Chapter 33: Editing

"This is the last roll. The sound and video synchronization of the movie has been processed." Ronald let out a sigh of relief. 

After a day of rest, Ronald returned to the editing room and synchronized audio and video for over ten days. Finally, along with two female colleagues, he synchronized 120,000 feet of film and audio tape.

Fortunately, the main shots of the entire film were filmed with a single camera, making it easier to find the images and sounds to master.

Only the explosion scene was filmed with two cameras. Synchronizing the film and sound was very problematic, but Ronald had to find two assistants to help him do it correctly.

Senior editor Larry had been working on the editing machine with the two directors for several days. They waited for the assistants to complete some of the audio and video synchronization before starting to edit the film.

Of course, this was to save time and streamline operations.

In recent days, Ronald had continued to see some of them operating the huge editing machine on the other side of the room. It made him feel itchy, and he was eager to observe it.

Finally, he had the opportunity today.

When he walked over to the corner where the two directors were working, he heard a dull noise. An old Moviola editing machine, like a heavy sewing machine, was sitting on the floor. The gear transmission emitted a loud thud, along with the click of the film as it rewound, really resembling a giant beast.

Three people were gathered at the front, discussing something. Allen, who stands 2 meters tall, was standing directly in front of the machine. Joe Dante was touching his hair while speaking with Allen. Editor Larry was waiting for his decision.

"Take a look at this shot from another movie," directed editor Larry.

Ronald hurried to help editor Larry move the film and learned how to load the film and audio tapes into the machine and adjust the mortise and tenon buckles. Director Allen flipped the switch forward and pressed a pedal.

"Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom..." Only Allen and Joe Dante, who were nearby, could see clearly.

"The screen is so small that you can't see anything..." Ronald was a bit frustrated, took a few steps back, and stayed behind to observe their discussion. Occasionally, he continued to help bring films and audio tapes.

Director Allen stared at the frosted glass screen and pressed the brake pedal. He then opened a hatch and made a mark on the film with a pen. "Come and see," he stood up and made way for Joe Dante.

Joe Dante stepped forward, flipped the switch to rewind, finished rewinding the film, flipped the switch back up, and then pressed the start pedal.

"Pa!" Joe Dante also stepped to stop. He opened the hatch. Then he shook the handle, looked for some gaps back and forth, and saw the mark made by Allen.

This showed that they both had the same judgment: "Yes, I think this is where it should be cut."

Editor Larry stepped forward, took out a handle resembling a guillotine, and cut the film and audio tape with a metallic sound.

"Ronald, save the cut film and record the number." This was Joe Dante, learning for himself how to work again.

Ronald hurried forward, carefully packaged the cut films and audio tapes in plastic bags, then took a large book from the table, noted the cut numbers, and put the cut films and audio tapes in order.

The film used for editing is specially developed by the lab, and each frame has a unique number. These cut films and audio tapes must be recorded and preserved carefully.

The work of an editing assistant is very boring. Ronald could not see the image and wondered why the director made such an edit. Why cut the scissors here and not there? 

He could only file the cut films, like a forensic scientist.

After working for a few hours and feeling quite bored, Ronald took out his newly purchased stainless steel Stanley thermos, poured some pre-prepared hot black tea into the cup lid, and drank it.

The aroma of the black tea attracted the two directors and editors, and everyone looked over. Then Ronald went to get some disposable paper cups and served everyone a drink, and they all took the opportunity to sit down and rest.

"Ronald, how is the new job?" Joe Dante asked with a smile while drinking black tea.

"To be honest, it's a bit mechanical and I still don't understand much about editing."

"It's very simple." Joe set down the cup, lifted Ronald, and walked toward the Moviola editing machine. "Look here."

Ronald moved his head forward, just in time to see the frosted glass of the observation window reflecting the image of the film, like a small television. The synchronized sound read through the magnetic head, converted into an electrical signal, and restored the sound in the speaker.

"Then press here," Joe indicated for Ronald to press the stop pedal.

There was a click, and the image on the frosted glass froze.

Then Joe Dante opened a small window in the middle of the machine, "This grid is exactly what you see on the frosted glass."

Ronald leaned in to compare the two images and nodded in understanding.

"Then you make a mark with a pen." Joe took out the guillotine and showed it to Ronald: "As long as you press it, the film will cut here, and the audio tape will also be cut in the same place."

