Field of Dreams
Ever wondered what the job of a television editor is? Fascinated by how the hours of footage shot for an episode of Xena: Warrior Princess are whittled down to a 45-minute episode? Xena editor Robert Field reveals all to Ian Rentoul.
Official Xena Magazine: Issue 11
Working from the Pacific Renaissance offices in Los Angeles, California, Robert Field and fellow editor Jim Prior are the men responsible for getting the Xena footage received from New Zealand into the edited form we see on screen.
It’s no easy job, and, talking from his home in Los Angeles, Field relished the opportunity to fill Xena fans in on the work involved in television editing. He turned first to the subject of the show's finale, Motherhood, which recently aired on US television screens.
“We received 22 tapes of shot footage,” Field says of the amount of film he had to edit down into the episode. “I would guess we got about 18 hours of material from both Main and Second Unit. That's a lot for a 44 and a half-minute long episode, and I only had two and a half weeks to put the first cut together. Just to give you an idea, the first [or editor's] cut of that show was an hour long and had 1,334 video [or picture] edits. I normally average about 900 video edits per show. The final cut of Motherhood still had over 1,300 edits as well as 162 effects shots. Talk about a killer episode!”
Field expands on the editing process, explaining at what point he becomes involved in an individual episode. “I read the shooting draft, although on rare occasions I read earlier drafts. As the footage comes in, I cut it together by myself in whatever way I feel best presents the material and tells the story. When this is done, the ‘editor’s cut’ goes to the director. The director then comes to the cutting room and we make whatever changes are needed. This varies from director to director, because some are very thorough and go through everything, while others just ‘tweak’ things here and there. We often just try to figure out how to cut the show down closer to broadcast length.
“I do not do any research before editing a show other than reading the script,” he reveals. “I have virtually no contact with the writers regarding what they are writing, although we do say ‘hello’ from time to time. On occasion, I will contact the director of an episode while I’m cutting it, usually to ask what the progression of an action sequence is if it is difficult to determine from the footage shot.”
Field explains that he doesn't receive all the material for an episode in one go, but that each day's film footage is sent to him immediately from New Zealand. “Tapes come in every day, which is why they are called ‘dailies’,” he explains, “although shipping snags sometimes alter that. These contain all the footage shot on any given day that the director has asked to be printed. Sometimes, scenes arrive in sections over several days or a complete scene may be received at one time. Some action sequences have been known to arrive in sections over several days or weeks depending on how huge and complicated the sequence might be. Second Unit footage always arrives after the Main Unit's as they start shooting several days after Main Unit has begun. A typical show might have eight days of Main Unit production while the Second Unit might shoot for a couple of weeks or more, depending on the show.
“Generally, I try not to work on a scene until I have all the footage for it, but time constraints sometimes affect that and I may have to edit a sequence before I get it all and then ‘re-cut’ after the rest of the material comes in. This might be as simple as an insert of a sword being pulled from a sheath or very complicated fight coverage from the Second Unit.”
Not only do Field and Prior receive numerous scenes which have to be cut or even dropped entirely, they are also sent different takes for each scene and must choose the one which best fits into the episode as a whole. “The ladder fight in Callisto had over 145 takes between the Main and Second Units,” he says. “The hot-tub scene in A Day in the Life had only three takes, all of them ‘oners’ [where the director decides to shoot a given scene in one take] of the same action.
“It all depends on the sequence,” he continues. “A simple dialogue scene will have maybe five to 15 takes. These angles might include a master [wide angle] shot, medium shots and single close-ups. There may also be ‘two-shots’ [where two people are in the frame] either from the side or over the shoulder. A complicated action sequence will have many, many times that number of takes and camera angles.
“I recently completed an action sequence in Livia in which Xena fights Livia in a Roman arena which had footage of the Roman Emperor in his box from various angles and various crowd shots, from the Main and Second Units, Gabrielle and friends watching from their position in a jail and Xena fighting her opponent, again from Main and Second Unit. This sequence covered the introduction of the arena, the presentation of the opponents, the fight itself, the aftermath and the conclusion.
