How are film negatives cut to match an edit done on videotape?
(information courtesy Martin Gignac martyg@sympatico.ca) The original film negatives, after processing, are transferred to videotape, with the film’s keycode (barcodes printed on the edge of the film negative by the manufacturer, and containing the same information as the visible `edge numbers’) encoded on the tape, often in the Vertical Interval Time Code (VITC) region of the tape. Non-drop-frame timecode is recorded as well. Visible timecode/keycode are `burned in’ to the picture as well. The tape is synched with the production sound and is then ready for editing. For non-linear editing, the pictures and sound from the tape are digitized along with the timecode and keycode information. After editing, the an EDL (edit decision list) is created, with the video non-drop-frmae timecode numbers, along with a keycode number list. Each cut is then verified and the list is sent along with a videotape of the edited version and the negatives to the negative cutter, who then verifies everything
