I thought it would be a nice historical record to retain what I have written over the past few years, mainly about Final Cut Pro 7, and my Editing Instruction so you can still read up on it throughout these blog entries. What is written directly below, however, is the reality you will encounter today.

And, Boy! the world has changed so much there is little time to document it! Here is a brief synopsis of where the world has taken us...

EditPlus has closed it's commercial doors (although Dave is still editing out of his house). Jurifilm, Santa Monica has moved too, but retains the same high level of production that made it a well-known broadcast facility on two continents.

While i still offer Final Cut 7 instruction most of this can take place at your location, or remotely, via Skype and I am now assisting other SAG members with their clips and reels at SAG-AFTRA in Los Angeles.

So many people are now using Final Cut X, I am offering instruction in that, and will soon be teaching Adobe Premiere Pro as well as continuing with Avid. Since editing has migrated from multi-million dollar edit suites to any Mac laptop at any Starbucks. (PC's are fine for Avid and Adobe), my price for 8 hours of instruction, in person or remotely, remains $500 for any of the above applications.

Delivery, once solely on tape, then DVD, has become totally digital and compression, while still requiring some instruction, has been greatly simplified by Apple and the others.

The other change caused by this revolution has been the spread of "Hollywood" literally throughout the world. I have just been submitted for two acting roles both filming in Beijing, I met a doctor two days ago in Los Angeles who confessed to speaking neither Cantonese nor Mandarin. He explained that his father was from Hong Kong, his mother from Taiwan and the only common language between the two of them was English, so that was the language he grew up with. Our show-business world has become work-a-day global and an exciting world it is!

I am looking forward to helping all those wanting to learn editing from Moscow, to Dublin, to Shanghai!

It's been pointed out to me that169 days have past since my last blog entry. Woof, I've had a busy summer! But boy, have I collected up a lot to say. :)

I am continuing my Final Cut Pro 7 instruction in Los Angeles at least through Jan 1, when i expect to be starting on a project currently in the writing stage. I have a number of blog entries below on my tutoring, which gives the student an ability to cut using the program, in two 4-hour sessions for a fee of $500 if anyone wants to check them out. Whether I'll be continuing to teach after that, will depend upon my other projects.

A few weeks ago, one of you tried to contact me inquiring about a seminar and i apologize for not getting back to you. I'm struggling to find that email even as I write this. Actually i do not give seminars because Final Cut really needs hands-on training to make any sense. The seminars I've attended basically leave the attendees bewildered.

Now the sword thing...

I have performed just about every job there is in show business at one time or another, and a friend of mine in England was intrigued by my ancient photo as me as a Musketeer at Stratford, Ontario.

He wanted to know if I'd had any unusual experiences during those days. Well, the answer to that is, uh, yeah.

So I wrote up this experience of a performance of Othello for him. Since it contains not only the story but some useful safety tips, as far as stage combat is concerned, i thought I'd share it with ANDers many of whom are filming martial arts and may, at least, get a laugh out of it.

Due to my extensive stage-fencing background, (having studied under several masters, including a number of years with Paddy Crean, (Erroll Flynn's personal fencing coach, fight arranger and fight double), I am often appointed to two extra positions when hired to perform a role requiring swordplay. Fencing Master and Safety Officer.

There are a few immutable rules to staging swordplay. Break them at your peril, as was discovered during this ill-fated performance of Othello. :)

Cardinal rule: just as in dance, never change a move immediately before a performance

Always stage the fight, and lighting, so that the immediate area is well lit, even if the surrounding area is lit to present the illusion of darkness, or fog, or other hindrance to spotting a flashing blade. Make sure there are no slats or other set pieces to confuse the eye between bright light and total darkness. It can be done in such a way that the audience experiences the visual confusion, not the actors...

Always rehearse with the sword you will actually be using in performance, and, as soon as possible, wear the costume to be worn in performance.

As far as the actors performing the duel, or other battle sequence are concerned, they must remember that this is a dance, intended to convince the audience it is a duel. The more muscle you put behind your thrusts and parries, the slower and, consequently, more fake, your "sword-fight" will appear to the audience.