“We would have a shot here, for example, called Scene 26, Take 1, covered by both an A and B camera for a close angle on the first camera and a wider angle on the second, which is pretty common. Let’s say they shoot four takes of Scene 26 so that becomes 26/1 to 26/4. With both cameras, we now have eight takes on that set-up. The next camera set-up (for a change of angle) will be 26A Take 1, and so on. Once the alphabet gets used up, they switch to 26AA, then 26AB and so on. The fight in the arena went through to Take 26AE. You do the maths! And bear in mind that the alphabetic designation refers not to the number of takes for any given camera set-up, but just the camera angle [setup] itself. There may be only one take or as many as five or more. It just depends. Not all takes get printed [put on tape], but most do. All I can say is, this sequence was a ‘killer’ in terms of its size. When you consider that we are still ‘just’ a television show with tight schedules, you can begin to appreciate what a large task it can be.
“The most challenging scenes are the ones where there is a huge amount of footage shot and the complexity of the sequence is staggering. Scenes like this are the ladder fight in Callisto or the War/Peace number from The Bitter Suite. One thing that needs to be kept in mind is that all sequences, as cut, are built from scratch. There are no 'roadmaps’ or cutting notes that indicate what each and every shot will be and how long it will be on screen. It’s an evolving process that develops as it progresses. You just have to feel your way along as you go.”
There are also occasions when sections of episodes have to be re-shot or new material shot after an episode is completed. “I know that elements of the sequence where Gabrielle is giving birth to Hope in Gabrielle’s Hope were re-shot,” he says, "because [Executive Producer] Rob Tapert felt that the existing footage wasn't scary enough. So he went back and personally directed the additional material. In Punchlines, all the scenes between Gabrielle and Aphrodite were written and photographed after the show had first been shot and edited. It was felt by all that the show needed some kind of framing device to help it along, but this type of circumstance is rare.”
Asked if there are any instances where an episode has been returned for a re-edit once the final ‘cut’ has been prepared, Field recalls one particular incident. “Rob Tapert once asked that a sequence in Mortal Beloved be changed while they were in the middle of doing the sound mix. That was a bit tricky because you can’t change the length of the sequence at that point, only what happens in it. But we did it and it became a matter of shortening a shot and changing a short montage that came after. We did this by adjusting the length; of other shots and adding a new one.
“For Motherhood, Rob [Tapert] had a twinge of conscience after the show was on-lined [locked] and they had already started the sound mix. He decided at that point that he missed a dialogue exchange between Xena and Ares, so I had to put it back in. The problem was, the episode was already locked, and I couldn't simply add the footage in because the show would then be too long. Additionally, Bernie Joyce wanted the footage in, but not to make the overall section longer so the sound work past that point would stay in its current sync. For this one, I tightened up all the shots leading up to and through the dialogue exchange and drastically shortened the exit shot of the sequence so it all fitted into the same space.
“Every cut of every show is saved, from the editor's cut to the final producer's cut,” Field reveals. “Producer's cuts may be numerous, but the average is three. All uncut footage is saved in its original form as well. Eventually it is all delivered to the studio to be held in their vaults.”
So, on average, how long does it take Field to complete an edit from receiving the film? “As long as it takes,” he responds. “The rule of thumb is that the editor's cut should be complete within two or three days of getting in the last day's ‘dailies’. Obviously, with such complicated shows, this is not always possible. It also depends on how long Main and Second Units shoot. We have had shows where Main Unit shoots for 10 days and Second Unit for two to three weeks.
“The Bitter Suite took four and a half weeks to do the editor’s cut,” he says. “The Debt Parts I and II took five and a half weeks to cut as they were shot and cut simultaneously. In this time frame we have to add nights and weekends to help get the show done in time.
