Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"This is the last roll. The sound and video synchronization of the film has been processed." Ronald let out a sigh of relief.

After a day's rest, Ronald returned to the editing room and synchronized audio and video for more than ten days. Finally, together with two female colleagues, he synchronized 120,000 feet of film and audio tapes.

Fortunately, the main shots of the entire film were shot with a single camera, so it was easier to find the images and sounds to be mastered.

Only the explosion shot was shot with two cameras. Synchronizing the film and sound was very troublesome, but Ronald had to find two female assistants to help him get it right.

Senior editor Larry has been working on the editing machine with the two directors for several days. They waited for the assistants to complete part of the audio and video synchronization before starting to edit the film.

Of course this is to save time and streamline operations.

In the past few days, Ronald kept seeing a few of them operating the huge editing machine on the other side of the room. It made me feel itchy, and I really wanted to observe it.

I finally got the chance today.

When I walked to the corner where the two directors were working, I heard a rumbling noise. An old-fashioned Moviola editing machine, like a heavy-duty sewing machine, sat on the ground. The gear transmission made a loud rumbling sound, coupled with the clicking sound of film winding, it really looked like a giant beast.

There were three people gathered in front, discussing something. Allen, who is 2 meters tall, stood directly in front of the machine. Joe Dante touched his hair while talking to Allen. Editor Larry was waiting for their decision.

"Take a look at this shot on another piece of film." Allen directed editor Larry.

Ronald hurried forward and helped editor Larry move the film, and learned to load the film and audio tapes into the machine and fasten the mortise and tenon buckles. Director Allen flipped the switch to forward and pressed a pedal.

"Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom..." Only Allen and Joe Dante standing nearby could see clearly.

"The screen is so small, you can't see anything..." Ronald was a little frustrated, took a few steps back and stood behind to observe their discussion. Occasionally continue to help carry film and audio tapes.

Director Allen stared closely at the frosted glass screen and pressed the stop pedal. Then he opened a hatch and made a mark on the film with a pen. "Come and see," he stood up and gave way to Joe Dante.

Joe Dante stepped forward, flipped the switch to reverse, finished rewinding the film, turned the switch back up, and then pressed the start pedal.

"Pa!", Joe Dante also stepped to stop. Open the hatch. Then he shook the handle, searched a few spaces back and forth, and saw the mark made by Allen.

This shows that both of them have the same judgment, "Yes, I feel that this is where it should be cut."

Editor Larry stepped forward, pulled a handle like a guillotine, and cut the film and audio tape with a clang.

"Ronald, put the cut film away and record the number." This is Joe Dante, teaching himself how to work again.

Ronald hurried forward, carefully packed the cut film and audio tapes in plastic bags, then took a large workbook on the table, wrote down the cut numbers, and put the cut films and audio tapes in order. Place in save box.

The films used for editing are specially developed and printed by the laboratory. Each frame has a unique number. These cut films and audio tapes need to be carefully recorded and preserved.

The job of an editing assistant is so boring. Ronald couldn't see the image and wondered why the director made such an edit? Why cut the scissors here and not there?

He could only archive the clipped films, like a coroner.

After working for a few hours and feeling quite bored, Ronald took out the newly purchased Stanley brand stainless steel thermos cup, poured some hot black tea prepared in advance into the lid of the cup, and drank it.

The aroma of black tea attracted the two directors and editors, and everyone looked over. So Ronald went to get some disposable paper cups and poured everyone a drink, and everyone took the opportunity to sit down and rest.

"Ronald, what's it like in the new job?" Joe Dante asked with a smile while drinking black tea.

“It’s a bit mechanical to be honest, and I don’t really understand editing yet.”

"It's very simple." Joe put down the cup, pulled Ronald up and walked to the Movio editing machine, "Look here." Then he turned on the switch.

Ronald moved his head forward, just in time to see the frosted glass on the observation window, reflecting the film image, like a small TV. The synchronized sound is read through the magnetic head, converted into an electrical signal, and restored to sound in the speaker.

"Then press here," Joe directed Ronald to press the stop pedal.

There was a snap, and the image on the frosted glass froze.

Then Joe Dante opened a small window in the middle of the machine, "This grid is exactly what you see on the frosted glass."

Ronald bent down to compare the two images and nodded in understanding.

Then you made a mark with a pen. Joe pulled the guillotine and showed it to Ronald, "As long as you press it, the film will be cut, and the audio tape here will also be cut at the same place."

