Appendix 1

The Filmmaker’s Guide to Final Cut Pro Workfl ow
If your database is logged by camera roll only and not lab roll, you may want to start by breaking
all of your lab rolls into camera rolls. Wind through each roll and locate the splices in the negative
made by the lab to combine rolls before telecine or printing. If you have work print, you may also
want to break it back into camera rolls. In 16 mm, there may be several camera rolls per lab roll.
More if you shot roll ends. In 35 mm, some lab rolls may be full camera rolls. Label each roll with
camera roll number and start and end key codes. If you keep the lab rolls together, label each lab
roll with the camera roll numbers and the same key code information.
Using your pull list from Final Cut Pro, start pulling the shots used in the edit. The pull list will give
you a roll-by-roll list, in order, from head to tail of the shots to pull. When pulling negative, do not
cut on the frame lines: mark the frame with a small scratch between the sprocket holes and cut oneand-a-half
frames before (head) or after (tail) the frame line. Add three-and-a-half frames for zero
cuts. On 35 mm, leave one-half frame only.
With 16 mm, it is also possible to cut on the frame line with a splicer so that only one frame is lost.
You will always need the extra frame to make the glue splice, but most conformers prefer to cut one
and a half so that they can cut with scissors and tape the roll back together with paper tape. When
pulling work print, mark the frame with a grease pencil then cut on its frame line with the splicer.
Work print is tape spliced and no frames are lost in splicing.
In the example shown in Figure A8.5, the fi rst frame of the shot listed in the cut list is 7659 6497
+4. The tiny dot above the K in KW80 indicates this is the key code frame. The actual frame is +4,
so we count four frames past the key code frame and mark it with two scratches. The information is
tiny; you will need a magnifi er to see it. Count back toward head one frame for the lost frame and
cut on the frame line with a splicer, or in the center of the next frame back with scissors. Proceed to
the tail of the shot. Find the correct frame, add one for the splice and cut on the frame line or oneand-a-half
frames and cut in the center with scissors. The marked shots will be in the fi nished rolls,
so you should see the scratches on the fi rst and last frame in each shot. Be careful to not scratch in
the image area.
Figure A8.5 Marking a splice from key code numbers on 16 mm fi lm
Wind the shot onto a two-inch core, place in a small plastic bag, and label with the scene and take
number, camera roll number, and the shot number from the construction order. Paper tape the camera
roll back together, move on to the next shot, or rewind and return it to the shelf. Once you have all
the shots pulled, you are ready to start building rolls.
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