Editing with an assistant

M

muroshi

Well-known member
Hi

Has anyone ever edit with an assistant? How could the worksharing-workflow look like, if both of us use their own editing station?
 
Yes...and I have been the assistant.

If you must work at the same time, then you need a SAN...shared storage. Storage you can both access at the same time. And you can't access the same project files at the same time, you'll have to work on separate projects and then bring the changes from one into yours.
 
My friend has worked professionally as an assistant editor. Typically she would be responsible for syncing all the dailies, sorting out the technical issues, and sometimes doing a first cut of a scene. In this environment, the lead editor wants to have everything ready to go to focus on the creative aspects of telling a story through editing.
 
Our iMacs are physically on different places, so there is no possibility to work at the same time. There is no sound recorded. We would exchange a harddisk. But this not really provides independent project work, rather linear work, while I can focus on a next project.

robotsound said:
[...] Typically she would be responsible for syncing all the dailies, sorting out the technical issues, and sometimes doing a first cut of a scene. In this environment, the lead editor wants to have everything ready to go to focus on the creative aspects of telling a story through editing.
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How could my assistant help me under this conditions? The most time-consuming part seems to select the right shots, but it's probably wrong to pass this on an assistant.
 
I guess they could log takes? I don't know. If you're going outside of the typical workflow already, I'd probably just try to see what makes sense in your situation. Good luck!
 
Yup- they could log all the takes and organize bins and maybe do initial rough cuts for scenes. Just be careful about media staying on the one drive and render files not getting lost, etc. Organization is really where a good assistant can make a huge difference.

Noah
 
NoahK said:
Yup- they could log all the takes and organize bins and maybe do initial rough cuts for scenes. Just be careful about media staying on the one drive and render files not getting lost, etc. Organization is really where a good assistant can make a huge difference.

Noah
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The logging won't take very long as the files will be H.264.movs (all there is to do is converting to ProRes). Or what do you guys mean?

Is there a way to guarantee that media stays on this external raid-drive? (If FCP is right set there shouln't be a problem I guess?)
 
muroshi said:
The logging won't take very long as the files will be H.264.movs (all there is to do is converting to ProRes). Or what do you guys mean?

Is there a way to guarantee that media stays on this external raid-drive? (If FCP is right set there shouln't be a problem I guess?)
Click to expand...
Logging as in typing in descriptions of all the shots in FCP.

Assistants can do gfx cue sheets, music cue sheets, layoffs/DVDs/exports for clients/legal/closed caption etc., credits, project organization, lower thirds, string outs, finding music/sfx,


-A
 
adkimery said:
Logging as in typing in descriptions of all the shots in FCP.

Assistants can do gfx cue sheets, music cue sheets, layoffs/DVDs/exports for clients/legal/closed caption etc., credits, project organization, lower thirds, string outs, finding music/sfx,

-A
Click to expand...

Cue sheets? Lower thirds? String outs? My knowledge is somewhat limited. But so is that of the assistant.
 
How about you start with simple notes about takes. As in this shot sucks, is out of focus, bad camera or good, best take, etc.

Noah
 
muroshi said:
Cue sheets? Lower thirds? String outs? My knowledge is somewhat limited. But so is that of the assistant.
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A music cue sheet is a list of the music you used (in/out point on the timeline and in/out point of the music track itself) that you'll submit for licensing purposes. Lower thirds are text that comes up identifying who is on screen and typically their job (or some other relevant piece of info). String outs is kind of a vague term but it's usually a timeline full of related material. For example, if you are doing a nature film and put all the b-roll of deer in one timeline that would be considered a string out of deer b-roll.

Basically, at least in my experience, the role of the AE is to do all the non-creative tasks so that the editor only has to focus on cutting the story.


-Andrew
 
adkimery said:
A music cue sheet is a list of the music you used (in/out point on the timeline and in/out point of the music track itself) that you'll submit for licensing purposes. Lower thirds are text that comes up identifying who is on screen and typically their job (or some other relevant piece of info). String outs is kind of a vague term but it's usually a timeline full of related material. For example, if you are doing a nature film and put all the b-roll of deer in one timeline that would be considered a string out of deer b-roll.

Basically, at least in my experience, the role of the AE is to do all the non-creative tasks so that the editor only has to focus on cutting the story.


-Andrew
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Thank you. Where in FCP are lower thirds are stored?
 
Is that a serious question muroshi? You can access template lower thirds from the master templates section in your effects browser. Usually though, lower thirds can easily be created using nothing more than a text layer and color solid.
 
just De res the media. and have him and you work from the compressed footage and once your happy with everything. Reconnect the media with the intended high quality footage you have. De res-ing it would allow both of you to work with the same footage and you can also work together. you would just have to email the FCP file back and forth.
 
JNemeth said:
just De res the media. and have him and you work from the compressed footage and once your happy with everything. Reconnect the media with the intended high quality footage you have. De res-ing it would allow both of you to work with the same footage and you can also work together. you would just have to email the FCP file back and forth.
Click to expand...

Reads a bit complicated, but could be the solution. How is de-resing working? First I have to convert H.264 to ProRes (which creates huge files). And afterwards?
 
You can use the Media Manager in FCP to create low res versions of your footage. For example, if you transcode the H.264 into ProRes 422 you could use the Media Manager to make ProRes Proxy or ProRes LT copies of the files for the assistant. Just make sure to keep the frame rate and frame size the same otherwise you could run into problems when you trade FCP timelines.


-Andrew
 
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