Tip #89: When a final cut... is not so final

By Dan Parkes (Director/editor)

The word 'cut' is used during editing and distribution to refer to different versions of the film. Sometimes a film can have many different 'cuts' - Blade Runner famously has seven different versions of the film, including an "International Cut", the "Director's Cut" and the "Final Cut". The key difference being the removal of Harrison Ford's voice over.

But what are the differences in definition between each 'cut'? And how can we apply this to low budget filmmaking?

Here are eleven possible versions and their definitions:

1. Workprint cuts: These are the first cut, second cut, third cut and so on that the director and editor work on. A later "workprint" cut might be shown to a test audience, but otherwise these are never normally seen publicly.
2. Final cut: The finished version of the film as decided by the producers. (although now more synonymous with a certain Apple editing tool!)
3. Theatrical cut. This is the version of the film shown in cinemas
4. International cut. From the perspective of the US, a "domestic" cut means within the United States, but if for some reason a different version is required for overseas this may be referred to as an "international" cut.
5. Distribution cut DVD/Blu-ray. Once it has finished its theatrical run then when it is released to the domestic market changes might be made -previously there were "pan-and-scan" and "widescreen versions" to accommodate the fact that not everyone had widescreen TVs.
6. Censored/uncensored cut. Depending on individual territories and also classification guidelines and rulings, different versions
7. TV cut. Special versions for broadcast will also be different -maybe with offensive language or scenes edited and the pacing and end credits shorted so that it fits within a certain time slot.
8. Airline cut. There are separate versions that are altered just for airline audiences, with length and suitable content considerations. It also often involves being altered to fit the screen sizes on most airplanes.
   
9. Directors Cut. If there were creative differences with the studios sometimes the director will release their original version, for better or worse!
10. Extended cut. Maybe similar to the above, but since not all director's cuts are longer (Peter Weir's cut of his own "Picnic at Hanging Rock" is shorter)
11. Digitally Remastered. If only on celluloid and in need or repair a new digital version, with restoration, may also be released.

Of course the invention of DVDs and Blu-ray has now made it a lot easier to be able to add the different versions and endings, even providing opportunities for studios to rerelease films as part of a long-term marketing strategy (e.g. the 10th anniversary extended version). A good (or bad!) example of constant tinkering with various cuts and new editions is George Lucas' Star Wars saga.

However you are probably thinking that it is highly unlikely that a low budget feature will ever get to have so many cuts made to it. And you are probably right -unless your film becomes phenomenally successful then it will hardly merit the attention of being recut and rebranded. But the methodology here is important, as you can use the same form of analysis to ensure that the final cut is the best cut.

Here are some things to think about, especially during the work print cuts:

1. Logic -Does it make sense? Does it require something more, or maybe something less, to tell the story?
2. Pace -Are there times when it feels too long and the audience may begin to loose interest, or other scenes or cuts that are too fast. Is each and every scene necessary? Could a scene or two be dropped without affecting the story but maintaining the pace?
3. Continuity -is there something distracting from the story
4. Style -Is the editing, the colour grading, the look and feel of the film correct, or does it require further polishing?
5. Music/Audio mix. Does the music work, hinting at the emotional core, not being too overbearing. Are extra the sound effects required to add an extra layer of realism.
6. Effects shots. Are the effects shots working or are they drawing undue attention to themselves? Is there anything else to be tidied up or removed?
   
7. Mistakes -titles/credits. Are there any spelling mistakes, or omissions?

And what about Ambleton Delight? Well it went through half a dozen working cuts before having three major versions released: a premiere cut (the longest version), a festival cut (tightened version, with one scene removed) and a distribution cut (with one shot removed and a new ending, the shortest of the three cuts). The Blu-ray version is the same as the DVD (distribution cut) except that it contains the cut scenes and the full making of.

Tip #83: Make a teaser/trailer

By Dan Parkes (Director/editor)

Film trailers have become an artform in themselves, with slick editing, dramatic music and flashy 3D graphics, along with a barrage of impressive imagery and a complete retelling of all major plot points. But the power of a good film trailer should not be underestimated, as a successful trailer will make you really want to watch the film and form a very important part of a marketing strategy.