“Every director has a very different way of shooting,” Field remarks, “while the story itself often affects the style of the show as well. My approach to every show is the same. I try to let the material, the actual footage, speak to me and tell me how it needs and wants to be edited. I am sure I have some stylistic aspects that I personally bring to my editing as well, but generally I try to edit the footage in a way that seems best suited to its particular look and feel as well as for pace, timing, general dynamics and effectiveness.
“When I was editing A Fistful of Dinars I felt that, story-wise, it borrowed from both the Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns and Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark,” he remarks. “It felt like a bit of a homage to both. But I can’t say that knowledge affected my editing style or influenced how I approached the material. I can only say that I tried to do the best job I knew - which is always my direction.
“I have enjoyed all of the shows I have edited to some degree,” Field acknowledges. “Some are certainly more successful than others, whether in story, performance or even editing. I have a particular fondness for The Greater Good, because it just seemed to work so well on so many levels. I loved A Day in the Life and I must also admit that I thought, overall, Ides of March was a terrific show from beginning to end. Still, my favourite part of that show starts with Xena and the prisoners escaping from the jail, Xena being hit by the Chakram and through to the end where Xena and Gabrielles spirits reunite and float off into wherever. I am very proud of the work I did on that show. For me, The Debt, Parts I & II are two of the best shows we have ever done. I think they stand as shining examples of what is possible in a relatively low budget, syndicated television show, and I know they were very successful with the fans as well.”
Asked whether he has any amusing anecdotes about behind-the-scenes life on Xena, Field does recall one rather strange incident. “Years ago I worked on A Fistful of Dinars, which was directed by Josh Becker. At one point during the director’s cut, Josh turned to me and said, ‘You cut my pan out... why did you cut my pan out?’ What had happened was, there is a scene where Xena and Petracles are trying to get to the ambrosia cave before Thersites does. The two of them come through this beaded curtain and stop. The camera then pans across this large room ending on a door that Thersites comes through holding Gabrielle at knifepoint.
“In the interest of time and pacing, I edited out the pan so that we cut from Xena and Petracles coming through the curtain directly to Thersites and Gaby coming in the door. When I explained my reasoning to Mr. Becker, he looked at me and said, ‘You just don't like good cinema, do you?’ I have never stopped laughing about that one, and Rick Jacobson loves to tease me about it, even today. Whenever I do something he disagrees with he asks me that infamous question!
“A more bizarre incident occurred while I was editing Ides of March,” he continues. “The director, Ken Girotti, was in from Canada and we were working on the director’s cut. It just happened that our final day of cutting fell on Good Friday. Generally, in late March or early April, the weather in Los Angeles is pretty temperate with clear skies and mild temperatures. This particular day was cloudy and rainy and by mid-afternoon we had tremendous thunderstorms in the area with streak lightning that reached from the thunderheads to the ground below. Usually in LA we have lightning that stays in the clouds. This was kind of a first. The director and I both agreed that it was all a bit weird editing the sequence where Xena and Gabrielle are being crucified, on Good Friday no less, in the middle of a huge thunderstorm. Pure coincidence? We'll never know!”
Field admits that he would love to edit a future length Xena instalment should the show move into TV movies or films once the series proper ends. “If Xena were to be made into a feature film, I would be flattered and pleased if I were given the opportunity to edit it,” he muses, “since there are many fine feature editors who would be available for a project of that size. Naturally, I feel I would have an advantage over any of them given my experience on the series, but the feature world operates in a different way to television. I can only hope for the best.
“I feel that making the jump to features sometime in the future is the most logical step for me to make in my career. But there is no way to predict how these things happen. I have enjoyed a wonderful working relationship with Rob Tapert and would eagerly accept whatever challenge he might throw my way.
“Maybe the young film student from UC Santa Cruz who one day dreamed of directing might just get that chance. Of course, it would probably scare the crap out of me!”
SIDEBAR: Cutting Edge
Robert Field gives us a step-by-step guide to how it all works, from receiving the footage to the final cut.
1. The show is shot on film in New Zealand and then transferred to a Digi-Beta Master tape. A three-quarter inch videocassette (also known as a U-Matic) is made from the master tape. The three-quarter inch tape then gets shipped to Los Angeles.
