Hello everyone

I'm making a short film on 16mm, i'm thinking of editing on set using fcp to save time, does anyone know if is it possible to this... if so how do you get the 24fps film image on to apple mac so i can edit? sorry if i sound dumb

Cheers

Hmm...I'm not sure if that's even possible, I've heard that being done with 35mm so it might be, but it's probably an expensive process. If I were you I'd just get it telecined and then edit it.

You CAN edit on set with 16mm or 35mm...

But keep in mind it is really only for making sure if shots will cut together - or an extreme rough cut that you'll have to "overcut" later.

What you do is run a tap on the camera and send it to the onset monitor and a DV deck or camera that will transcode the video feed to DV.

Capture each take they shoot in Avid Xpress Pro or FCP and then you can edit a quick rough on your laptop to see if the shots will cut together.

Then when the film is finally telecined, you'll have to overcut this sequence with the real footage.

Hope this helps.

-Chris
Studentfilms.com

you can't edit film on set. because:

when you get your 16mm negative process you have to ask for them to: Telecine prep with Keycode

What they will do is punch a hole in the white leader, and give you the key code number of that frame.

When they telecine it, you tell the technician there is keycode and had them the paper (usually it's a sticker on top of the can your negative is in)

The telecine person then inputs the keycode number into the system, from then on, the telecine machine will count the frames no matter where the film is advanced/rewound to.

When it is transferred to video, the technician will put a Windo Burn onto the video. The window burn will show: timecode, keycode, run time, and sometimes overall runtime, which means it accumulates the numbers from other reels/videos that are of the same project.

the telecine will add 6 frames, and so in the Window Burn the time code will let you know if you are on one of those "extra" frames.


When you import the footage into final cut, using Cinema Tools you simply input the information (i forgot exactly where, and i haven't used FCP4 yet). You enter the keycode and you mark the frame with the punch-out on it (in the video it looks like an X with a circle in the middle.) From then on, Final Cut will keep track of your edits using the timecode numbers on the tape, and will calculate the equivalent keycode numbers on the film. It will also keep track that you cut on either a beginning frame or an ending frame of each second, but not on any frame in between, to make sure you always have a "real" frame to cut the film on, not any of the imaginary 6 frames.

Then you can export your EDL (edit decision list) as a text list, and go on to the film cutting process.


you can't really do all of that as you're filming since keycode numbers don't show up until you proces the film. also there's no reference point (key punch) to line up everything with so that all the different machinery starts at the same place.



edit: i just saw chris's post. i didn't think about running the tap into a monitor and deck. (taps are a luxury at our school). like he said, his method is just for checking that it will cut together, but you will still have to go throught he process i described to edit on a computer and then edit back onto film (the only reason you use the computer is becasue it will keep track of your keycode EDL no matter WHAT you do, where as the traditional way of editing if you messed up, you had to get new prints made to try out a different method.)

Yeah - it's not very economical. But really the only way to do it if shooting on film.

Fincher did it for his Super Bowl spot with Brad Pitt. But they shot that on HD so it was the full quality feed.

-Chris
Studentfilms.com