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Check out this article in the print edition of StudentFilmmakers Magazine, February 2008. Click here to get a copy and to subscribe >>

Different Forms of Layoff for Stages of Editing
From the Earliest Stages to that Final Output

by Daniel Gaucher

In the world of the professional offline editor, you are often coddled by the post supervisor and protected from the horrible monster known as “deliverables.” Whether working with a producer or for a client, there are several fine cut stages, wherein many eyes watch your edit and comments are handed back for further improvements. Your expertise lies in creating a story with rhythm, flow and emotion. You have mastered the rollercoaster of conflict and resolution using dialogue, action and music as your building blocks.

However, when all’s said and done, you still have to get that piece of gold out of the machine and to waiting hands for review, broadcast or screening. In the past, you may have had the luxury of finishing your part, and then, sending your sequence to an online editor, someone whose expertise lay in uprez, color correction and the myriad of mastering formats. These days, the “one man band” mentality has quickly marched forward, overtaking not only the independent producer, but a lot of unprepared professionals also.

The modern editor is expected to have a broad range of knowledge which has come to include graphics, effects, soundmix and Gaucheronline. After over a decade of editing in Hollywood, it was only within the past three years that I was called upon to do my own color-correcting. Learning to read scopes, adjust gamma and achieve perfect skin tone would fill an article unto itself. Suffice to say, it is a fantastic skill to learn, and invaluable in making your piece look as professional as possible, even at a fine cut stage. Even more recently, the world of HD mastering knocked on my door and finally had to face the “one man band” tune.

Following are some of the different forms of layoff for the different stages of editing. Check with your client to make sure these are acceptable for their viewing. When you reach the final stages of layoff, your client will most likely have a set of printed “deliverables” which must be met to the letter. This list goes from the earliest stages to that final output.

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