How do I make this work

Steve Laramie

Steve Laramie

Veteran
Took on a feature editing job for good paybut there is a major hurdle. No scripty notes, No named files, just a script. I have about 500gb of un named files and a script. The director and producer are very cooperative and nice but they are on PCs and say they cant open the files. How would you guys do this job?
 
Does the video have scene markers at the start of each take? Or is it otherwise clear what scene goes with the script (ie: shot in order?)

If so, then you can start organizing the footage into scenes, and toss the bad takes so all you have to work with is the good footage. This should cut out a lot of the fluff and make it more manageable.

Also, the director should be sitting with you. It's boring for him, but it's his movie and he should know best what goes where.
 
lairhair said:
Took on a feature editing job for good paybut there is a major hurdle. No scripty notes, No named files, just a script. I have about 500gb of un named files and a script. The director and producer are very cooperative and nice but they are on PCs and say they cant open the files. How would you guys do this job?
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The files are bound to have names, even if they're just arbitrary alphanumerics that otherwise mean nothing. They can't exist on disk without them. Have the producer and director come in and sit down with you and the script and identify each and every shot for you. And charge them your full hourly editing rate for the entire time it takes to do it, too. There's no reason for them to get away with such amateurish nonsense, especially shooting a feature. Maybe sitting for hours and paying you for the time will teach them the importance of all that tedious professional stuff like slates, script notes, sound notes, continuity notes, etc, if they get a shot at making another film.
 
You could view the files by date, which might help you sort them in terms of the shooting schedule, or at least group them together where multiple takes and setups of a given scene are concerned. Assuming it was scripted you could also enter a few words of dialog from the beginning of a scene into a search field on the script.

However...

It has never ceased to amaze me how frequently people attempt complex work like this without proper documentation, slates, scene numbers, etc. The resulting 'junkpile' effect that you now find yourself having to wade through is the inevitable result. The price paid later for that foolish expedience initially is always many, many multiples of what it would have 'cost' to do it right in the first place. It's nothing less than idiotic, but it's also amazingly commonplace...
 
If this helps at all; maybe deciphering the p2 names might at least give you a start.

http://www.dvxuser.com/jason/P2-Name-article/

Without slates or notes (thats what 2nd AC and SSup is for) it is very tough.

Here is what I would do:

Sit them down in front of your system have the organize the bins/takes for you while you sit and sip coffee. Explain to them this way you get to watch the clips and intrepid what they need. Takes notes on the script yourself as well.

If they disagree either propose a hourly rate or bite the bullet.

good luck.

PS: I got this situation recently where I was handed 4 hours of footage, completely random (it was meant for a 30 sec PSA) with no script, just a verbal "guide" of what it should sound and look like. I had no problem doing it as I watched the footage and logged it on a hourly rate. After all, somebody has to make my boat payments:happy:
 
Even if you agreed to a flat rate, this should definitely be considered above the call of the contract, and thus open to an hourly rate until you can begin editing.
 
Eh I really dont know if I can squeeze out more money. These guys are really nice and I would almost feel bad doing that. I know its a buisness but I knew what I was getting into when we made the flat rate.
 
lairhair said:
Eh I really dont know if I can squeeze out more money. These guys are really nice and I would almost feel bad doing that. I know its a buisness but I knew what I was getting into when we made the flat rate.
Click to expand...

You KNEW they were going to hand you a dog's breakfast and expect you to turn it into a movie????
 
lairhair said:
Eh I really dont know if I can squeeze out more money. These guys are really nice and I would almost feel bad doing that. I know its a buisness but I knew what I was getting into when we made the flat rate.
Click to expand...

It looks like you will have to bite the bullet and hopefully will learn from the experience.
 
Grab the script and sit down with the director. Open up something like a spreadsheet. List the scenes. Create a set of directory folders for each scene. Inside each scene folder create a subfolder called circle takes and include a reference to the scene number. Place the files and ranges of files for the scenes into each scene directory annotating the spreadsheet list as required.

Go through the footage of each scene in their respective folders and have the director point out the circle takes and annotate the spreadsheet accordingly. Move those files into your circle takes sub folder for that scene.

Some of the files can even have multiple takes on them and can contain circle take footage. When annotating the spreadsheet for the circle takes note the start and stop times when you have a circle take in a multi-take file.

Now you're ready to begin the edit and you'll have your own notes. This isn't as big a deal as people make it out to be since you're working digitally anyway and you're not using double system sound.
 
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