Nonlinear Editing System
Brian Stephens
I will be making my first feature film in about 2 months. I'm trying to
decide on an editing system, however, I know little about editing. Due
to the trend toward digital editing, I am looking at a system with
nonlinear capabilities. Due to my limited financial resources, I am not
able to buy a "cadillac" editing system.
A detailed article I read in New Media magazine (their 1996 Tool Guide
issue) critiqued 41 nonlinear desktop video editing systems. Based on
the analysis in that article, I am looking at purchasing the Fast
Electronics' Video Machine. I can only afford to buy the linear side of
the Video Machine right now (around $5,000). When resources permit, I
want to buy the nonlinear side (around $7,000).
I would greatly appreciate any and all feedback on my current plans for
an editing system. Thank you , ahead of time, for any assistance you
can provide. I apologize for sending this message a second time but my
From address was not filled in correctly.
Martin Kunert
Most of the new NLE software out there is for video editing. The only system in your price range that has
a proven track record of cutting film is D/Vision Pro. It's a DOS based system, and at your price range,
you may have to assemble the machine yourself. Also keep in mind that the more film you shoot, the more
harddrives you'll need.
BTW, I check out Fast Video Machine last year. Great hardware, but the software was unusable for
professional film editing.
--
Martin Kunert
http://web.wavenet.com/mkunert/mainpage.htm
Burnie Burns
On Wed, 03 Jul 1996 18:56:33 -0700, Martin Kunert
<mku...@wavenet.com> wrote:
>Most of the new NLE software out there is for video editing. The only system in your price range that has
>a proven track record of cutting film is D/Vision Pro. It's a DOS based system, and at your price range,
>you may have to assemble the machine yourself. Also keep in mind that the more film you shoot, the more
>harddrives you'll need.
>
>BTW, I check out Fast Video Machine last year. Great hardware, but the software was unusable for
>professional film editing.
>--
>Martin Kunert
>http://web.wavenet.com/mkunert/mainpage.htm
One nice thing about NLE is that you can make instantaneous inserts
and deletions from your film. Linear systems don't allow you to do
that without some MAJOR overhauling. I reccomend doing a first rough
edit on a shitty low-end NLE machine. When you get your film
developed and transfered to video, get visible time code burned in and
then just take your crappy, low-res, grainy NLE master and use the
counter numbers as your EDL for your linear editing. Course, this
means your editing the film twice, but that's what you get for not
getting a real job. :)
Burnie Burns
------------------
Kobayashi Films Ltd.
Download the new trailer for REAPER
http://www.x25.net/kobyfilm
Ivars Bezdechi
Martin Kunert wrote:
>
> Brian Stephens wrote:
> >
> > I will be making my first feature film in about 2 months. I'm trying to
> > decide on an editing system, however, I know little about editing. Due
> > to the trend toward digital editing, I am looking at a system with
> > nonlinear capabilities. Due to my limited financial resources, I am not
> > able to buy a "cadillac" editing system.
> >
> > A detailed article I read in New Media magazine (their 1996 Tool Guide
> > issue) critiqued 41 nonlinear desktop video editing systems. Based on
> > the analysis in that article, I am looking at purchasing the Fast
> > Electronics' Video Machine. I can only afford to buy the linear side of
> > the Video Machine right now (around $5,000). When resources permit, I
> > want to buy the nonlinear side (around $7,000).
> >
> > I would greatly appreciate any and all feedback on my current plans for
> > an editing system. Thank you , ahead of time, for any assistance you
> > can provide. I apologize for sending this message a second time but my
> > From address was not filled in correctly.
>
> a proven track record of cutting film is D/Vision Pro. It's a DOS based system, and at your price range,
> you may have to assemble the machine yourself. Also keep in mind that the more film you shoot, the more
> harddrives you'll need.
>
> BTW, I check out Fast Video Machine last year. Great hardware, but the software was unusable for
> professional film editing.
> --
> Martin Kunert
> http://web.wavenet.com/mkunert/mainpage.htm
Check out my article about a NLE in the latest issue of
"Southern Calfornia MicroPublishing News." If you don't have it
available, call them at (310)212-5802.
Ivars
--
________________________________________________________________
IVARS BEZDECHI
E-mail: ibez...@earthlink.net
WWW Home Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~Ibezdechi/
Headshot: http://home.earthlink.net/~Ibezdechi/head.htm
----------------------------------------------------------------
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.