Of course you don't want to fall into the trap of creating a trailer full of cliches, although there are times when this can be very entertaining -check out the fantastic analysis of trailer techniques in the brilliant trailer for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, with voice over by England's national treasure, Stephen Fry:



When making your own trailer there are some important factors that are good to remember:

1. A "teaser" is normally shorter than a trailer - and only teases you with limited information/imagery from the film. These are often released earlier in production, before the final edit is complete.
2. Standard trailers are almost always about 2 and half minutes in length.
3. Send the right message -don't deceive you audiences unintentionally -if it is an action film show lots of action, if it's a romance, romance!
4. Use of appropriate music is important -there are some great orchestral trailer tracks you can acquire, or use band music to set a different feel. Of course clear whatever music you use.
   
5. Make sure the editing is as slick and professional as possible, with good grading and sound quality -people will judge the quality of the entire film based on what they see in your trailer.
6. Unless you intend on releasing a "red band" trailer keep everything PG.
7. Voice over can add an extra dimension, but don't fall into the trap of thinking you need a deep, booming trailer voice... although you can get these done for you if you think it will work (check this guy out: http://www.voiceoverguy.co.uk/)
8. Add taglines, graphics, festival information or reviews if possible or appropriate.
9. It is good to finish with some end credits (cast/crew), as seen on the film poster.
10. The final image you show in the trailer might be the one people remember the most -make sure it is a good one, and makes you want to see what happens next.
11. Watch lots of other trailers to get familiar with what works best. Here's a good place: http://www.davestrailerpage.co.uk
12. Release HD (1080p and 720p) versions of your trailers.

For more information and an interesting analysis of making trailers check this article here.

For Ambleton Delight we created a teaser and two trailers. Check them out below (they are all available in HD, just push play, change 360p to 720p and click the full screen button):

Teaser/trailer 1 (before the main production edit had begun):


Trailer 2 (made for the festival circuit):


Trailer 3 (final, official trailer):

Tip #69: Scoring to picture

By Dan Parkes (Director)

In the previous blog we looked at the benefits of having a tailor-made score rather than production library material. But what kind of workflow can be used when getting a score written by a composer? Here are some things that worked for us:

1. Communication
Of course, it is critical to work together and discuss the project at all times, but in our case the composer lived on the other side of the country and so the entire process was by e-mail followed up by discussions on the phone. If a director is not musically-minded he will have to ensure he can efficiently communicate what is required. A director must communicate their vision but at the same time allow room for the composer's own style and artistic licence.

2. Different cuts
A composer will likely not start work until a first cut has been made. There will obviously be subsequent cuts and so it is important to keep the composer up to date as this will affect what he has to work with and in particular timing for music cues. A good naming system is essential to avoid confusion.

3. How much?
An easy mistake that novice directors and composers can fall into is scoring too much of the film. There can be more power in silence. During initial discussions the director should impart their vision of where music is necessary or unnecessary. It may also be a good idea to leave that decision to the composer, who may come up with some surprises. Nevertheless it is important to allow the composer an opportunity to see the entire film regardless, so they have context.
4. Workflow
We had already divided the film into five 'reels' and we used this system with the composer. We would send through specific sections of the film that required scoring using a small compressed Quicktime file that was labelled and had timecode, so that it could then be used to help sync the music with the finished picture. The composer would then send back the same video but along with a preview of the music he had scored so we could see it against picture.

5. Temp tracks /scratch music
It is not uncommon for editors to use temp tracks when cutting a film. A temp track is an existing piece of music that helps set the pace and mood of a scene, giving the composer an indication of what will work. Composers often find temp tracks frustrating as it limits their creativity, but sometimes they are necessary when it is difficult to express in words what music will work, or when timing and pace needs to be established before a score is written.

6. Rushes/rough mix It is prudent for a composer to come up with musical 'sketches' first before composing or orchestrating the piece to completion. These can also be used with the early cuts of the film, with test audiences, to see what is working. However this does call for an understanding that it is there to give a rough idea of how it could work, rather than being a finished piece -we can prove difficult for those lacking in imagination to comprehend!

7. Master/final mix
Once a rough preview of the music has been decided upon the composer can then fully orchestrate it and send high quality master files (in our case 48K WAV files) which will then be edited and mixed into the final edit. We used DropBox rather than YouSendIt etc to exchange the files and found it to be an excellent system.

