Starting to plan a new short film

[Eugene Lehnert]

I am beginning to plan for a short film. I've never created a final print with a soundtrack before and I want to try it this time.

 

I have a new Super 16 Bolex and I want to shoot a short 3 minute film and edit it with Final Cut Pro and then have a print made on 35mm. Can anyone provide any insight on this process? I have a basic understanding of what I need to do. Right now I am going to start calling some neg cutters and Duart (since I am in NYC) to get some prices and advice.

 

Most of my scenes are night scenes. I want to shoot with 500T Vision 2 stock. I want the film transferred to video so I can edit in 24p and then create an EDL for the neg cutter. Should I then shoot at 24 fps, have the audio run at 30fps, then transfer the film to video at 30 fps? Then remove the pulldown in the computer to get back to 24fps? How does timecode and keycode match up? Should I get a flex file? (I think that's what it is called) Or do I get the keycode burned in on the screen? I would like to be able to create a clean video version if possible to submit to festivals and for myself.

 

I'm trying to teach myself here. Any advice is appreciated.

[John Pytlak RIP]

I am beginning to plan for a short film.  I've never created a final print with a soundtrack before and I want to try it this time. 

 

I have a new Super 16 Bolex and I want to shoot a short 3 minute film and edit it with Final Cut Pro and then have a print made on 35mm.  Can anyone provide any insight on this process?  I have a basic understanding of what I need to do.  Right now I am going to start calling some neg cutters and Duart (since I am in NYC) to get some prices and advice.

 

Most of my scenes are night scenes.  I want to shoot with 500T Vision 2 stock.  I want the film transferred to video so I can edit in 24p and then create an EDL for the neg cutter.    Should I then shoot at 24 fps, have the audio run at 30fps, then transfer the film to video at 30 fps?  Then remove the pulldown in the computer to get back to 24fps?  How does timecode and keycode match up?  Should I get a flex file?  (I think that's what it is called)  Or do I get the keycode burned in on the screen?  I would like to be able to create a clean video version if possible to submit to festivals and for myself. 

 

I'm trying to teach myself here.  Any advice is appreciated.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Start by choosing a lab experienced in working with student filmmakers and helping them "learn the ropes" of communicating with a lab. Specifics of operating procedures will depend somewhat on what capabilities and equipment the lab has:

 

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/support/h1/dealing.shtml

 

http://www.kodak.com/US/plugins/acrobat/en....1.4.9.10&lc=en

 

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/students...0.1.4.9.6&lc=en

 

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/support/...=0.1.4.13&lc=en

 

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/support/...=0.1.4.15&lc=en

 

The Association of Cinema and Video Labs website is also a good place to start:

 

http://www.acvl.org/members.htm

 

http://www.acvl.org/manual.htm

[Theo Lipfert]

To learn about some of the workflow issues using FCP to cut telecine'd film, then generating a keycode based EDL, you may want to buy the Apple Pro Training Advanced FCP book -- the one with Digital Film Tree as one of the authors. There are tutorials on using Cinema Tools -- the database for relating the timecode of your video to the original keycode of the film. The book may be the best $30 you will ever spend.

 

My workflow is to have the telecine house make two copies of my transferred film on video -- one with a window burn of the timecode and keycode, the other clean. The tapes must be identical in every other respect for this to work. Then I log the window burn copy in Cinema tools, substitute in the clean copy, and edit in FCP on the clean version. That way, I can use the clean one for festival apps, and use the window burn footage to verify my cut list is accurate. I don't use a flex file, because with this workflow, I don't need one.

 

Good luck.

 

Theo

Bozeman, MT

[Dominic Case]

How does timecode and keycode match up?

 

What you do depends on what software the neg cutter works with. They may or may not require a flexfile, and they may want to log all your negative themselves (in which case you will need to set up a relationship with the video transfer facility before you start).

 

Your neg cutter is your very best friend on this one.

 

Find someone who has done a lot of this work (and as John suggests, is well versed in student films) and listen to them very, very carefully. If you get different advice from the telecine house, or the lab or the sound facility or the editor or anyone else, go back to your neg cutter to straighten it out.

 

If you go to Duart they should be able to recommend someone - there are several independent cutters in their building I believe.