In article <31DA9DF5.6...@primenet.com>,
Brian Stephens  <t...@primenet.com> wrote:

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.