Cinema Post Production

Format
Often the image format editing in post production is not the same as the format used during production, and is sometimes not the same format as is used for release. For example: during production a film may be shot on 35mm, but after the film is developed it may be telecined (transferred to video) to be edited. Sometimes the video contains edge code from the film. This is a kind of frame accurate reference so that every edit made to the video can be made to the original negative in preparation for a release print. Sometimes the telecine can be very high resolution and a release print is made right from the video in a process of video-to-film printing. And still other times the image will remain in video and will be released as a DVD or on TV.

Editing
Editing machines come in a variety of forms. From the moviola film editors to the non-linear digital desktop editors there are all kinds of ways to arrange the images captured during production.

Sound mixing / Foley / ADR
Usually only the actor's dialogue is recorded on set.  This means that all the other sounds are added in post production.  Footsteps, car noises, ambient sounds, all sorts of sounds are added after the production in a studio.  Sometimes the sounds added are from a library and are just effects sounds. Sometimes the sounds are added by a special performer who watches the image on a screen in a studio equipped with all sorts of noise making devices and stuffs. This process is called Foley, and the person who creates the sounds are Foley artists. Once in a while a some of the dialogue recorded during production is not of high enough quality to be used for release.  In these cases the actors are brought to a studio and their lines are read over the original dialogue sound track.  This process is called Automated Dialogue Replacement.  Though it is not entirely automated there are some special ADR types of equipment that facilitate the process.

Musical Score
Music for a film may be selected to complement the image displayed on the screen or the story being told by the dialogue. However, sometimes music is chosen that is not necessarily concordant with the image or dialogue. Music that is juxtaposed to the image can create an unsettling or uneasy feeling in the viewer. This effect can be used to the film makers advantage if the film maker desires to produce such a sensation in the audience.

Titles / Credits
The title and credits are just that: the name of the film and who is credited with doing the work to create the film. Often the film's title and the names of the most important credited positions, like writer, director and star actors, appear at the begining of the film; and the remaining credits appear at the end of the film. There is no rule that governs this and any variation may be made. A long list of credits may indicate a large production and will give credit to a producer who had to manage so many individuals, but a short list of credits indicates that a film was created with efficiency and precision. The length and style and placement of the credits may also convey many other things so the credits should be considered carefully as they also contribute to the overall aesthetic of the film they are attached to.

Release Format
The release format is the format that the film will ultimately be viewed on. This could be a 35mm print for viewing in traditional cinema style theaters, DVD for home style theaters or regular TV set, or some kind of web format like Flash for Youtube. The release format is important to consider during preproduction because it will be one of the determining factors for what type of production equipment to use. For example: if the desired release format is a 35mm print a prosumer video camera is not adequate to produce the kind of highly technical images that are required to make a good 35mm film print. And if youtube is the release format then a most any film camera is overkill and a much more affordable solution may be used instead.

Post Production Equipment
click here