Editing systems are constantly evolving, dictated by the need to keep pace with technological advancements and improvements. Film has been replaced with tapeless media in the cutting room. However, the work fl ow remains essentially the same. The assistant needs to import, download, ingest, digitize, etc. He needs to orga- nize and rename things and prepare the fi lm for the editor to cut.
Regardless of which fi lm or editing system you use, the fi rst task is to test the equipment, digitize and generate an output, calibrate the soundboards (you must call the tech
in for this), test the microphone and recording ability, and adjust the monitors.
When you have completed testing the equipment, your next task is to start prepping for the following day’s dailies by creating the project window for your editor. Because you will most likely be on Unity or SAN, the editor will have access to his colleagues ’ episodes in his editing room.
Unity (for Avid) and SAN (for FCP) are the systems used to connect editing computers. They allow each editor to have access to media at the same time.
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Make the Cut: A Guide to Becoming a Successful Assistant Editor in Film and TV
In the project window, you should create the project with the episode number and several standard bins (see Figure 3.1 ); for example, A.Workpix (or current cut), Act, ADR, Banners, Gag, Scenes (individual scenes), Z1 Assembly, Z2 EC1 (editor’s cut 1), Z3 DC1 (director’s cut 1), Z4 PC1 (producer’s cut 1), Z5 SC1 (studio cut 1) through NC1 (network cut 1), to name a few. You will create folders for Act bins, Scenes, SFX, SMX, Stock, and VFX.
Chapter 3: Your First Day
There is usually a bin in which the editor keeps his current cut. Each editor has his own preference on how to name it; for example, Current Cut, Cuts, or Editor’s Cuts. After all the dailies have been completely cut, the editor will work out of this bin.
Next you can create an Act bin (see Figure 3.2 ). It is labeled with the act number and the scenes it contains. When the scene is cut, it is placed in its appropriate bin. This is one of the many ways to organize scenes and acts.
Figure 3.2 Act bin
Figure 3.3 Banners bin
Add a bin for ADR into which you will place the temp ADR that is recorded in the editing room. Also cre- ate a Banners bin for the miscellaneous banners (see Figure 3.3 ).
In our projects, we call the cur- rent cut A. Workpix so that it will default to the top of the project window.
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Make the Cut: A Guide to Becoming a Successful Assistant Editor in Film and TV
In it you will place the following: 1. Digitized black
2. Digitized white
3. End credits (or slug for end credits denoting length, such as “ End credits — 30 secs ” ) (sweetened with EC MX)
4. End logos
5. Main title (or slug for main title denoting length, such as “ Main title — 20 secs ” ) (sweetened with MT MX)
6. Missing scene 7. Missing insert 8. Missing stock 9. VFX
These are items that the editor will need to cut in, and he will appreciate that you have anticipated his needs. Create a Gag bin so that your editor can place the materials that can be used for the gag reel at the end of the show. A Scene bin will be created for each new scene you receive during dailies.
Editors have different systems of keeping their various iterations of cuts. We like to keep our versions in sepa- rate Z bins.
Banners are space holders for future media drop-ins that can be created by the assistant in title tools.
DEFINITION
We place a Z in front of each title so that they will sort to the bottom of the project window. Z1 represents the fi rst assembly (see Figure 3.4 ). After we have completed cutting all the dailies, assembled our scenes into acts, and joined these acts together, we now have an assembly of the entire show.
Figure 3.4 Z1 assembly
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Chapter 3: Your First Day
This bin remains untouched now because it is the only copy of the entire show — without lifts or missing dialog — and is an exact replica of the script. This bin is then copied to the A.Workpix bin, in which the next set of changes is done (see Figure 3.5 ).
Figure 3.5 A.Workpix
Figure 3.6 Z2 EC1
Note that even though this is a copy of the assembly, we change the title and rename it A.Workpix for each act. This is essential for making sure the editor is always working in the most current cut. It is a huge waste of time when the changes are made in the wrong version of the show.
When the next set of changes is complete, a copy of the A.Workpix is dragged into the next bin, Z2 EC1, and the title is changed to EC1 (see Figure 3.6 ).
When you create these bins in the project window, be aware that there is sometimes more than one version of each phase of the cut. Editors might have time for EC2, and the director’s cut might go to DC3 or DC4,
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Make the Cut: A Guide to Becoming a Successful Assistant Editor in Film and TV
and so on. You must change the Z number accordingly. Pay careful attention to saving the various versions because the editor is often asked to go back to an old cut. One of the best notes we receive is, “ Put it back the way you had it in the editor’s cut. ”
Now you create various folders. One folder is for the scenes that the editor has completed cutting that will eventu- ally contain every scene in the movie. Two critical folders to create are for sound effects (SFX) and music (SMX).
Next , the stock folder contains two bins. The Stock Production bin contains the establishing shots that have been provided by produc- tion and can be used without cost by postproduction. The Stock Purchased bin contains the stock that you have ordered from an out- side stock house that costs money. Separating these two bins makes it easier for the editor to choose from the available free footage fi rst. If the right shot is not available, then the editor will select from the purchased stock. It will also be easier for the assistant to identify what stock needs to be ordered before the online occurs.
3.2 Settings
It is now time to create the settings for your editor’s project. Make sure the audio is set to drop frame, nondrop frame, or 24 or 30 frame project; create the user settings; and select 16:9 or letterbox or 4:3. Discuss these settings with your post supervisor and editor.
We suggest that you re-create your settings instead of importing them from your last fi lm because it can corrupt your new project. You can save settings in the Unity or SAN after you re-create them. The Unity (or SAN) should be maintained at least once a month by your techs. Sometimes this task falls to the assistant editor. You are in charge of making sure the drives are not too full and that not too many fi les are on any one partition. Double check that media is placed on the correct drives (i.e., music is on the music drive, etc.).