Cinema Tools Conforming Negs/ Charles Papert?

[Richard Alvarez]

Charles, (et al.)

We are about to shoot a short on 35mm and looking forward to the work flow. I cut on AvidXpress and have a powerpack, my partner cuts on FCP and has cinematools. I've posted on the avid forum, and I am posting here for info about Cinematools.

Here's the question. Has anybody here conformed a negative using Cinematools WITHOUT getting a workprint first? Basically is the cutlist generated by Cinematools frame accurate enough to cut with? The manuals suggest generating a workprint to verify the cutlist before actually conforming the negative.

Any one here cut a 35mm film without doing that?

Thanks for any insights or advice on workflow.

[Charles Papert]

I'm flattered but in that end of the game, I'm strictly production (so far), haven't seen a 35mm show through to post yet so I don't have an answer for this, although it seems like an expensive gamble not to strike the workprint in case there are errors. At the very least I would make a short (30 second) "junk" edit using trims that are from reels that don't appear in the final film, then have that conformed as (hopefully) a low- or no-cost test just to see if that turns out perfectly and proceed from there.

[Rob Belics]

Robert Duvall in "The Apostle". I believe they didn't use a workprint or dailies (!). They relied on the lab to tell them if the negative had any problems (!).

You'll need to do a search to find out what software they used.

[Richard Alvarez]

The lab is supposed to tell you if there are any problems with the negs, I am wondering about the accuracy of the edl generated by cinema tools.

Thanks for your input guys, I guess we'll talk to the lab next and see if they have any firsthand experience ... I know they'll say "Make a workprint just to be safe"... we are just looking to assess the exact risk exposure on working without one. Someone who will say "I always cut without one, and never had a problem" or " I trusted cinema tools and got burned bad."

Not looking to be a pioneer here.

Richard

[Zac Stein]

also depends if you are working offline or online.

When working offline, if it is not perfectly frame accurate it is not detrimental, because minor changes are fixed during the online print, but it could get annoying when conforming a frame synched soundtrack.

BUT and i say this again, BUT a work print, put onto mini-dv is kinda very very cheap. Latest quote i had was for 1 hour worth of film, was $130 USD, now i dunno about you, but $130 is hardly anything out of the budget and worth it for the piece of mind.


Zac

[Jeff Donald]

I asked several colleagues that teach film at the school I teach at, and both have used Cinema Tools for conforming negs with no problems. I personally don't teach in the film department and have no experience with Cinema Tools, as you describe. I would also post on the Apple Discussions if you get conflicting reports on Cinema Tools performance.