"This is the meaning of synchronizing sound and video. When we edit, we only need to look at the picture and not worry about the sound. Or vice versa."

Ronald nodded frequently, looked around at the editing machine, tried twice more, and reluctantly got off the machine.

The design of this machine is quite clever. When you stand next to it, your eyes are pointed at the frosted glass. There are two start and stop pedals under your feet, which are similar to the accelerator and brake of a car.

"Cut the piece and use the connector where it needs to be connected. You can already use it."

"The film numbers of both ends must be recorded." Editor Larry said.

Ronald quickly took the work record book and stepped forward to copy the number.

After drinking the black tea, director Allen, editor Larry, and Joe Dante started editing again. The three of them played the film back and forth, then discussed an editing point, cut it and asked Ronald to step forward to record. Everyone gradually cooperated and understood each other.

However, the efficiency of editing work has not increased much. Editing is a typical slow and meticulous work. Every decision you make must be watched and discussed over and over again.

Sometimes the parts that have already been cut are found to be inappropriate later, and the cut clips have to be taken out and reattached, and then re-edited.

Every time like this, Ronald would step forward and carefully remove the transparent tape at the editing point, then check the work records to find the cut clips, and then use the transparent tape to restore the film and audio tape.

This was repeated over and over again, and after one day, Allen only cut a dozen scenes.

Ronald calculated that a 90-minute feature film requires about 400 shots, so it will take a month to edit, plus mixing, to complete the editing of the entire film, which will take three months.

Screenings, playbacks, discussions, editing,...

Time passes day by day, and the film is taking shape day by day. At every editing point, the director strives for a natural transition.

This morning, it was almost lunch time. The editing team finally cut the footage that Ronald was responsible for filming. Director Allen specifically asked Ronald to come forward and learn how to find editing points.

"After you start, just when you feel the need to cut the shot, step on the stop pedal. Don't think about anything else, just rely on your intuition." Joe Dante started teaching live again.

Ronald rubbed his hands and couldn't wait to stand in front of the editing machine.

Looking towards the frosted glass for observation, a relatively dim picture came into view.

This scene shows Liv and Kate, two best friends who were given detention by the principal. The two comforted each other under the sunset and slowly walked towards the sunset.

Ronald still remembers that this was the last shot he took. I was very proud when I took the photo, and I put a lot of thought into the lighting. At first, I used front light to show the friendship between the two best friends, and then I used backlight to capture the outline light.

Contour light, also called Jesus light, diffuses a circle of golden light around people's hair, making the lens very poetic.

This is the best shot I have ever taken.

After going up and playing it several times, Ronald was completely intoxicated by his own shots. When it felt like the two best friends had been gone for about the same length of time, I stepped on the stop pedal.

Then he picked up the pen and made a mark on the stopped frame of film. Ronald stepped back, freed the machine, and asked director Allen to come forward and inspect it.

Allen came again. This shot is not difficult to edit, just leave enough time for the two of them to walk forward under the sunset.

After pressing the stop pedal, Allen also picked up a pen and made a mark. Then crank up the handle and start looking back and forth for the marks marked by Ronald. Very good. The director's choice of editing points was only ten frames away from his own, less than half a second. This shows that the two people's judgments on the editing points of the shots are basically the same.

Ronald was a little happy. The first edit seemed to go right.

"Very good, Ronald, you do have some talent. Joe, come and take a look." Allen admired Ronald very much.

It was Joe Dante's turn to go up and watch. He rewound the film and then played it, "Hey, this shot..."

"What's the matter, Joe? There's nothing wrong with the editing points Ronald chose?" Ellen said.

"Tsk", Joe Dante rewound the film further, and then asked Allen to step forward, "Look at it from here."

"Well, there seems to be something wrong. You're right, Joe."

Allen called the editor Larry again, "Look at this section."

Ronald was a bit strange. He didn't find any problems when he was shooting or laying out the samples.

"Is there something wrong with the way I took the photo? Is there something wrong with me?" Ronald asked.

The shooting of low-budget movies is often on schedule. It is common to find out about any hidden props, scenes, shooting and dailies during the editing process.

Ronald was a little worried. Not counting the scenes in his dreams, among the shots he took independently, this was the best shot. Could it be that something went wrong? "

"It's not a gangster, Ronald, come and see."

The editor, Larry, pulled him in front of the Moviola editing machine, and then poured it forward for a minute, "You played it through completely from here. Did you find any problems?"