The Editing Process At The Moment ...
Stages Of Editing
1. Logging
The dailies or rushes are sorted and labelled in ‘bins’. Each take
can contain extra notes from the director or the cinematographer. This
is the first time the editor sees the film, and since it is shot out of
sequence, it is out of context of the story. A good editor views the
rushes and looks for fluidity of movement and nuances that will later be
incorporated into the film.
2. First Assembly
The editor considers all the visual and audio material collected on
the shoot for each scene and then re-orders it in the way to tell the
story best.
In the scene above, the editor may decide to open with an aerial shot
of Central London and then track in to Buckingham Palace. The next shot
might be a closeup of the hands followed by a dissolve shot to the
hands of the hobo playing the banjo. There are dozens of possible
combinations the editor can chose for this one simple sequence, each of
which create a different mood and tell a different story.
Editing on a large budget feature usually commences as soon as the
film starts shooting. An editor will work on the rushes and assemble
scenes for the director and producer to view. Often at this point the
editor and director will decide that additional footage of key moments
is necessary in order to make more editing choices available during the
edit.
Hint: First assembly is like a sketch of the finished scene.
It is a good idea to save these sketches for reference later,
should the editor get stuck.
3. Rough Cut and Variations
The rough cut can take up to three months to complete. Each editor
works differently. Sometimes the editor works alone and shows the day or
weeks work to the director and producer, Sometimes the editor and
director work together, discussing every nuance.
In the rough cut, the scenes are placed in order and checked for
continuity. This all-important step in the editing process allows for
revisions and new ideas to be tried and tested.
Hint: Make the edit points between the scenes very obvious in order
to e mphasise the ‘roughness’. Failure to do so may result in the editor
committing to an edit before it is ready.
4. First Cut
The first cut is the rough cut that is accepted by the editor, the
director and the producer. Selection and sequence are basically fixed,
although changes can still be made. The later film is visible. Detailed
fine cut starts out from its proportions, structures, rhythms and
emphasises them.
Hint: Never be afraid to let the first cut ‘rest’ for a few days so everyone involved can see it with fresh eyes.
5. Fine Cut
The fine cut no longer focuses on the entire film, but on the details
of each and every cut. The fine cut emphasises and strengthens the
rhythms and structures identified in the first cut.
6. Final Cut
When a fine cut has been agreed with the editor, director and
producer, the sound designer, music composer and title designer join the
editor. Sound effects and music are created and added to the final cut.
When everyone has agreed with the final cut, the Edit Decision List is
sent to the lab where a negative cutter ‘conforms’ the negative to the
EDL in order to create a negative that is an exact copy of the final
cut.
