From: 40 Frames Directory (email suppressed)
Date: Wed Jun 29 2005 - 12:58:43 PDT
> I'm just getting into film editing and I'm trying to set up a corner in my
> apartment for editing... shorts without sound or maybe very basic sound to
> start. Any recommendations or caveats?
Steven,
Don't know if you're a student, but they use to teach this stuff in
school. Regardless, here's a few suggestions.
Table: 60-72" L X 24-36" W. Then you have to decide how tall you'd like
the table to be, which is dependent on whether you like to stand or sit
when editing. I find that I mostly stand up.
Real editing tables are nice because of the lightbox they come with, but
they're expensive ($700+ new, and about $400+ used through Christy's). A
source for used tables would be Industrial Photo Supply in Burbank. Some
models of Moviola tables had folding legs and can be more easily shipped.
Or you can make your own table. Or drop by SFSU or SF City College and see
if they're parting with any tables. I heard Fantasy Films went out of
business and Zoetrope got rid of their film editing gear so you might just
ask around and see what turns up.
Rewinds: Hollywood Film Company, Moviola, or Neuamde. Look on eBay there's
always plenty. Don't worry if the HFC or Moviola rewinds don't have the
tension knob. Most of the time you can get by without the tension knob,
but if you find that you need one or two you can order them through
Editorial Equipment Parts Company in Burbank. It's a tension screw
(hollowed out) with spring, ball bearing and a brake.
Splicer: CIRO, Neamade, Press tapes, Rivas or HFC splicers. You can find
these on eBay as well. I know several people who edit on a bench that only
use a Maier-Hancock hot splicer. It's easy enought to use and gives you
good practice when you need to cut your neg. Also, hot splices seem to run
through a projector easier. Just make certain the cutting blade is aligned
which is done with the use of a shim the thickness of 16mm stock.
Viewer: Moviscop or Moviola M-50. The Moviscops are pretty easy to find
and affordable. The Moviola while a better device is much harder to come
by and more expensive. I simply use the light from my editing table
lightbox with a lupe. I also work on a flatbed and found that I can do
without a viewer. But this depends a great deal on the subject matter of
the film and the critcal nature of your cuts. I just string long shots
together, so I'm not doing any critical matching of action. So you have to
set yourself up with what works for your method of cutting.
Syncronizer: HFC, Moviola, etc. If you cutting mag get a 4-6 gang sync
block, otherwise 1-2 gang is fine for picture only cutting (1 for A roll,
2 for A/B). These are easy enough to find on eBay.
Then there are lots of little doodads like spring locks, spacers,
tightwinds, split reels, etc. These can all be found easily on eBay. Split
reels are nice to have, usually in the 1200' length, or 400' for negative
cutting.
Don't forget to have a good projector that can run spliced film without
damaging the film. My recommendation would be a Kodak Pageant 250S, 250E,
or 126. Or an RCA 400, but this has to be kept at the table's edge due to
the design of the feed and take-up arms.
Anyway, this is a start. Ask around SF. You live in a place with plenty of
filmmakers. Go and see what they have for set up. Also, read the film
editing books by UK-based film editor John Burder and San Francisco's own
Tom Bullock.
Alain LeTourneau
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