Theatre is make-believe but the performers and audience members are real-life, flesh-and-blood, kill-able people. Actors on stage, or in film, can experience a sense of immortality. Beware of traffic, sharp knives, loaded weapons and wild animals. They are real, on or off, the set.

 If you want the stage lit with open-flame torches, it is the lighting and set designer's job to find a way to fake it.

If flames must be lit, something other than "strike anywhere matches" should be used.

Lastly, do not save on the budget by hiring out-of-work taxi drivers as extras and spear carriers, whose job it may also be, to light the torches.

By some miracle, we got through the entire run of this particular Othello without setting the ancient old historical building, where our theatre was housed, on fire.

However, I watched in dismay and harangued them about it to within an inch of my job. Matches should not be grabbed in bunches, some stuck through plastic "chain maille" and the rest strewn over the floor, where the females of the company would soon be running, in long dresses, to make their entrances on time.

But the biggest shock of all came on the day of public dress rehearsal, when the swords we would be using in performance, finally showed up. I will never forget the pride on the faces of those "scroungers" who had procured our swords, on loan, from the local armory, as they pulled out the honed-to-razor-sharp cavalry sabres for us all to see. My complaints were regarded as an ungrateful nuisance. Nobody, but me, saw anything wrong with it. I was being, as I recall, an "asshole."   

Our sword fight was a sabre fight between myself, playing Montano, and another actor (a dude bursting with machismo) cast as Cassio.

Stage sabres, when not in use, are slung slightly across one's back out of the way. Military scabbards hang down the side and can be caught between an actor's legs, particularly during a duel. How are we going get around with these long butcher knives in scabbards? The performance was now a couple of hours away.

The only possible thing to do, for the time being, was to tape the scabbards to our belts with gaffer's, (I mean plumber's) tape.  Gaffers tape costs an arm and a leg and can support the weight of a truck. Duct tape, (which looks the same, almost) is capable of supporting nothing; at least not for very long.

Performance.
Our lead playing Iago, you know, Shakespeare's most verbose villain, is having trouble with all those lines but we get through it.

Next day, no changes are made to our yard-long butcher knife situation, but despite Cassio's all-out determination to actually win the battle with Montano, we, again, get through it.

At this point it is important to give you some idea of our set: It is meant to be some kind of an abstract fortress; in Cyprus.

We have a mezzanine running around the entire stage. Stage right, across the upstage back, and stage-left. There are taxi drivers in tights and funny helmets holding lit torches spaced a few feet apart.

There is an open staircase with steps that have no backing, leading from the mez down to stage level. All around the stage are lattice flats, the kind you grow roses on, with torchlight flickering through, otherwise, the stage is very dark.

The sword-fight goes like this: We enter upstage left, behind the lattice and, staying above the lattice, battle our way across the stage. Visually, very impressive. Physically, very dangerous. Cassio is laying into me with all he's got. He could lop my head off with ease, should my own military sabre fail to deflect the blow.

We emerge downstage left, and cross the stage in a very impressive life and death melee. Once we reach the foot of the open staircase with firelight shining through the cracks, a thrust from Cassio sends me falling backwards onto the stairs, as I bind off his sword, regain my feet, and come at him with a lunge, which he parries and steps to stage right. I spin around and from there the fight continues with more of the same.

On stage left is Iago, played by our director, stumbling through a soliloquie intended to make Iago appear to be trying to stop the fight, although he isn't.

By this time we're about four or five nights into the run. Cassio and I both arrive at the theatre and he's very anxious to tell me something.

Says Cassio: "I've thought of a new move, it's going to be great! At the foot of the stairs, instead of me parrying and moving right, which I've never liked, I step straight downstage and deflect your sword,  second position to the outside."

"Stop right there," I say. "I don't want to hear another word. We'll come in at 10 am tomorrow, you can show me your idea and if it works, we'll rehearse it in."

Fine. Done. End of discussion.

