DIALOGUE EDITING: A COURSE IN HELLFIRE
So I dropped off the intertron for awhile, it’s mostly because I’m just focusing. SR is almost done. the VFX are looking really cool and everything feels pretty textured an close to come to the surface. Sound is still an issue and I write this to experience catharsis before I go through and continue the dialogue editing process,. I’m into surreal and abstract dialogue, that doesn’t try so hard to be a simulated representation of reality. sometimes I’m criticized for this but there are many precedents for the type of stuff I’m delving into, from Jean Genet to Beckett, its almost more a theatre thing than film. But I’m making films and I need to make sure these messages encode directly into your brain. So a lot of ADR and digital manipulation is coming into play. This is the case with every professional film, but DIY types often neglect this and foley and they wonder why aint nobody feelin’ their efforts. The thing about dialogue editing is, if you’re aiming for quality, dialogue editing is like 25% as hard as editing the whole film for picture. I wish I could “hire out” but my labeling system is way too confusing in the way I’ve collected my audio material. This giant snake coil of waveform is a roller-coaster I must ride alone until mixing. The sound designer is doing their thing as I Swim for dear life. Luckily I have my dialogue editing grandpa http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d5XIzKlWFk
From July 3rd: Screened the rough cut at a focus group party
Screened the rough cut at a focus group party
This is a distanced blog update, I predict a lot of people will read the old posts in a couple months. Some of my outbursts I blame on the stresses of the production process and maybe the soy hot chocolate. Consider this 6 month spanning time capsule a mild curiousity to people coping with editing a feature all around the world. Hang in there and blessings. Theres nothing amazing that can be said aside from: just do it, stay positive/focused/take breaks/ consistent/ and really research things, be careful about your formats, transcoding quality, no technical slip ups, etc.
Those 7 postings were literally from 6 months ago. The edit and the production are now very much a ghost. All that remains is the story: It is my child an graven idol of worship, I guess my mac and hard drives are the womb. I stare like a maniacal smiling buddha at the finishing phase 3. I’m excited and happy. Thank the good graces I’ve made it this far. This project has been a roller coaster for sure, it’s been worth it and a film I’ve believed in since the onset. This has positively grounded my filmmaking process to a point where I’m now evolved, and ready for the next, and next and next, this is the focus of my life..(dramatic pause)
On July 3rd 2011 at 5pm I pressed export on the 82 minute HD file classified by human taxonomy as “Struggled Reagans”. I had been editing the last 9 scenes in a two day rush, and I pressed export 3 hours before a couple dozen people arrived 8 blocks away, where it was to be projected and critiqued. I made it with 10 minutes to spear.
They “got it” on a root level. All my Obscure references, Jokes, Transgressions were coming through to a random sampling of my generation, and beyond. I bought them beer, which always helps.
The End
STRUGGLEDREAGANS.com
DAY 8: Gregg edits in Wicked grounds in soma. 62 more scenes to go
DAY 8: WIcked grounds
its a BDSM cafe, they have a sharps container for hypodermic needles in the bathroom, everyone theres really nice. I edited a very bdsm like cucumber invasion scene
its was fine, what are you complaining about? Shhh. It’s all gonna be ok
kisses
DAY 7: What??? You thought I wouldn’t? 2nd Peets Coffee
Whaaaaat? Gregg edits in another Peets coffee? Is that allowed? Well it is….but does kind of defeat the purpose of this cafe editing tour. You see Peets Coffee was visited yesterday to edit scene 6, but I went to another peets coffee location 20 minutes away, this one is Greenbrea california, I’m still in the North Bay till tomorrow. Both spaces were completely different although they had simelar decore. It’s essentialy like having sex with two Puerto Rican women in a row ( same categorization but different. I’ve only had sex with 2 PR women, and certainly not in a row) so this was a good metaphorical allegory to live
How was the scene? it involved live insects and tragedy, the film is staying austere and intense, tomorrow I will attempt cutting the scene with the vaginal cucumber…..silence……
DAY 7: Gregg edits at a 2nd incarnation of the Peets Coffee chain. All 15 inches of his macbook pro was on the same counter lining the old man behind him is seated by. It made for a “bar simulation” editing experience. Highly exotic and kinky. Quite highly recommended to people editing their feature films with dark glasses on ( I feel yall)
DAY 6: Gregg edits at peets coffee in Corte Madera, and questions the purpose of breath
DAY 6: I go to peets coffee in Corte Madera
so I’m still in the north bay to escape from the decadent evils of San Francisco for a fleeting moment. I edited scene 6 which felt like a chore but was kind of a revelation at the end. I actualy feel like editing a 7th before I go to the next cafe tomorrow, is that allowed? Oh its my self imposed game I suppose I have free will, we’ll see
Oh shouldn’t you say something about the cafe? Yeah Peets coffee is a better corporate chain than starbucks, they have vegan pastries, blash blah, this blog is retarded, hahahahahahah….till the next day when I go to a non chain business and edit some reagan stuff
DAY 5: Gregg edits a “getting powers” scene in Marin county, in a corporate coffee chain and orders hot chocolate with soy milk, no whip (its vegan people)
DAY 5: A STARBUCKS in Marin county
I decided to visit my parents in Marin county,( a 30 minute ferry boat ride away from SF) but visiting hasn’t happened because I’ve been in this random starbucks near their home since 9am, suddenly this cafe rule in theory seems arbitrary, but I cant deny it helps me focus. I could tell you a humorous anecdote about an older woman who was kind of bitchy regarding washroom politics, but I don’t think I should constantly blog about how people are character flawed since I did that last time. Really I love all beings Metta Bhavana style and I’m not really tripping anyway, I more think complaining is funny, but people often think I’m an angry dude, especially if they read into a lot of my artwork. The scene I edited was almost 5 minutes, the scene where they get their powers. I’ve edited 5 scenes and have about 11 minutes worth of material. I think I’ll actually end up with a longer film than I anticipated, since the pace is naturally breathing more than I thought. that’ll be cool if I’m around 80 mins. Beautiful and concise. A lot of people question the marketability of short features, sure when somethings like 60 minutes, although its catogorized as a feature at a festival, it seems short. It seems once it goes over 70 distro is secure, but fuck all those rules. Squid and Whale was only 77 minutes, Bruno was 84 minutes with credits and made $60 million, I mentioned Joe Swanbergs short lengths too. Theres so many things I want to do in terms of promotion but this basic cut but must preceed all that. 65 scenes to go
More about short movies, Bunuels “Solomon of the Desert” was 45 minutes and that to me was a feature, this whole episode, short, feature, annoying categorization is annoying. The whole idea I feel so different about my “first feature film” than anything I’ve done is a form of brainwashing, but then again…I truly honor it, but I’ll make sure to take this same revered feeeling to my next….2 minutes feature, or 30 second watch commercial feature… or 3 hour feature….everything is epic