Inside a dog, it's too dark to read" (Groucho Marx)
________________________________________________________________
Scott Norwood
In article <31DA9D...@primenet.com>,
Brian Stephens <t...@primenet.com> wrote:
>I will be making my first feature film in about 2 months. I'm trying to
>decide on an editing system, however, I know little about editing. Due
>to the trend toward digital editing, I am looking at a system with
>nonlinear capabilities. Due to my limited financial resources, I am not
>able to buy a "cadillac" editing system.
>
OK, then, you've got a lot to consider before you jump into this.
First, what exactly do you mean by 'feature film'? Do you want to shoot
on film? Or are you going to shoot on videotape? If you're shooting on
film (hopefully...), then you have to decide whether you want to end up
with a film print (which can be shown in theaters and at film festivals),
or if you'd be satisfied with a master videotape, which can be used for
television broadcast and home-video release, but is pretty much useless if
you want to show your work to large crowds.
Second, will you be editing this film yourself, or are you going to hire
an editor? If you'll be hiring (begging?) someone to cut your film, then
what type of gear does he have, if any? If your editor already owns film-
editing gear, then you'd be foolish to go out and buy non-linear (or any
gear at all). Also, what kind of time constraints do you have. If you
need the film edited in a week, then you'll have to get non-linear;
if there's no big rush, then film editing might be cheaper, particularly
if you're editing this yourself.
Third, where do you live? You might be able to save yourself a bundle if
you rent your editing gear, rather than buying it. Particularly if you
don't intend to make another film any time soon, you'll waste money
if you buy your gear. Major metropolitan areas almost always have
post houses which will be happy to rent you editing equipment (film,
tape, or nonlinear), with or without an editor, at your location or theirs,
and often for quite reasonable rates. Check this out before making
a big investment. On the other hand, if you want to build a career in
film editing, and will be editing nonstop for a long time, then you'll
probably come out ahead by buying your gear. As a last thought,
sometimes you can even beg for time on editing equipment (often at
ungodly hours, though), if you look pathetic enough (I've done it).
Well, I'll offer you a couple of ideas, going on the assumption that
you'll be shooting film (16 or 35 color negative; doesn't make much
difference in the editing process), want a film product, and will
be editing your film by yourself (or with an editor who doesn't own
equipment).
First off, you can do a nonlinear edit (using something like an
Avid, DVision, or Media 100) on a system which can produce a film
cut list. To do this, you shoot your film normally, send it off
to the lab, and, instead of making a workprint, have them do
a telecine transfer directly from the negative to video (probably
3/4" format). When they do the transfer, make sure that they
punch the head of each roll (put a physical mark on it to provide
a frame reference), and provide 'window burns' of timecode (which
provides a frame reference for negative cutting; make sure you have
them use 'non-drop-frame' if you're working with NTSC [US/Canada/Japan
TV standard] video) and keycode (barcodes corresponding to edge numbers
printed on Eastman color negative films). These will allow your negative
cutter to do a precise negative cut which will be frame-accurate to
your edited videotape. The sound will probably have been synched during
the transfer, or you can do it yourself (which saves $ in the telecine
room). You edit and mix on tape/nonlinear, have your negatives cut
to match, have an optical sound master made from your edited videotape
(or a timecoded DAT thereof), and have prints made.
A couple of caveats: this method is NOT CHEAP. It's how high-budget
TV shows are edited these days. The lab will charge you more to
process your neg. if you don't have a workprint made, and those
video dailies are expensive (not as much as film dailies, though). Your
DP will be miffed because he will want film dailies to make precise
judgements about exposure and focus. If you misjudge the videotape xfr and
use a misfocused shot in your edit, you'll either have to live with
it or pay big bucks to change it later. Negative cutting costs nearly
double what it would cost to match a film workprint, and can result in
many headaches if someone screwed up with the timecode or whatnot. Be
sure to talk to your negative cutter BEFORE you jump into electronic
post production. Finally, your sound mix had best be done in a large
room resembling a theater. Lots of people mix in a small room with a
small TV/monitor, not considering how things sound different in a theater,
and are disappointed in the mix when they hear it in a theater.
