
"It's a bit mechanical to be honest, I don't really understand editing yet."
"It's very simple," Joe put the cup down, pulled Ronald up to the Moviola editing machine, "Look here." Then he flipped on the switch.
Ronald put his head forward just in time to see the frosted glass on the viewing window, reflecting the film footage, like a small TV.The synchronized sound is read by the magnetic head, converted into an electrical signal, and restored to sound in the speaker.
"And step here," Joe directed Ronald to step on the stop pedal.
With a snap, the image on the frosted glass freezes.
Then Joe Dante opened a small window in the middle of the machine. "This is exactly the one you see on the frosted glass."
Ronald bent down to compare the two images, and nodded to express his understanding.
Then you make a mark with a pen, and Joe pulled the guillotine and motioned to Ronald to see, "Just press it, and the film will be cut, and the audio tape here will also be cut at the same place."
"This is the meaning of your audio-video synchronization work. We only need to look at the picture when editing, and don't care about the sound. Or vice versa."
Ronald nodded frequently, looked left and right at the editing machine, tried two more times, and reluctantly got off the machine.
The design of this machine is quite ingenious. When a person stands by, his eyes are aligned with the frosted glass, and there are two start and stop pedals under his feet, which are similar to the accelerator and brake of a car.
"Cut the piece, and then use the connector to the place to be connected, you already know how to use it"
"The film numbers on both ends have to be recorded," says editor Larry.
Ronald quickly took the work notebook, stepped forward and copied down the number.
After drinking the black tea, director Allen, editor Larry, and Joe Dante started editing again.The three played the film continuously back and forth, and then negotiated an editing point, which was cut and Ronald stepped forward to record.Everyone gradually cooperated with each other tacitly.
However, the efficiency of editing work has not increased much.Editing is a typical slow work and careful work. Every time a decision is made, it must be watched and discussed repeatedly.
Sometimes the parts that have already been cut are found to be inappropriate later, and the cut parts have to be taken out and connected, and then edited again.
At such times, Ronald stepped forward, carefully peeled off the scotch tape on the editing point, checked the work records, found the clips that were cut, and then used the scotch tape to restore the film and tape.
This was repeated over and over again, and after a day, Allen only cut more than 10 shots.
Ronald did the math. A 90-minute feature film needs about 400 shots. Then it will take one month to edit, plus sound mixing, to complete the editing of the whole movie. It will take three months.
Screenings, replays, discussions, editing,...
Time passed day by day, and the film was formed day by day.At every editing point, the director strives for a natural transition.
This morning, it's almost lunch time.The editing team finally cut to the shot that Ronald was in charge of shooting.Director Allen specially asked Ronald to come forward and learn how to find editing points.
"After the start, just when you feel the need to cut the shot, step on the stop pedal. Don't think about anything else, just rely on your intuition." Joe Dante began to teach live again.
Ronald rubbed his hands, and couldn't wait to stand in front of the editing machine.
Looking at the frosted glass for observation, a relatively dim picture came into view.
This scene is Liv and Kate, two girlfriends who were detained by the principal for punishment.The two comforted each other under the setting sun and walked slowly towards the setting sun.
Ronald still remembers that this was the last shot he took.I was very proud when I was taking pictures, and I paid attention to the use of light.At the beginning, I used the positive light to show the friendship between the two girlfriends, and then used the backlight to shoot the outline light.
Contour light is also called Jesus light, which diffuses a circle of golden light around people's hair, and the lens is very poetic.
This is one of the best shots I've ever taken.
After going up and playing several times, Ronald was completely intoxicated in his own camera.When it felt like the two of my girlfriends had been walking for about a long time, I stepped on the stop pedal.
Then I picked up the fountain pen and made a mark on the stopped frame of film.Ronald took a step back, vacated the machine, and asked Director Alan to check it.
Allen came too.There is no difficulty in editing this shot, as long as there is enough time for the two to move forward under the sunset.
After stepping on the stop pedal, Allen also picked up a pen and made a mark.Then shake the handle and start looking for the mark marked by Ronald back and forth.Very good, the director's choice of editing point is only ten frames away from his own, which is less than half a second.This shows that the two people's judgments on the editing points of the shots are basically the same.
Ronald was kind of happy, the first cut didn't seem to go wrong.
"Very good, Ronald, you do have some talent. Come and see Joe." Allen admired Ronald very much.
When it was Joe Dante's turn to go up and watch, he rewound the film for a while and played it back, "Hiss, this shot..."
"What's the matter, Joe? There's nothing wrong with Ronald's editing point?" Allen wondered.
"Tsk," Joe Dante rewound the film a further distance, and then asked Allen to step forward, "Look at it from here."
"Well, there seems to be a problem, and you're right, Joe."
Allen called the editor Larry again, "Look at this part."
Ronald was a bit baffled. He didn't find any problems when he was shooting or setting out the samples.
"Is there something wrong with my shooting? Did it go wrong?" Ronald asked.
The shooting of low-cost movies is often in a hurry, and there are any props, scenes, shooting and samples that are not found, and they are often discovered during editing.
Ronald was a little worried. Not counting the scenes in his dreams, this was the best shot he had taken himself. Did something go wrong? "
"It's not wearing clothes, Ronald, come and see."
Larry, the editor, pulled him to the front of the Moviola editing machine, and then fell forward for 1 minute, "You played it through from here, did you find any problems?"
(End of this chapter)
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