Fight scene. Cassio is waling away on me as usual. Across the stage, we go, behind the lattice work. Blam! Blam! Clank! Clank! tempered steel crashing against tempered steel. We come out on stage proper. Iago is downstage left carrying on as if he actually knew the speech. The audience is packed. You could hear a pin drop from them. I think they were scared down to the last subscriber.

We reach the foot of the stairs. Wham! I go back on my back, onto the stairs. Vulnerable. I try to leap to my feet, to defend myself, but I can't get up. I'm frozen there. Am I paralyzed? Did I break my back? No pain. That's a good sign. Cassio has this weird look on his face and is jumping around like a chicken on a griddle. I'm afraid he's going to try to stab me just cause he can't think of what else to do.

I feel round with my left hand, while getting ready to counter whatever Cassio might attempt. The scabbard had gone between the steps, the duct tape had broken, and the scabbard bent into a hook pinning me to the step. I work it loose.

Cassio is standing there, mouth agape, his brain panickized. You can see no thinking is taking place in his head at all.

I'm now on my feet but Cassio has stepped downstage where his "new move" would have taken him. I think, "Oh no. He must think I'm switching to his new move." Now we're in front of 360 people who still think they're looking at a fortress in Cypress.

I lift my sword and begin the slowest thrust I can possibly make, as in his "new move" mouthing, "Bind it off! Bind it off! Second position to the outside!" What does he do? He lets his sword dangle limp, and thrusts his forearm (!) at my blade. I feel my sword go through his costume, then the sickly slowing as it continues through his fleshy forearm. I withdraw as quickly, yet delicately, as I can.

I think, okay. This show is over.

Cassio has slumped into my arms blood gushing out everywhere and I yell out to one of the taxi drivers in the wings, I need a "tourniquet!" One of them, a heavy-set guy that I didn't have all that much respect for, throws this absolutely filthy t-shirt out to me.    

Iago hasn't even noticed that the fight has stopped and the audience is gasping in horror, as I hold the Raggedy Andy Cassio in my arms.

"Hold friends, friends part, Put up thy swords" hollers Iago. The two people he's yelling about, have long since stopped playing with swords.

I'm yelling into the wings, "Somebody get an ambulance! Tell them someone's losing blood fast."

I say out to the audience, "Sorry folks, looks like we've had a little mishap. The show is over for tonight.

Iago is looking around like "Did I miss something?"

I hear the ambulance. "Man that was quick!" The extras are out on stage now. We carry Cassio into the wings, the paramedics take over.

The hospital is just a couple of blocks away, as it turns out. A bunch of us, in full costume, march down there, through the snow, and wait for Cassio to get stitched up. After some serious nail-biting, we are told he is going to be fine. or was it "live?" Well, something like that.   

Fortunately there was a store that sold cognac on the way to the hospital. I picked up a bottle and bought some red ribbon and tied a bow around it.

So, we are all standing there as Cassio emerges from the emergency room all patched up, arm in a sling, still in much of his costume. He is beaming like an idiot, flanked by a bunch of adoring little nurses. I present the bottle of cognac. Everybody yells Hip Hip Hooray,

And a fine time was had by all. 

Lawrence Benedict

Apple  Certified  Final Cut Pro  Trainer/Editor

Class Curriculum for 2-Day, 16 hour Final Cut Pro 7 Intensive.

(This can be split into four 4-hour sessions)

The number One Priority for my classes is retention of the instruction by the student.

Our time together is not about me, teaching, it is about you, learning, - and having fun doing it.

During the many years I have been training editors, I have developed some special methods to facilitate retention. They include little phrases you can hang on to and ways to explain concepts that make immediate sense.

Our time together is the time to learn. That is what that class time is devoted to. The objective is for you to be able to do this on your own once the class is over.

Class Tools:

Other than passing around a one-sheet with all useful shortcuts printed on it for reference, the only item a student will need during class is a blank notebook (I recommend a “steno” into which to write copious notes). I will however be providing each student with a data disk of footage that we will be using in the class which they will then copy to their respective hard drives. The disks are theirs to keep.

