Film school:Narrative Dialog Editing:Story of Penny and Eggbert:L-Cuts

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An example for the course on Narrative Film Editing

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"L-Cuts"

 * When you edit dialog using the editing method explained at Wikiversity Film School, you create "L-Cut" automatically without even thinking about it. It is easy.


 * 1. To create "L-Cuts", you first edit to get the best audio (the best sounding dialog) so it has a natural rhythm (back and forth, back and forth.)  (Note: You already did this in the step called "The rough edit".)


 * 2. Assuming the picture is not totally ugly, you ignore the picture while you create the rough edit. Whatever picture comes with the dialog (the actor's spoken words) is OK.


 * 3. Once the audio sounds perfect, you lock the audio and roll each the picture edit to find the best visual transition. Rolling the picture edits will show either the anticipation or reaction of the listener.


 * Note: Rolling the picture edits does not change the length of the scene. For each frame you add to one clip, you automatically remove a frame from the other clip.


 * Note 2: And the audio never changes while you roll the picture edits.


 * It was easy!


 * Just by rolling the picture edits, you create "L-Cuts".


 * Easy! Let's take a look..


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 * bgcolor=Cornsilk colspan="2" |Note: Penny and Eggbert are 3D Poser models created by 3D Universe.  For this lesson, these characters were posed and rendered with the free DAZ Studio.
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Step 1 - Do a rough edit based on the audio



In the previous step
Previously, we created the rough edit. This picture to the right shows you what it looks like in the timeline.

There are just two edits in the entire scene. Very simple.


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Just straight cuts based on the audio

Rough Edit

Here is the rough edit

 * In the rough edit, all cuts are done half way between sentences (between dialog). Also, the picture and the audio edits are at the same point in time.  This is the most basic and simplest form of editing.

No destroyed frames

 * The most important thing to remember is all three clips are complete and whole. If we want to unroll any of these clips, there will be a complete master shot.  By doing the rough edit, we have not destroyed any frames (unless we are using "HyperEngine-A/V version 1.5" which actually destroyed all the frames that were not visible.  Dumb!)  The missing frames are just hidden, ready for use at any time we roll the picture edit.


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The first edit



The first edit point
There are only two edits in this entire movie. We start by looking at the first of these two edits.


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Straight cuts based on the audio

The First Edit

The first two clips

 * The movie starts with Eggbert quacking at Penny. At exactly the point where Eggbert finishes is quacking, there is the firt rough edit.  Then Penny begins to peep.


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Here is the first edit

A close up view of the rough edit The first edit point

Talking only

 * Eggbert is always talking in the first clip and Penny is always talking in the second clip.

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Here is the first edit rolled forward

→ → → Roll the picture edit to the right → → →

Rolling the edit forward in time

 * When we roll the picture edit forward in time, we begin to see Eggbert listening and Penny talking in the two shot. Look at the frame marked in red.


 * Note: Later, we will learn that this is not good because we will loose sync after the first peep.


 * Remember: rolling the picture edit does not change the length of the movie. You are hiding one frame for each new frame you show.


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Here is the first edit rolled backward

← ← ← Roll the picture edit to the left ← ← ←

Rolling the edit backward in time

 * When we roll the picture edit backward in time, we begin to see Penny listening while Eggbert is talking. See the frame marked in green.


 * We don't actually see Eggbert talking because his lips are not shown. That is good because then Eggbert can never be out of sync.


 * Remember: rolling the picture edit does not change the length of the movie. You are hiding one frame for each new frame you show.


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The second edit



The second edit point
Next we will look at the second edit of these two edits.


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Straight cuts based on the audio

The Second Edit

The next two clips

 * When Penny finishes peeping, the final clip of Eggbert's quacking begins.


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Here is the second edit of the Rough Edit

A close up view of the rough edit The second edit point

Talking only

 * Penny is always talking in the clip before the edit and Eggbert is always talking in the clip after the edit.

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Here is the first edit rolled forward

→ → → Roll the picture edit to the right → → →

Rolling the edit forward in time

 * When we roll the picture edit forward in time, we begin to see Penny listening and Eggbert talking in the two shot. Look at the frame marked in green.


 * Note: Later, we will learn that this is not good because we will loose sync after the first peep.


 * Remember: rolling the picture edit does not change the length of the movie. You are hiding one frame for each new frame you show.

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Here is the first edit rolled backward

← ← ← Roll the picture edit to the left ← ← ←

Rolling the edit backward in time

 * When we roll the picture edit backward in time, we begin to see Eggbert listening while Penny is still talking. See the frame marked in Aqua.


 * We don't actually see Penny is talking because her lips are not shown. That is good because then Penny can never be out of sync.


 * Remember: rolling the picture edit does not change the length of the movie. You are hiding one frame for each new frame you show.


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More about "L-Cuts"



The next page

 * We need to look at more details about "L-Cuts". Click here to go to the next page.


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