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We’ve been working on the score for the film for the past three weeks. Eric Fares (Sam Roberts Band), Jason Thomas (who manages The Dears), Matt Forsythe (guitarist and co-story on the film), and Vanessa Russell (a professional cellist who also acted in the film) composed the score together.

This was the first time any of us had composed for a film. The music came together beautifully and very organically. Nothing was pre-written and everyone collaborated fully.

It was interesting to see how, sometimes, the music didn’t seem to work on its own yet felt rich and complex with the imagery.

We constantly consulted with the images to ensure the music remained grounded in the film.

Here’s a short teaser of the film.

For the next two weeks we’re going to be working on sound editing, composing and mixing.

After that, all that’s left is the neg cut, and the colour timing and of course, festival submissions.

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We locked the picture yesterday afternoon. Including credits, the film runs at 12min 57sec.

Most people thought the film could be edited in two to three weeks, considering it’s a short subject. In the end it took us four and a half weeks to cut the picture.

Time is the biggest constraint when making a film. whether it’s more time needed during pre-production, during filming, or during post production. Because our time in the editing room was flexible, we were able to experiment with the film and try different versions of it.

We don’t have the same luxury when it comes to sound editing. We are going to be in and out within a week and a half. I’m not so concerned though because I’m going to be working with sound editor Louis Collin and mixer Luc Boudrias.

I can’t wait to get started on it. I sometimes think sound is more important than the picture. It can make or break your film. It’s too bad sound guys are never given the respect they deserve.

The Conversations

The Conversations is the best book I’ve read about film and editing. In the book, Michael Ondaatje interviews Walter Murch about the process and technique of film editing. Murch is best known for editing The Conversation, Apocalypse Now, The Godfather Part II and III, among others.

Yves Langlois

One of the greatest privileges of making this film was working with renowned editor, Yves Langlois. He taught me a lot about the various technologies that have evolved over the years and how they’ve changed the way films are seen and edited.

While in the editing room, we discussed The Conversations when we started talking about the differences between the Moviola, the Steenbeck and the Avid (which is what we are using to cut Birthday Girl).

All three systems are non linear editing systems. The Moviola and the Steenbeck are pieces of equipment. Avid Technology is software which can be purchased and used on any computer.

Working Print

Editors cut a working print (a non-colour corrected print of the negative) when they use the Moviola or the Steenbeck, which means that they can physically hold and see each frame of the film as they cut it. The process is much more laborious and intensive but it has its advantages: these machines force you to think about every cut you’re going to make before you make it.

On the Avid, you can cut the same scene twenty different ways in a very short period of time. Advantage: you have the flexibility to experiment and try things that would not have been possible on the Steenbeck or Moviola; Disadvantage: With too many options you can lose focus as to what works and what doesn’t.

Charlotte Zwerin, who gained notoriety after cutting several of the Maysles films goes by the philosophy that if you’re cutting on the computer, you should approach your film as if you were cutting it on a flatbed.

Upright Moviola (1924)

Flatbed moviola

The Moviola operates using a shutter. Film projectors operate with shutters as well, therefore what a film looked like through the Moviola is exactly what the film looked like projected onto the big screen.

Steenbeck, 1931 (looks like the moviola flatbed but…..)

The Steenbeck operates using a prism. When the film runs through the system it gives the illusion of a slight dissolve between each frame. Therefore, what you are seeing in the machine is not exactly what you would see projected.

The Avid (1989)

The Avid on the other hand, has converted the film (which runs through the camera and projector at 24 frames per second) into a digital form which runs at 29.97 frames per second on your computer. At this rate, it’s hard to judge what the film will look like once converted back to film.

The further you get from the source material the harder it is to gauge what the final product will look like.

The Conform

In this case, some editors do what is called a conform. After the film has been edited on the Avid, they will cut a work print and project it using the sound from the Avid. It’s a way of seeing whether or not the cuts being made on the Avid are right and whether or not they will work in the finished film.

It’s amazing that no matter how advanced we get with technology the oldest machines often produce the best results.

Also of interest:
The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing is a great film about editing.
Final Cut Pro: Cheaper, excellent editing software for Mac users.

I’ve been in the editing room now for three weeks. Yves has cut four different versions of the film and next week we’ll be on our fifth. The film runs between 14 - 15 minutes and everyone who has screened it says the film goes by very fast. They actually find it goes by too quickly.

On Monday, however, Yves was asked (by our distributors) to make an 8 to 9 minute cut of the film (including credits). This basically means cutting a third of the film out. At this length, the film has a better chance to be shown in theatres before a feature film (in Quebec). I have no idea if the film will work at this length but it’s always worth trying. My priority, as is everybody else’s who is involved in the project, is to make the best film possible, whether it be 7, 11, 13 or 15 minutes.

The feedback so far has been extremely positive. Everyone is very impressed by the performances and of course the editing.
I’m going to try and get a couple of teaser trailers up on the site very soon.

Until then, here are a few more stills from the film.

I started editing last week. I’ve been working with Yves Langlois. At first, I was intimidated to be working with him as this is one of my first films and Yves is a veteran editor.

He liked the script so we watched the rushes and he wanted to cut the film. I was thrilled to say the least. We’ve been averaging 11 hours a day and I’m in the editing room the entire time. It’s a little unconventional but I’m learning a great deal.

There were a lot of shots that I didn’t get while filming because we didn’t have time to shoot them. I was constantly asking myself if I had the shots I needed to tell the story. I thought I had them all, but sitting in the editing room I realized that I was missing some essential moments.

There are ways of cheating while editing a film. Taking moments from one scene and placing them in front of a completely separate scene to create an association or allude to something that was never originally intended. This is great because you can create moments that were never expected. We started doing this where I was missing some shots and already the film is working much better.

The most difficult part of editing and watching the film come together, is trying to look at the film objectively and trying to see it the way an audience member would watch it for the first time, not knowing anything about the film.

This shot was done at night.

Arek, the young boy who plays Max in the film, was such a trouper on set. He had a lot of lines and actions to remember and pulled everything off without a hitch. Also in frame is the wonderful WildWords board game.

This was one of the last shots we did… we were in a huge hurry to get a lot of shots done in very little time… nevertheless I think it still looks great.

Photo credit: Sarah Buchanan

Best four days of my life.

So shooting wrapped Sunday evening. I was blown away by the crew and the performers. Everyone made the experience unforgettable for me. The kids themselves were unbelievable, on and off set. I was amazed at how perceptive and quick they were to pick up on the film-making process. Their suggestions were invaluable and they were just wonderful to work with. Everyone was extremely impressed by their professionalism and talent.