I have all the hardware we will need but if you have your own MacBook, I encourage you to bring it so we can set up your preferences, and also get you used to working on the computer you will be using.

If some students do not have their own computers, it is fine for two students to share a computer. When they are sharing their learning in such a way, they seem to pick up Final Cut Pro just as quickly as those working, alone, on their own computer.

Class Begins

We start with a discussion of the interface, the naming protocol that Apple has devised, and the general flow of the editing experience.

I emphasize the importance of short cuts and we begin learning and using them from the very start.

I explain what a project is, what a sequence is, what browser and bins are; what an autosave vault is, etc.

We will learn to set our preferences so we can work most effectively in Final Cut Pro.

Each operation is discussed in logical steps exactly as you would encounter it during an actual edit session.

(There is one exception to this.Since there are now so many different cameras and codecs as well as downloading, importing and capturing methods, I save this till we have understood the basics of the edit itself so people will not be befuddled, right of the bat, by all the alphabet soup).

We learn to organize our elements: media, stills, music and sequences in the browser and bins.

 We learn the best ways to review our footage in the viewer prior to editing; to mark the clips we want with in-marks and out-marks and move them to the timeline.

At this point I reveal the magical JKL keys, telling the story about the demo at the Directors Guild when Apple attempted to unveil Final Cut Pro without them.

From now on everything we do will be accomplished using the short cut keys.

We learn the functions of the Canvas and how it relates to the sequence we are building in the timeline.

We learn to understand and use all the tools available for editing in the timeline such as Overwrite, Insert, Fit to Fill, and Superimpose

We learn cutting and pasting, dragging and dropping, lift delete, Ripple delete and so on.

The students will be creating sequences on their computers as we go along.

We learn to apply Transition Effects and Clip Effects and get our first taste of

Key-framing.

This will probably take us through to lunch but the students will already have a grasp of basic editing.

Now they are having fun putting a simple edited sequence together, and realize there is nothing to fear. They see that this is something they can truly master.

Lunch Break

Now comes the presentation of the various methods of capturing footage into Final Cut 7. The AVCHD  H.264 codec, card readers, Log and Capture, Log and Transfer, the Red Cam, converting files already on a hard drive to .mov and so on.

After that, we get back to editing where we left off.

I introduce them to the tool palette and we manipulate media in the timeline using each tool.

Next we do an in-depth tour of the tools of the timeline; locking and unlocking tracks, using different track sizes, splitting the timeline area between video and audio workspaces. Zooming in on the timeline and out again and when that’s appropriate.

We discuss turning tracks on and off, muting tracks, assigning audio to different tracks, snapping, linking and de-linking, the importance of shift/Z (Zed) and using the complex scroll function to position your timeline for maximum convenience.

We then switch gears and begin to learn the sophisticated titler that comes with Final Cut Pro. We are able to animate titles in a myriad of ways and this gets us a little further into key-framing.

We discuss the alpha channel at this point, which gets us started with compositing and layering.

Because we have created a title for our sequence, it is logical to jump to the Voice Over Tool so that we can add voice over as the title appears.

Audio key-framing comes at this point, both manually inserting each key-frame and using the audio mixer to adjust audio levels on the fly.

Next, we begin refining the edits in our timeline and engage in a discussion of the aesthetics of editing. We use the cuts we are making to demonstrate various ways to make your edits smooth and develop pace through editing.

We talk about engaging the viewer, emotionally, and the many secrets known by editors to accomplish it.

We talk about “crossing the line” or “the axis” and how to flop a shot to rescue that type of camera error.

Now we get considerably more detailed about types of transition effects, clip effects or filters, get our first look at color correction, and keying, as opposed to key-framing; (two completely different uses of the same word, and proceeding from two completely different filmmaking disciplines).

To conclude the day I show them a simple and quick way to do a very impressive end credit sequence at the end of their movie. This will give them even more understanding of how key-framing works.  

Sometime during the day, when an interlude feels like it would be welcome, I will show two videos that I cut, as an example of how it all fits together and how the whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts. The one video is 6 minutes the other is 1 minute forty nine seconds. I am able to demonstrate many examples of editing techniques during this time. I leave them with the promise to show them how to do the Pleasantville effect, tomorrow, as well as some other very interesting effects.

