412 The Digital Filmmaking Handbook, 4E

What Do You Need?

If your project is a feature film, you will need to know about all the different types of outputs covered in this chapter because you will probably create more than one master, as well as many supplemental materials (see Figure 18.1).

You’ll need DVD viewing copies to send to film festivals and distributors (page 427). You’ll need Internet-ready outputs to post trailers and promos of your film on the Web (page 432), and you’ll probably need a Web site for the film. If your film is accepted to a festival, you’ll either need a 35mm film print or an HDCAM videotape master or a DCI-compliant Digital Cinema Package (DCP) for projection in a theater. You’ll need to have mixed stereo or surround sound audio tracks on your film print, videotape master, or DCP (page 418). You’ll need to keep an archive of your edited project files, uncompressed copies of your video and audio files (page 426), and also you should save a basic split track mix of your audio so that you can easily remix it at a later date if necessary (page 420).

Imagine that you screen your film at Sundance, find a distributor who wants to release it in theaters, and later broadcast the film on the Independent Film Channel and on European TV. You’ll take your textless master (page 420) and the basic split track mix of your audio that you saved and use it to remix according to the different broadcast specifications of the Independent Film Channel, European broadcasters, and others. For Europe, you’ll need a split-track dialogue, music, and effects (M&E) mix, in addition to a stereo mix so that they can dub your film into other languages (page 419). If you hate dubbed films, you’ll probably have to add subtitles yourself, with the help of a postproduction facility that specializes in subtitling. Finally, you’ll need to create the Blu-ray Disc and DVD for home video distribution, including any supplementary materials, and also create the various files you will need to distribute the film over the Internet (page 432).

Start Early

Though we’ve put this output discussion at the end of the book, finishing is often something you need to think about early in your production process. Keeping an eye on your final delivery goals will affect decisions ranging from equipment choices to shooting and audio recording techniques. If you’re just starting your production, make a list of all of the different formats that you think you’ll need (for example: Web, DVD, 35mm transfer, and so on). Once you’ve listed all of your finishing formats, take note of the requirements of the one that has the highest quality. You’ll need to maintain these specs throughout your production workflow.

For example, if you’re going to create files to embed in a Web page, then you know that you don’t need a high resolution. Now you can double-check your equipment choices to ensure that you have what you need, and you can avoid spending extra money on higher-quality gear when you know it won’t be necessary for your final delivery format.

You can also review your shooting plans, production design, effects pipeline, and all of the other aspects of your production with an eye toward evaluating whether you’ve got the requisite level of quality for your intended output. You might not need to worry about refined design and effects work if your final output is going to be very small. On the other hand, if your final output will be digital cinema or 35mm film projection, then you’ll need to keep a close eye on even the smallest details in your frame.

Figure 18.1

File-based finishing workflow.

What Is Mastering?

A master is the final output (whether film, tape, or file) from which all copies of your movie are made. Masters are a necessity when dealing with expensive formats such as 35mm film prints and HD videotapes. With file-based media, copies can be made at the click of a mouse so file-based masters are not a necessity, but they will make your life much easier.