2. The footage arrives at the editing room, which is equipped with an AVID system - a digital, non-linear editing system based on a Macintosh computer. The Editor's Assistant loads the footage on the computer, breaks it down by 'scene' and 'take' number and puts the resulting tapes into Scene Bins so that the Editor can edit them easily.
3. The Editor cuts all the scenes and these are assembled in First or Editor’s Cut.
4. The Editor's Cut goes to the Director who comes in and with the Editor to make changes to the show that he/she wants. This can involve performance adjustments, re-cutting to emphasise or de-emphasise some aspect of the scene or just figuring out what dialogue or scenes can be cut down or lost due to the over running. When this cut, The Director's Cut, is finished, it goes to the producers.
5. The Editor and his assistant go through the show and log all shots that will be special effects shots. They then preside over a meeting with the special effects people, usually Flat Earth and the Renaissance Pictures effects staff, currently Harrison Ellenshaw (Supervisor) and Martin Lam (Co-ordinator), in which they go over all the effects shots and what they need to look like. Something simple, such as Chakram impacts and god appearances, although they try to create different looks for each god or complex pieces like the Tarot card in The Bitter Suite.
6. The Producer sends notes on further cutting of the show. These may be simple, such as cutting more material, or complicated like re-cutting a sequence or creating a montage for something that wasn’t planned. For example, when the Director’s Cut of The Way had been finished, Rob Tapert sent notes which indicated that he wanted to create a 'birth of a river' montage to open the show. Footage of snowy mountains had to be found, with melting snow and water flowing into rivers that lead us to the bank where Xena and Gabrielle are talking. The Producers Cut may take only a couple or many passes before it is ‘locked’ or considered a ‘final cut’.
7. Once the Producer’s Cut is ‘locked’ it is then ‘on-lined’. This is where the first phase of the final broadcast tape master begins. All of the original Digi-Beta masters are edited, cut for cut, to match the final ‘off-line’ version (which is done in the AVID editing room) to a broadcast master tape. This is all electronic. The original masters are not physically altered; the edited pieces are merely transferred to the broadcast master. This tape does not yet have titles or final effects shots and is called the Edit Master.
8. At this point, the final sound work for the show begins. Sound Effects editors build the various sound effects tracks for the mix, the dialogue editors build the dialogue tracks for the mix and Joe LoDuca composes the music for the show. Actors re-record dialogue in ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) to correct bad sound (airplanes, etc, on the track) or to improve their performances. Foley (sound effects) artists record special sounds like footsteps or clothing rustles or anything needed to fill out the sound track. Loops groups (voice artists) record additional dialogue such as crowd noise or dialogue lines from off-camera people, etc. Once alI the various sound tracks are completed, the sound for the entire show is mixed down to a final stereo mix. Bernadette Joyce supervises this whole process.
9. As the sound work is being completed, so are the special effects shots, which are put into the Edit Master of the show. Other shots are put in as well, such as wire-removals. This is where an actor, usually a stunt double, has done a stunt involving wires for an action sequence. The wires are digitally ‘painted out’ using a computer and the finished ‘clean’ shot is edited into the Edit Master.
10. At some point, the show will be colour-corrected. This is where the entire Edit Master is gone over shot by shot to make sure the colour balance from one cut to the next is even and matches properly. All shots including effects shots go through this process and are transferred to a new broadcast master known as the Colour Master.
11. Once the show includes all the effects shots, has been colour corrected, the final titles have been put into the Colour Master and the final sound mix is ‘laid back’, or transferred, onto the final Colour Master, it is QC’d (or quality checked) from beginning to end to make sure everything is as it should be. The final QC’d master is then delivered to the Studio where it is put into broadcast format and shipped to the stations who will put in their commercials and then broadcast it to all the Xena fans around the world!
SIDEBAR: The Bitter Suite
Rob Field recalls editing the hotly-discussed season four episode The Bitter Suite.