Day Two

We begin by discussing the work of the assistant editor and how it applies to all those who edit; especially “Preditors” doing “String Outs.”

We have a really solid look at organizing your media, your workflow and the importance of naming conventions.

Then I explain sub-clipping and organizing your “selects” in bins. (Command U) I explain how to make sure the sub-clip goes to the correct bin.

I next explain how to switch from list view to icon view, how to review you sub-clips right in the bins, select in and out marks and change the poster-frame.

Finally how to arrange these sub-clips into a rough edit or string-out and in one motion drag them into the time line creating a “finished” sequence in a stunningly short period of time.

Here, we look at creating new sequences, multiple sequences, duplicating sequences nesting sequences and why you would need to do that, again emphasizing how much time these skills can save.

Lunch

We have looked at transition effects and filters, now it is time to understand and use speed controls. We practice slow motion, fast speed, Frame Blending and Time Remapping.

Now, we move on to trimming. What trimming is, why it is so important; what the Big Trim windows are, and the three types of trimming. We will understand what the terms out-going and in-coming video mean and the terms “Plus” and “Minus” as they apply to working in the timeline.

More time is now devoted to what makes a smooth edit, (or conversely why you may want to make a jarring edit) and the various techniques editors apply to achieve perfect edits. (Why you should choose you editor according to the number of fingerprints on the monitor screen).

Then we discuss “J” cuts “L” Cuts and “Slipping” and “Sliding” 

Within the preceding will be a discussion of what Drop Frame and Non-Drop Frame time code is.

Next we will look at placing markers, how to add information to your marker and how to navigate between markers. Also chapter, scoring and compression markers  

Break

Exporting has become quite complex these days with all the different codecs and all the different requirements for sending and posting videos, electronically. The students will learn what works best, for which applications and the simplest ways to achieve superior results. Another opportunity to demonstrate my observation; “just because it’s easy, doesn’t mean it’s wrong.”

We will also learn to burn both a data disk and a viewable disk and the difference between them.

We will learn the advantages of using applications like Streamclip, Toast Titanium and a host of others.

We will now really tackle key-framing, compositing, mattes and keying.

Then a more in-depth exploration of Color Correction in Final Cut, how to use the Waveform Monitor and Vectorscope and finally… The Pleasantville Effect!

Finally, we will review my list of "disasters" that can be "un-disastered" in ten seconds or less

At this point we will begin a review led by the students and fill in any gaps that they may need to have re-explained.

End of Class

I charge $1,000 for the 16 hours plus $100 for each additional student and cap the number of students, per class, at 15.

I also offer a one-on-one 8-hour intensive for $500 or tutor one-on-one by the hour for $65 per hour.

Lawrence

Lawrence Benedict

Apple Certified Final Cut Pro Trainer/Editor (Also Avid)

Contact me here on AlivenotDead or email me directly

lawrence_benedict@yahoo.com

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recently, I have been receiving more and more calls for Final Cut Pro Studio instruction. Since the advent of Final Cut X, it appears that the Final Cut Pro we all know and love is still required by many post houses in Los Angeles and elsewhere.

As a result, I have decided to fill the void and continue offering instruction. I became an Apple Certified Final Cut Pro Trainer/Editor with an exam score of 96.4 and genuinely enjoy sharing the knowledge. A certificate will be available upon completion to prove you know what you are doing and I am devising an exam, similar to the one that used to be offered by Apple, itself, to achieve Final Cut Pro Certification.

I have copied and pasted the following blog entry from further down for anyone who might be interested in receiving such training. So many of us spent ten years working with this wonderful program and were stunned that the wheel had been reinvented.

I've been teaching both Avid and Final Cut for years and advertising it around L.A. I offer one-day crash courses, one-on-one, or for small groups by appointment These are 8 hour courses but the time may be split into 2 four-hour sessions. You can email me directly at lawrence_benedict@yahoo.com or contact me through alivennotdead, right here.

