Appendix 1

Basic Workfl ow 6
Appendix 10: Example Workfl ows
Shooting on fi lm (35 mm or 16 mm)
Finish on 35 mm fi lm and/or video using digital intermediate
As always, there are many variations on this workfl ow. In its most basic form, it is like the negative
cutting workfl ow with the exception that the pulled negative is scanned to DI and the fi nal conforming,
color correction, and cleanup are done to this DI, not to the fi lm directly. The DI is then shot to
fi lm and release prints made. There is also the “virtual digital intermediate” that is much more like
the high bandwidth 24 P HD workfl ow.
In either case, the workfl ow is as follows.
• For true DI, at the end of every shooting day, the camera negative is processed and telecined to
DVCam tape. Zero frame A-frame transfer, with fi eld 1 dominance and NTSC nondrop-frame
time code. Window burns are made for time code, key code with pull-down cycle identifi er, and
audio time code. Little color correction is used as this is only an editing print.
For virtual digital intermediate, all of the footage is datacined to HD Cam or D-5 at 24 or
23.98 FPS. Down-converted clones are made to DVCam with window burns for 29.97 NDF
and 23.98 NDF.
• A copy of the telecine log is made and imported into a new database in Cinema Tools. A batch
list is exported.
• The batch list is imported into Final Cut Pro and the DVCam footage is batch captured. A second
copy of the batch list is opened in Text Edit and used as a cutting log.
• The Cinema Tools database is reopened and the captured footage linked to the database. The
footage is reverse telecined to 23.98.
• The Final Cut Pro project is reopened and the shots in the project are relinked to the new 23.98
footage. A new sequence is created at 23.98 and the picture edited. With DI and VDI, double uses
are fi ne so there is no need to make a daily double use report. Edit only to V1 with any superimpositions
in V2.
• For DI: When the picture is locked, a complete Cinema Tools fi lm list is exported and checked
against the window burns on the picture. The negative is pulled to the pull list. The entire shot is
pulled from fl ash frame to fl ash frame; the DI will be conformed to the edit later.
For VDI: You are ready to head to the HD online. The rest of the fi nish will be an HD highbandwidth
fi nish with the exception of the 23.98 or 24 FPS HD video being shot back to fi lm
and audio pulled up to 24 FPS on 23.98 projects.
• Just as with the other fi lm fi nish workfl ows, split the edit into twenty-minute or less reels, and
slug for missing titles or effects.
For DI and VDI, sound is handled exactly like the other workfl ows.
• Cut in a Cinema Tools head leader (23.98 or 24 FPS) on every reel.
• Organize and split off all sound tracks.
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