The Filmmaker's Guide to Final Cut Pro Workflow

Appendix 8

Conforming Negative

Normally, a professional cuts negative. Much is at risk; a mistake can ruin a shot. If you have made an expensive motion picture, it’s not likely you will want to risk the negative to save a few thousand dollars. However, if you are working on a shoestring, you may have no choice. Or, you may want to involve yourself in every aspect of making your film.

For the most part, this appendix addresses conforming 16 mm. If this is your first time cutting negative, it’s reasonable to assume you are cutting 16 mm. Most people make at least one mistake their first time out, usually on their own student 16 mm film. A 35 mm film follows the exact same process with several exceptions:

• The leader lengths are different when measured ...