The classes are 8 hours and priced at $500 USD (as of Feb. 1, 2013) when we use your equipment or ours at EditPlus in Sherman Oaks. We are also able to work at JuriFilm where I also teach Avid in a full broadcast environment for $800, or $100 USD, per hour. This is due to the enormous overhead of such a studio, but it is still cheaper than most schools and they do not offer hands-on instruction. When you work with me, it is hands-on from the first minute. I accept cash, credit cards, Paypal or, when arrangements are made in advance, checks are accepted.

You can check me  out with with Jason Tobin who has done some classes with me. Okay, Jason?

I am always available to answer Final Cut questions for ANDers. No charge for that, happy to do it.

While everyone who writes a screenplay, quickly discovers how obsessive the industry is about proper formatting, it takes a little longer to realize that the proper formatting of your title page, alone, can determine whether your story gets read or rejected before the first page is turned.

Like many of the other idiosyncrasies that seem so unfair governing this industry, there actually is some logic behind it and it is mainly created by the sheer volume of properties arriving on agents, producers, and studio desks. 

Here is what readers look for to determine if your screenplay is going to be one of the small percentage that actually gets read.

A script must be held together by two brads. (a brad is a brass fastener that folds open to hold a script together);  three is worse than one. People who bind their scripts using three brads, even if a three hole punch was used, are considered  to be amateurs whose screenplays are probably unshootable. "Next script, please."

Covers should be single sheet, single color, if you use a cover at all. Many veteran writers demonstrate their coolness and savvy by sending out their scripts with title page only. A rule of thumb for your whole submission is that it should not contain anything that cannot be translated to the screen.

When creating your title page choose Final Draft Courier or 12 point Courier as your font. No colors, other than black, should be used.

The title should be about a third of the way down the page, all uppercase and it can be underlined. Under that, double spaced and centered, should be "by" or "written by," upper and lower case. Below that, double spaced and centered, should be the author's name in upper and lower case.

If your script is based on a book or some other source, you can write, double spaced, "Based on" or "from a (work)"  beneath your name, then (single spaced),  followed by the title of that work.
If there are two or more authors they should be listed in alphabetical order and separated by an ampersand, (&). If they are not in alphabetical order, it is assumed that one author considers him or herself to have a larger contribution which can lead to lawsuits down the road. Studios try to avoid lawsuits whenever possible.

If an "a-n-d" is used, rather than an ampersand, it indicates that a screenplay had problems because one author wrote it and another author was hired to fix it. Studios, as a rule, do not want problems at the beginning because plenty are likely to occur down the road. Therefore, always select an ampersand when creating your multiple author title page.

Contact information; your agent's name, phone number and email, should be lower down on the page and close to the left margin, while still being easily read. Your agent may or may not want their address published so check with them on that.

If you have a manager they should also be there. If you have neither at this stage, your own name and contact info should go there in place of them. Contact information should be single spaced.

On the right-hand side of the page opposite the email address should be your Writers Guild Registration number. Never write "copyright" because all screenplays are automatically copyrighted and if you state it, you will appear to be an amateur.

Deviating from any of the above could get your script rejected and it's the easiest part of anything you'll do, so why set yourself up?

A word about copyright:
It is very important to register your script with the Guild so you can prove the ideas were yours if a problem crops up but in a arbitration or court situation, you will only be able to recover Guild minimum as a settlement.

If, however, you register with the Library of Congress you will be able to collect actual losses in a settlement which could be a huge amount of money. Titles are not copyrightable so use a working title until you are actually ready to produce your epic.

The copyright rules above are for United States only but you can use them as guides when applying for copyright in your own country.

I hope that well help anyone wondering why their blockbuster never even got read and make sure it's not your title page that bites you!

Why only two brads not three? i can only surmise that scripts have to be pulled apart many times to make copies of certain scenes for certain departments making 3 brads unnecessary work for the reader but it's possible no-one knows for sure.

There's an old writers joke in Hollywood that goes like this:
How many development people does it take to screw in a light bulb?

Answer:
Does it have to be a light bulb?