Don't even try to buy an editing system which can produce a film cut list;
you can't afford it (and if you could, it wouldn't hold its value well,
because equipment of this nature becomes obsolete almost overnight). Put
the cash into better actors/sets/crew. Rent the editing system. If you're
paying someone to edit for you, you might save because he'll probably cut
faster on a non-linear system than on film, though.
Second idea: If you'll be editing this yourself, think about cutting on
film. Sure, its old-fashioned, but you'll probably find that you like it.
Your DP will be happy (he'll get his film dailies), your banker will be
happy (you can rent this equipment for ~$50/day, rather than $50/hour;
if you want to buy it, you can get Moviolas in great shape for well
under $1000, or Steenbecks for ~$4000, and you'll get almost this much
for them if you sell them after you're done editing), your audience will
be happy because they'll see a great film (that you can afford to finish,
because you've saved money in the editing process). Negative cutting
will be cheaper, and free from unpleasant "surprises". Further, the
skills you'll learn in editing film will be more transferrable than
non-linear skills (which are specific to one particular system).
Just a few thoughts to consider. In any case, be sure to talk with your
editor (if you're going to hire one) and your negative cutter before
you go ahead with one method or the other, as this choice can have
MAJOR financial implications.
Let me know what you decide to do; also, feel free to post or email me
with more specific information about your particular project, and I (and
others who read this group) will try to help.
Ethan Holzman
Brian Stephens <t...@primenet.com> wrote:
>I will be making my first feature film in about 2 months. I'm trying to
>decide on an editing system, however, I know little about editing.
Hire an Editor that you like, he may come with the editing system. or
look for one with it. Then you dont have to worry about investing in
equipement that will be outdated in 6 months. And if you know that
little you'll need that sort of experience. Its a good investment.
Half of making your movie is POST. 1/3 of your budget should be
alloted for it. Remember after you shoot you have to cut, and then
you need titles, credits, negative cut, dialogue cut, sound fx
designed and cut, Music scored and cut, dissolves and fades, those
are opticals, unless your getting an ab neg cut, I dont think so?
A good editor will keep all this in mind and not put you some place
where you can't address all these matters.
J.T.Box
In article <31DF36...@earthlink.net>, Ivars Bezdechi
<Ibez...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> Martin Kunert wrote:
> >
> > Brian Stephens wrote:
> > >
> > > I will be making my first feature film in about 2 months. I'm trying to
> > > decide on an editing system, however, I know little about editing. Due
> > > to the trend toward digital editing, I am looking at a system with
> > > nonlinear capabilities. Due to my limited financial resources, I am not
> > > able to buy a "cadillac" editing system.
> > >
> > > A detailed article I read in New Media magazine (their 1996 Tool Guide
> > > issue) critiqued 41 nonlinear desktop video editing systems. Based on
> > > the analysis in that article, I am looking at purchasing the Fast
> > > Electronics' Video Machine. I can only afford to buy the linear side of
> > > the Video Machine right now (around $5,000). When resources permit, I
> > > want to buy the nonlinear side (around $7,000).
> > >
> > > I would greatly appreciate any and all feedback on my current plans for
> > > an editing system. Thank you , ahead of time, for any assistance you
> > > can provide. I apologize for sending this message a second time but my
I just finished a grad project on video and was going to edit on a
non-linear system (costing beyond the $5K range). Keep in mind this was
already electronic media going into a computer (much less tranferring film
to video or using a film digitizing input- read $$$).
One of the biggest problems, leading to abandonment of non-linear in favor
of good ole' linear editing, was computer artifacts. During the
digitizing process, artifacts are going to occur, glitches, lines, etc.
It may only affect a small portion of the piece, but that section or scene
will need to be re-digitized. For commercials and small rapid edit
projects, non-linear is fantastic. Feature lenght or programming with
long, pain-in-the-butt-to-digitize scenes still are easier and less
expensive to do linear.
Plus side- If when filming you have video assist, use the video for making
your EDL. You can digitize lower quality images into the computer to save
space and edit your feature to your delight without concern about final
quality. Most non-linear systems can create an edit decision list that
you can use for your final edit (and you can dub the non-linear version as
a guide).
If you are unsure about using the systems, check with local TV and video
production units, or universities. Or do what I did, I have no money to
produce lenghty projects, so I became a grad student with access to
professional equipment and nice pricey toys to play with. Good luck.
JT