Flatbed editor
Encyclopedia
Picture and sound rolls load onto separate motorized wheels, called "plates." Each set of plates moves forward or backward separately, or locked together to maintain synchronization between picture and sound. A prism
Prism (optics)
In optics, a prism is a transparent optical element with flat, polished surfaces that refract light. The exact angles between the surfaces depend on the application. The traditional geometrical shape is that of a triangular prism with a triangular base and rectangular sides, and in colloquial use...
reflects the film image onto a viewing screen, while a magnetic playback head reads the magnetic audio tracks. The two most common configurations are the "six-plate" (one picture transport and two sound transports) and the "eight-plate" (two picture and two sound transport) models. (You can see the edges of two of the plates on the six-plate model pictured at the right.)
Preparation
Most films are shot double-systemDouble-system recording
Double-system recording is a form of sound recording used in motion picture production whereby the sound for a scene is recorded on a machine that is separate from the camera or picture-recording apparatus....
: the picture is shot on film while the sound is recorded separately. For convenience during the editing process, the sound is transferred to a magnetic track ("mag")—sprocketed recording tape, which is filmstock coated with magnetic oxide instead of photo-sensitive emulsion. One "frame" on the mag tap equals one frame of picture. The Mag is usually edge-coded: sequential numbers are stamped on the edge every few frames to facilitate locating particular frames or scenes.
Synching
Since picture and sound are usually recorded separately, the editor must synchronize them. The editor loads one picture roll onto a film plate and its corresponding Mag roll onto a sound plate. Then they advance the film to find the frame where the two parts of the ClapperboardClapperboard
A clapperboard is a device used in filmmaking and video production to assist in the synchronizing of picture and sound, and to designate and mark particular scenes and takes recorded during a production...
came together. The editor repeats the process on the Mag roll to find the frame with the clap sound. Once found, they mark the frame on both rolls as the sync point, and switch the flatbed to Interlock mode. From then on, both picture and sound rolls advance or reverse by exactly the same amount to maintain synch.
Editing
When the editor finds a point to cut one shot into another, they mark it on both picture and sound rolls, then make the cut and splice in the next shot.History
One of the first and most popular film editing machines was the MoviolaMoviola
A Moviola is a device that allows a film editor to view film while editing. It was the first machine for motion picture editing when it was invented by Iwan Serrurier in 1924.-History:...
. With it, one could manage a thousand-foot eleven-minute 35mm roll. It was difficult to use compared to later machines because it did not have high-speed operation. European flatbeds came into more common use in the United States during the 1970s, although never completely replacing the Moviola.
By the mid-1990s, flatbeds were increasingly replaced by computer-based non-linear systems such as Avid
AVID
AVID stands for:* Advancement Via Individual Determination, a college-readiness system designed to increase the number of students who enroll in four-year colleges in the U.S....
and Lightworks
Lightworks
Lightworks is an Oscar and Emmy award winning professional NLE system for editing and mastering of movies in 2K and 4K as well as television productions in PAL, NTSC and HD...
. As of 2007, some film schools still use flatbed editors for their educational value. Feature films in the United States now use electronic non-linear systems almost exclusively.
Brands
The two most common brands of flatbed editor, SteenbeckSteenbeck
Steenbeck is a brand name that has become synonymous with a type of flatbed film editing suite which is usable with both 16 mm and 35 mm optical sound and magnetic sound film.The Steenbeck company was founded in 1931 by Wilhelm Steenbeck in Hamburg, Germany...
and K.-E.-M. (Keller-Elektro-Mechanik), were invented in Germany in the 1930s. There are also the Italian Prévost, the Dutch Oude Delft or Oldelft, the French Atlas as well as Moritone flatbeds. The U.K. produced the LEM, and America the Moviola flatbed and the exclusively 16mm Showchron of which approximately 400 were produced in 4. 6 or 8 plate configurations, 6 being the most common. (A few 35mm Showchrons were built, but never sold commercially.)
All these machines employ a rotating prism rather than the "Maltese Cross" or geneva drive
Geneva drive
The Geneva drive or Maltese cross is a gear mechanism that translates a continuous rotation into an intermittent rotary motion. The rotating drive wheel has a pin that reaches into a slot of the driven wheel advancing it by one step...
intermittent mechanism first used by the American upright Moviola
Moviola
A Moviola is a device that allows a film editor to view film while editing. It was the first machine for motion picture editing when it was invented by Iwan Serrurier in 1924.-History:...
. The rotating prism allows the editor to move the film smoothly and continuously, reducing mechanical noise and film wear. It also makes high-speed operation feasible, and some machines can move the film at up to ten times standard speed. The KEM Universal, which has a modular construction, supports up to three picture heads and up to three sound tracks.
See also
- Film editingFilm editingFilm editing is part of the creative post-production process of filmmaking. It involves the selection and combining of shots into sequences, and ultimately creating a finished motion picture. It is an art of storytelling...
- Film splicerFilm splicerA film splicer is a device which can be used to physically join together lengths of photographic film. It is mostly used in motion pictures...