You can hear the award nominated score to Ambleton Delight at the following link:
http://www.ambletondelight.co.uk/music.html

Tip #64: Editing tools and techniques

By Dan Parkes (Editor/director)

In the previous blog we looked at the importance of establishing a workflow. Organisation is certainly one of the most important qualities an editor must have -along with a large dose of patience! Here are some other valuable and practical tools and techniques when editing:

1. Naming system
Especially if you are editing a large project (which may itself become divided into several projects) it is good to establish a logical naming system. Numbers and dates should be used. Ensure files are put in properly named bins and the files themselves named sensibly (no "untitled" files and sequences!). Your editing project should be organised well enough so that if another editor had to take over they would have no issues working out where everything is. This will ensure that if weeks or months down the line you have to return to the project you can quickly pick up from where you left off.

2. Cuts
Inevitably you will have different "cuts" or versions as you alter and improve the edit i.e. first, second and third cuts. Always create a new sequence (or even project) for a new cut. For example, when a new cut is about to be edited I firstly "lock" the old cut to ensure I don't accidentally alter it, then create a new duplicate sequence which I then proceed to edit. This means you can easily go back to older cuts if you are looking for something you have subsequently changed or deleted.

3. Shot order
It is sometimes difficult to know where to start on an edit. The most logical and classic method is to edit in the same way the film was shot -likely laying down the "master" shot first, and then cutting in the "medium" and "close-up" shots.

4. Pacing
The pace of a film is critical. This will likely be dictated by the script or director but also editors must use their own instinct to decide where is a good place to cut and how fast and slow the feel should be. One method to help is to use music, or temp tracks. If you know the music that will be used you can put marks on the beats and then cut to that if appropriate. Or if the director has a certain type of music or score you can "temp" it in the edit to help ensure you get the right feel and pace.

5. Audio
Audio is often the secret to helping make cuts work. Although any extensive audio editing should be left for the actual audio mix, a picture editor can use overlapping audio and wildtracks to help make a cut work. Sometimes a certain cut does not work until ambient audio or sound effects are added to help sell the continuity.

6. Edit tools
It is important for an editor to become familiar with the different tools his NLE offers such as slip or ripple cuts and other ways and means of cutting and moving clips on a timeline. It is also necessary to learn the keyboard shortcuts to those most commonly used to speed up the process.
7. Saving and Back-up
Make sure your NLE either automatically saves or save your project after any substantial changes. An editor must be aware of the need to constantly back-up. If not using a RAID system (which will automatically mirror the drive depending on the configuration) then at least regular duplication of the project and files used should be made on an hourly or at worst daily basis. There is nothing worse than losing a project due to harddrive failure -as it is almost impossible to completely recover or remember all the creative edit decisions that were made.

Tip #63: Establish an editing workflow

By Dan Parkes (Editor/Director)

Good organisation is key to any editing project, especially when you are dealing with a film that will be at least 90 minutes and over 20 hours of HD footage has been shot for it!

So we very early on devised a workflow that would ensure we could achieve this, even though we were editing on essentially a domestic computer using software that is not widely known for feature film work: Adobe Premiere Pro. I have personally used most Adobe products, starting from when I was a graphic designer at a newspaper using Adobe Photoshop and Acrobat. It seemed natural to later progress to Premiere Pro for editing and After Effects for compositing and effects. But many widely regard Premiere Pro as not being up for the task of a feature film, believing Avid or more recently Final Cut are better tools. I had used Premiere Pro for some large projects including a 45 minute feature film, but this was in HD and so was possibly going to be an issue.

Above: Here is one of the 5 'reel' projects
(click to view at 100%)

The answer lay in two simple factors.

1. An intermediate codec
In Final Cut, when editing HD, the Quicktime files are often encoded using ProRes 422, developed by Apple. So I decided to use Cineform as an intermediate codec, converting all the m2t files from the camera harddrive into Cineform HD .avi files. Although much larger file sizes these worked very well in Premiere Pro and meant I could edit in HD without any issues. It also ensured no colour information loss when rendering out, maintaining the quality of the picture.

Above: Here is 'master' project
which combined all 5 'reels'.
(click to view at 100%)

2. Project structure
Although the Cineform intermediate codec made for easy editing I was under no impression that I could have one single project that would end up being 100 minutes long and still be stable. So I divided the film into 5 logical sections, which I called "reels" (inspired by the reels projectionists use) each being about 20 - 25 minutes in length. I worked on each reel independently (sound included) until I was satisfied with the cut. Then the 5 reels were combined into one single master project. This was the only difficult part, as I had to create a guide track and sync points for how these reels were joined for when the sound was mixed later but in the end did not prove to be too difficult.