"This is the meaning of synchronizing audio and video. When we edit, we only need to look at the image, and we don't have to worry about the sound. Or vice versa."

Ronald nodded frequently, looked at the editing machine, tried it two more times, and reluctantly stepped down from the machine.

The design of this machine is quite clever. When you stand next to it, your eyes point to the frosted glass. There are two start and stop pedals beneath your feet, similar to the accelerator and brake of a car.

"Cut the piece and use the connector where it needs to be connected. You know how to use it."

"The numbers of the films from both ends must be recorded," said editor Larry.

Ronald quickly took the work logbook and stepped forward to copy the number.

After drinking the black tea, director Allen, editor Larry, and Joe Dante began editing again. The three played the film back and forth, then discussed an editing point, cut it, and asked Ronald to step forward to record. Everyone cooperated and gradually understood each other.

However, the efficiency of the editing work had not increased much. Editing is a typical, slow, and meticulous job. Every decision you make must be observed and discussed over and over again.

Sometimes, parts that have already been cut turn out to be inappropriate later, and the cut clips must be removed, reinserted, and then re-edited.

Whenever it was like this, Ronald stepped forward and carefully removed the transparent tape at the editing point, then checked the work logs to find the cut clips, and then used the transparent tape to restore the film and audio tape.

This was repeated again and again, and at the end of the day, Allen had only cut a dozen scenes.

Ronald calculated that a 90-minute feature film requires about 400 shots, so it will take a month of editing, plus mixing, to complete the editing of the entire film, which will take three months.

Projections, playbacks, discussions, edits...

Time passes day by day, and the film takes shape day by day. At each editing point, the director strives for a natural transition.

This morning it was almost lunchtime. The editing team finally cut the footage that Ronald was responsible for filming. Director Allen specifically asked Ronald to come forward and learn to find editing points.

"After you start, just when you feel the need to cut the shot, step on the stop pedal. Don't think of anything else, just trust your intuition." Joe Dante began to teach live again.

Ronald rubbed his hands and couldn't wait to stand in front of the editing machine.

Looking toward the frosted glass to observe, a relatively dark image came into view.

This scene shows Liv and Kate, two best friends, being punished by being held back at school by the principal. The two consoled each other under the sunset and slowly walked toward the sunset.

Ronald still remembers that this was the last shot he took. He felt very proud when he took the picture and thought a lot about the lighting. At first, he used front light to show the friendship between the two best friends, and then used backlight to capture the outline light.

The outline light, also called the Jesus light, diffuses a circle of golden light around people's hair, making the lens very poetic.

This is the best photo I have ever taken.

After going up and playing several times, Ronald was completely intoxicated by his own shots. When he felt that the two best friends had left for about the same time, he stepped on the brake pedal.

He then took the pen and made a mark on the stopped frame of the film. Ronald stepped back, released the machine, and asked director Allen to come over and inspect it.

Allen also came. This shot isn't difficult to edit; it just leaves enough time for the two to move forward under the sunset.

After pressing the stop pedal, Allen also took a pen and made a mark. Then he lifted the handle and began to look back and forth for the marks made by Ronald. Very good. The director's choice of editing points was only ten frames away from his, less than half a second. This shows that the judgments of the two people about the editing points of the shots are basically the same.

Ronald was a bit happy. The first edit seemed to go well.

"Very good, Ronald, you have some talent. Joe, come and take a look." Allen admired Ronald greatly.

It was Joe Dante's turn to step up and look. He rewound the film and then played it: "Hey, this shot..."

"What's the problem, Joe? Isn't there anything wrong with the editing points Ronald chose?" Ellen said.

"Tsk," Joe Dante rewound the film further and then asked Allen to step forward, "Look at it from here."

"Well, it seems that something is wrong. You're right, Joe."

Allen called editor Larry back: "Look at this section."

Ronald felt a bit strange. He didn't find any problem with the shooting or placing the samples.

"Is there a problem with the way I took the photo? Is there a problem with me?" Ronald asked.

Low-budget film shoots are often done as planned. It's common to discover hidden props, scenes, shooting locations, and sample settings. It's also common to find them during editing.

Ronald was a bit worried. Excluding the dream scenes, among the shots he independently took, this was the best. Did something go wrong?

"He's not a gangster, Ronald, come see."

Editor Larry took him in front of the Moviola editing machine and then fast-forwarded it for a minute: "You played it back completely from here. Did you find any problems?"

End of chapter