2. An Assistant Film Editor…..
 Put the kettle on……

3.  Power up all the Avids
 6 in total on Johnny English
 10 on Chronicles of Narnia
 Each machine is managed by the
editor with a team of editorial staff.
The first assistant editor leads the
team, overseeing additional assistants
and trainees, along with VFX editors.

4.  Emails are checked for lab/telecine
reports
 Lab/telecine reports will flag any
potential problems with negative
scratches/focus issues/fogging etc
 Digital technology bypasses a lot of
the issues with the above, which are
dealt with on set/location by the D.I.T.
(Digital Imaging Technician)

5.  The rushes, which constitute the raw
footage filmed on location, will
generally arrive in the cutting room at
some point during the morning. These
are delivered by the studio’s lab
van/courier.
 Once the rushes arrive the assistant
editor will ingest (capture) all the
picture and sound rushes into the
Avid.

6.  The assistant editor will then sync
the picture and sound and create a
viewing reel for the editor to
watch the sync rushes
 while the editor is watching the
sync rushes the assistants will sort
the footage into ‘scene bins’, as
per the script i.e. scene 1 scene 2
etc…aided by continuity notes

7.  The above process can last for up to 5 weeks on a low
budget movie and up to a 10 weeks for a medium budget
movie.
 A film like Harry Potter can last almost forever! Up to a full
year………!

8. The fine cut
 From the end of principal
photography, editorial will take up to
two weeks to prepare the first
assembly for the director to view
 During this time the editorial
assistants will help the editor in
soundtrack laying, sound effects and
a temporary score

9. Picture lock…..
 After around 12 weeks, (variable) the
director needs to present their cut to
the producers, at which point the
process can extend by any number of
weeks, dependent on producers’ notes
 When the producers are relatively
happy with the cut, it is fairly standard
to prepare the film for a test audience
preview. At this point the editorial
assistants will turn the cut over to
sound editors, composer and the VFX
department.

10. Final stages
 Editorial will output the cut to D.I. (Digital
Intermediate) whereby the film will be
temporarily graded for preview (not final)
to the test audience
 Meanwhile as the rough grade is in
progress, the sound department will
produce a temporary mix of the sound
 Once the temp grade and temp sound mix
are complete the team would drop in temp
VFX, titles etc…..ahead of playing out to
the preview master tape (usually HD Cam
SR)

11.  After the preview, the editorial department will receive
feedback from the audience who will have been asked to
complete a short questionnaire
 The film will be recut and possibly retested on a new test
audience (of course this can go on forever!)
 Eventually, the editorial team arrives at ‘Picture Lock’. And
this is the version we see at the cinema or on DVD!

12. Steve’s Films…………………..
 Hot Fuzz
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3_7BSkDK6A
 Johnny English
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_883cRmOZXs&feature=
related
 Chronicles of Narnia
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxfb1L-hMxU

13.  He is also not particularly proud of……..
 Sex Lives of the Potato Men
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZI4B9TtMFo
 Please don’t talk to him about it!

14.  And one he isn’t particularly embarrassed by……
 Red Road
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSfy6UpAXKQ