Post-Production Summary

For a while now, I've been bugging Jim to do a lil' interview about what's going on with the movie. I figured it'd be more interesting for you folks to read about his direct experience, than a summary of my second-hand info -- especially since I haven't actually seen any of the work done since they locked the cut! Wait a minute.... I don't even think I saw the locked cut? This decision was my choice, btw. During editing, I had seen that movie sooo many friggin' times, that I decided I didn't want to watch it again until it was completely done. It'll be much more fresh n' exciting that way. Jim completely agreed. He understands the monotony better than anyone, as he has seen it 100 times more than me and knows every blink, pause and breath intimately.

Anyway, I just wanted to letcha know that a lil' interview with Jim is coming... eventually. So if you have any questions for him - movie-related or not - send them to me and I'll get him to answer those as well. Even though Jim is generally a pretty guarded guy, because this blog isn't as public as the "official" DE blog, I told him that he can hang his professionalism at the door and be a little more free in what he shares. Because gawd knows that if anyone was relying on the so-called official blog for news, they'd know dick all! Too many bottlenecks with that one....

However, in the meantime 'til Jim gives his two cents, here's a general idea of what's been going on behind the scenes these last few weeks....

Special FX - While this includes more obvious graphics (that I can't tell you about), most of the work has been done on subtle things to enhance the quality of the film. For example, any time you see stars in the sky - whether faint in the background or pronounced through a telescope - it's allll digital, baby. Most special fx generally go unnoticed - like stars or reflections, etc - but they still come with a hefty price tag.

Sound Design/Mixing - Sound design is a way of emphasizing the mood by adding subtle background noises that you'll likely never notice unless you're listening for them. The next time you watch TV or a movie, try paying attention to how random sounds float in, enhancing the scene. For instance, a low rumble or haunting undertones can build intensity, while a breezy wind-chime can lighten things up and create a more uplifting or magical feel.

The sound design/mixing process also includes stripping ALL the sound from the movie, and then putting it all back in. This gets rid of any unnecessary sounds like the squeak of a chair or sneezing crew member. It also replaces existing sounds with better alternatives. So if Donovan slammed the door, they'd replace it with a louder slamming door than what was recorded on set. New sounds are also added in such as running footsteps, laboured breathing, a train in the distance, etc...

ADR - This stands for automated dialog replacement, which is part of the sound mixing process. Sometimes an actor's clothing rubs their mic or occasionally an airplane flies overhead. These sounds are picked up in the recording and interfere with the quality of their dialog. Also, during the editing process when a scene is cut down, dialog needs to be added or altered accordingly in order to get the condensed point across. So, after every film is locked, actors are brought into a sound studio where they're provided with a list of lines they need them to re-record. These lines are then dubbed back into the movie. If a line is totally changed, the scene is cut so that you don't seen the actor's face when s/he says it.

Occasionally on old TV shows (especially on Happy Days) you may notice that the level of an actor's voice is suddenly different - sometimes louder or in a different tone. Also, in some movies (as I noticed last week when watching The People Vs. Larry Flint) an actor's lips may not match their words exactly. These are both instances where the ADR was fudged up. :P

Music Composing - During all our rough cuts, temp music was borrowed from other movies to keep the momentum going. The choice of temp music was played around with quite a bit and borrowed from films as diverse as Lady in the Water to Emily Rose. Since the score obviously wasn't composed for our film, trying to find temp tunes that hit the right beats was a daunting task. Occasionally temp music with the wrong tempo or mood would impact survey results, with audience members citing that the music didn't fit in certain scenes, and that it was either too subtle or overpowering.

Now with a locked cut, a professional composer is creating a score for our film that fits the mood of each scene and builds/hits every beat perfectly. I can't wait to hear it!! Jim is quite enthusiastic with what the composer has come up with so far. So exciting!!

Colour Correction - At Technicolour's studio, the movie is carefully watched frame by frame, as shadows are removed, colours are brightened, and style is added. For instance, our 1940's scene has been given a blue-ish hue (reminiscent of Jim's short film) to match the hue on the black n' white TV showing clips from that same era. Our 1960's scenes are more saturated with warmer red and golds. And remember I was saying how the sun came out so perfectly for that last shot in our film? Well, now it *really* does! I think hanging out at Technicolour has been one of Jim's favourite parts of the process. Although the easy-going vibe, those big cozy chairs with drink holders, and the gourmet catered lunches might have something to do with that! A few times now he's remarked that Technicolour seems like a cool place to work.

Anyway... that's all I got to say about that. So send me your questions n' I'll pester Jim to finally give his thoughts on these last phases of post-production. His insight will be a lot more interesting. I promise. :)