Appendix 1

The Filmmaker’s Guide to Final Cut Pro Workfl ow
• Record and import all sound effects, ADR, Foley, and music.
• Edit and sync the sound tracks.
With the expense of a fi lm production and fi lm fi nish, few projects will mix their own tracks, but
rather, take the project to a reputable mixing house. You can mix in Pro Tools just as with the other
workfl ows, but the mix will need to be pulled up, checked against the negative for sync, Dolby
encoded, and shot to optical sound.
When the negative is cut, a fi rst answer print is made without sound. This is the fi rst step in color
correction and serves as a sync reference for the sound edit and mix. If any errors were made in the
negative cut, they will show up in the fi rst answer print. Project the print and make notes on the fi rst
attempt at color correction. The Pro Tools session can be recorded to magnetic fi lm at 23.98 and
interlocked with the print to check sync and act as a temp dub, a trial to see if all the sounds are
working with the picture or if any effects or other sounds will need to be redone.
Telecine the fi rst answer print to DVCam and capture the video to Final Cut Pro. In the mix, the
video will likely be played from an interlocked videotape player rather than from QuickTime. This
system, machine control, is more accurate when looking at sync. Find out what tape format the sound
mixing house uses and telecine to this format as well as your DVCam. Most sound houses will want
the time code to match between the Pro Tools session and the videotape reference. The Picture Start
frame, which is the fi rst frame on the countdown leader, should be the fi rst frame of the project and
should be at 01 : 00 : 00 : 00 in the Pro Tools session. If not, set this in the Session Setup window.
Make sure the Picture Start frame on the videotape is also at 01 : 00 : 00 : 00.
Export the 29.97 capture of the answer print from Pro Tools and import it into the Pro Tools session.
Because both the 23.98 QuickTime and the 29.97 QuickTime of the answer print both play at video
speed, the sync should match. If there are any problems in the negative cut, any sync problems can
be repaired now as this video reference is derived from the cut negative.
In preparing for the mix, remove any level changes and fi lters you have added to the Pro Tools
session. If you are concerned about losing your “temp dub” levels and EQ, you can make a copy of
the session or, what is often done, make copies of every track directly under the existing track.
Remove all levels and fi lters from the new tracks and mute and hide the originals. Now you have
access to “clean” tracks in the mix and you can still bring up the temp dub to check what levels were
used there. As always, follow proper track layout to speed mixing and facilitate recording the
stems.
At the end of the dub, the Dolby representative will be called in and the fi nal mix encoded to Dolby
SR. This will be recorded to DA88 at 29.97 FPS. The tape is delivered to the facility that will be
shooting the optical sound negative. The optical sound negative is shot with the DA88 set to 30 FPS
and delivered back to the lab where a second answer print is made, this time married to the optical
sound.
The second answer print may need further color adjustments and a third, or even fourth, answer print
will be made. When the picture looks as good as possible, an interpositive is printed. This looks
almost exactly like a projection print, but is made on low-contrast stock. This is printed to an internegative,
or several internegatives, and release prints are printed on high-speed printers.
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