• Apple Final Cut Pro

  Long-Form Edit

  Posted by Daniel Elder on February 5, 2015 at 10:18 pm

  I am trying to figure out the best practices for editing long for content. We shot an indie 30-min pilot that will be taken to the studios / networks once we are done.

  The show was shot with:

  4 Cameras – 1 Panasonic AF100, 2 Nikon D7000, 1 Panasonic HVX200
  4-5 lavs plus 1 boom
  2-5 actors on screen for multi-cam editing

  The show is will be edited as a multi-cam 1/2 sitcom with a laugh track. During the shoot we improvised a lot off the script, so a lot of scenes went long so we could edit them down into usable gags and storylines.

  Any suggestions on how I should lay the importing, tagging, lay out project files, timelines, and then the master edit, I could really use any advice possible.

  Thanks,
  Dan

  Daniel Elder
  producer
  http://www.elderpictures.com

  Jeff Markgraf replied 11 years, 6 months ago 2 Members · 3 Replies
• 3 Replies

• 

  Jeff Markgraf

  February 5, 2015 at 11:44 pm

  Seems fairly straightforward.

  Did you start out with an actual script before the improvising?

  If so, was the script broken down into the standard scene format (Scene 101, Scene 102, etc)?
  Were standard format script notes and logging used (102A take 1…102F take 4, etc.) with circled takes and proper notes?

  If yes, then there’s your organization. Smart collections and/or keyword collections based on the metadata.

  Was the audio recorded to the cameras or to an external recorder? Matching timecode? A proper audio log? If yes, then synching cameras and audio and making multi can clips is a cinch. If not, your AE has his work cut out for him/her.

  Assuming your show follows conventional structure, I’d make each act its own project. That way each sequence is limited to no more than 6 – 10 minutes. Comp them all into a final sequence (with or without commercial blacks) and see where you are.

  The beauty of X is that all the audio channels can come along with the edit, and you can turn on or off and cut up and delete unneeded audio as you wish.

  Make sure you assign roles and subroles upon import. (Dialogue-Bob’s lav, Dialogue-Sam’s lav, Dialogue-boom, SFX-room tone, etc.)
• 

  Daniel Elder

  February 6, 2015 at 1:03 am

  Thanks and this is what I was thinking.

  Everything was done the way you laid out, the main question when you are talking about the ‘Projects’ would that be creating a project file that then goes into a master project file? I tried doing this once and it wouldn’t let me bring in other project files? Or do I create a project file and then create a comp once its done that goes into the master timeline? I hope I explained my confusion right here.

  Also, with the audio channels would that be when I select on a comped file, it carries the multiple channels with it? If so, that is great!

  I am going through and labeling things now, so that’ll be the fun part, but I will have to use Plural Eyes for some of the footage, because of time issues I didn’t get a slate on every shot. Ah well, drawback of low-budget indie filmmaking.

  So to clarify Jeff, my main question now is talking about how to comp each sequence into the master timeline?

  Thanks for the help!
  Dan

  Daniel Elder
  producer
  http://www.elderpictures.com
• 

  Jeff Markgraf

  February 6, 2015 at 2:35 am

  Daniel –

  re: projects –
  I’m using “project” in the FCPX sense of the word…what others would call a sequence or timeline. So the Teaser would be one timeline or “project.” Act 1 is its own timeline. and so forth. Then a master “project” is made that just pastes each act in order, with blacks in between. No compound clips or any of that.

  re: audio –
  so the audio comes along with each act. Again, no compounding. My main point about the audio is that when you make the multi-cam clips, all 4 or 6 or 8 or whatever channels are included, in synch. I’m not at the computer now, so I can’t t remember if the multi-cam shows all the audio tracks split in the timeline or if they’re combined. If they’re combined, just expand the audio and do your work. In addition, individual tracks can be enabled or disabled in the inspector.

  re: Plural Eyes –
  You shouldn’t have to go outside X to synch the audio. If slates are missing, you can set markers at approximate synch points on the video and the audio, then make the multi-cam. The markers help X focus on a smaller area to find the synch better. (See the manual.)

  I feel your pain on the indie movie thing. I’ve been working on and off on a movie shot on R3D 5k. It’s a mess. Slates are not consistent. Audio was not logged properly, so it’s often guess work to match the audio with the correct take. The scenes as shot do not match the scenes as numbered in the script. The scenes were changed on the set, without being reflected in a revised script. Coverage is wildly inconsistent. Did I mention no time code on anything? All avoidable problems, but here we are…

  Good luck. Happy to answer any other questions you may have.

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