“The Bitter Suite was an inordinately difficult enterprise for all concerned - myself included. It was not only my first musical, but everyone else’s as well, so we were all on a huge learning curve! For me, cutting a sequence of any kind presents its own set of challenges, but adding the musical aspect amplified those challenges tremendously. It is often difficult to edit a ‘regular’ sequence for a variety of reasons, because actors are not robots and they often do things differently at different times from take to take. So adding the music to the sequence merely served to make things even more difficult.
“One of the hardest things in The Bitter Suite was that they were never able to shoot the entire song in a master take. Bits of the song were recorded in different takes and I was forced not only to cut the footage so that it made sense visually, but also to edit the music together so that the song was correct. Fortunately, I had done a lot of music editing when making trailers for movies, and that experience really helped a lot.
“Our composer, Joe LoDuca, threw a curve at me, as well, although I am sure it was not intentional. The music was recorded with ‘temp’ music tracks and, in some cases, ‘temp’ vocals as well. After the orchestra recorded the score, Joe instructed the music editor to go back and put in the final vocals where applicable and also to put the vocals into the orchestra rendering in correct time to the music. In other words, it was to make the vocal track correct musically to the timing of the music. Since vocalists do not always sing a track in absolutely correct musical time, this meant that the re-synched vocals did not match my picture anymore. So I had to re-cut footage to get the performer’s lips back in sync with the new vocal tracks. It was a nightmare in some places, but I do believe it came out well, all things considered.
“Would I like to cut another musical? Let me put it this way: Jim Prior was originally slated to edit The Bitter Suite and I asked him to switch shows with me so I could cut it. When it came time for Lyre, Lyre, Hearts On Fire, I wasn't sorry to discover that he was scheduled to do it!
“A final note on The Bitter Suite is that in addition to the added complexity of the musical content, we ended up with 172 special effects shots - that’s more than any Xena episode until Fallen Angel.”
SIDEBAR: Robert Field Biography
Robert Field originally intended to pursue a career in writing. However, after taking a class in experimental film, he decided to make a film of his own (using his father's newly purchased Super 8 movie camera, splicer, viewer and projector) as an alternative to writing a term paper for the class. Hooked after that, he switched majors and ended making 16 short films while in college.
Graduating with honours from The University of California, Santa Cruz, he moved to Los Angeles in 1975 with the intention of getting into the film industry, “much to the horror and dismay of my parents’’, he recalls. “I planned to become a director and follow the lead of my hero, Alfred Hitchcock, as well as the footsteps of a young, budding director named Steven Spielberg.”
His first job in the industry was in the Trailer Department at Universal Studios and it was here that his professional editing experience began. A comical note to this is that the Head of the Trailer Department looked at the college films he produced and pronounced, “Well, you’re no Steven Spielberg!” Even so, Field ended up being hired as his assistant several months later.
Field edited a low-budget movie in 1985 called Cavegirl. “It is not only forgettable,” he says, “but I even had a small part in it because the director didn't have any money to pay for more actors!” Principally, however, he wrote, edited, produced and directed trailers for over 20 years and worked on well over 300 campaigns. He became the head of the Universal Studios Trailer Department in 1987 and was made a Vice President in 1989.
During his stay at Universal, Field edited a trailer for the movie Darkman, and this work was instrumental in what followed, since the movie was directed by Sam Raimi and produced by Rob Tapert. “As I was leaving the studio, Rob Tapert called my boss, who had originally hired me to run the Trailer Department, asking if he could recommend someone to edit a main title/prologue sequence for some television movies that he was producing called Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. My boss recommended me since I'd done the Darkman trailer, so Rob and I met and I did the main title/prologue for him.
“I also hinted at that time that I was very interested in getting out of the trailer business and editing long form [television shows and movies]. But Mr Tapert indicated to me that he had no other work to offer. Hercules ended up as a television series. A year later, I was asked if I would like to be an editor on a new series that Renaissance Pictures was going to spin off from Hercules, and that series turned out to be Xena.
“I ultimately agreed to work on the show, and that was in July 1995.”