Appendix 1

Appendix 9: Deconstructing Several Films’ Workfl ows
mistake was not caught until the edit was locked. In export to Pro Tools, it was noticed that the frame
rate was 29.97. This appeared to be a total disaster; however, the fi x was reasonably painless. The
captured footage had never been linked in Cinema Tools. However, the database from the telecine
log was intact. The footage was linked to the database and reversed to 24.
This backward workfl ow is actually used on some projects. When using an edit system that does not
support 23.98 or 24 but only 29.97, often the project is edited at 29.97 and, after the edit, the added
frames are subtracted mathematically. This system is called “match back” and is highly problematic.
In match back, one frame in fi ve is simply ignored. Without matching the pull-down pattern, the
resulting 23.98 is unplayable. But this is only used to generate a fi lm cut list; the video will never
be used. The problem is that rarely does the mathematical edit land on a true fi lm frame line. The
extra subframe is rounded off and sometimes, about one edit in fi ve, it is off by one frame. Projects
that use match back must check the negative cut and resync audio that no longer matches the errant
negative edit.
Help Wanted had reversed telecine after editing and, true to form, some edits moved one frame. But
the audio edit was not affected and the new 24 FPS edit played fi ne, so problems were easy to fi nd,
and fi x, and proved to not be a real problem. And, yet, the audio was now out of sync. This is because
the reverse was done at 24, knocking all the pulled-down audio out of sync. There were discussions
on relinking and rereversing, digitally pulling the audio up in Pro Tools and even exporting and reimporting
the audio at a new speed. It was also noted that the mix would be done with machine
control to a 29.97 videotape, so the project needed to stay pulled down through the mix. Once more,
this seemed to be a disaster, and again the solution was fairly simple.
In spite of the audio being out of sync, the work print and negative were cut and, after the silent fi rst
answer print was made and telecined, the 29.97 video was imported into the Pro Tools session. The
speed of this pulled down video matched the pulled down audio but were positionally out of sync.
The production takes were lined up visually to the new picture. This is certainly not the best practice,
but in a pinch, it may be all you can do. The music and effects also needed to be realigned with the
new 29.97 picture.
When lip syncing in Pro Tools, it is easy to select the audio and set up a loop playback. Now, use
the nudge to move the line one frame at a time until it appears in sync. Keep moving it. You will
fi nd there is a “window” of “acceptable” sync about three or four frames wide. Place the audio in
the center of this window.
Another problem had appeared back when the fi rst double use report was exported. There were three
double uses. Two were fi xed by reediting and removing the double use. The third was not a double
use at all, but an unintentional edit that was throwing off the double use report. All were easily fi xed
and the audio tracks reworked around the reediting.
During reverse telecine, several problems were also found in the original telecine log. This caused
major concern as they threw several shots totally out. When the problem was found to be in the
telecine log, the problem was solved by entering the proper information into the time code fi elds in
Cinema Tools. This kind of problem comes up from time to time, but is found and fi xed before the
picture is edited. In this case, the picture had already been edited and it caused two days of total
confusion. The giveaway was that the reversed footage did not have a clear pull-down pattern identifi
er after the footage was reversed. The Cs were all printed over with Ds. A frames were found to
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