Dialogue Editing

310 PREPARING FOR THE MIX
and much more likely to break than are box after box of mag elements. For
these reasons, always have a sensible backup plan.
FireWire drives are becoming cheaper by the day, which is why I use them
for backing up my fi les during editing. I use two large drives: one for editing
and one for daily backup. Before the mix I consolidate my sessions and store
them in a new folder called “For Mix,” or something equally clever, which I
copy onto both drives so that I have two identical options for the mix.
By far the cheapest way to make a fi nal archive is to copy this folder onto a
DVD-R, which is nowadays nothing more than a big fl oppy drive. You probably
won’t be able to copy your entire fi lm project onto one disk, so break it
down by reels. If your system doesn’t allow reel-by-reel fi ling (that is, if all
of your dailies are in one huge folder), fi nd a workaround that makes
sense.
The beauty of archiving onto DVD is that the 12 cm disks are light and very
easy to ship or carry, and although not completely robust, they’ll still withstand
a tumble or a bath better than your FireWire drive. Make one DVD-R
backup for yourself. This will be the copy you slip into your bag and carry
to the mix just in case. When the mix is fi nished, keep it for your records. It’s
good for future reference and will come in handy if you ever decide to write
a book about dialogue editing. Pack up the other one with the rest of the
editing room materials and give it to the production offi ce.
The end of the editing process is a bad time to be without an assistant. Not
only do you have to prepare for the mix on your own, but you also need to
pack up and inventory the cutting room. Thankfully, a modern dialogue
job can be stowed away in a matter of minutes. As you box up all the
materials—DATs and videotapes, paperwork, and any special equipment
that belongs to the production—make a log of what’s in each box. Tape the
log to its box and send copies to the production offi ce. Keep one for yourself.
This is a minor hassle, but it can protect you if you need to fi nd something
later or if the production offi ce claims you took their Kensington mouse.