editing Organizing clips - Scene heading + letters

[alexo]

Hi,

I`m the assistant editor on a local indie feature, shooting in a few weeks. I`ve been reading over the script and the writer for some reason has decided to use letters in his/her scene heading markings on certain pages. Scene 1A, 1B, 2, 3, followed by 3A, etc.

For labeling clips, I like to use, 1A/1, 1B/2. To indicate the scene, the current set up, and lastly, the take.

Does anyone have any experience labeling clips if the scene heading markings have letters in them? Seems like it could become a bit messy in post.

 

[Gonzo_Entertainment]

In the "standard" that I was taught the letter is a setup, the camera has moved. The script would only have Scene 3, the shot list and the slate would have 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, etc... just as you say.

I HAVE done what you describe on a limited scale when a scene is inserted after scripts have already been sent out to crew. If I add a scene between Scene 3 and Scene 4 it would be Scene 3A so it doesn't throw the scene numbers off after it. That's the only reason to do it and may be why they did it.

 

[Cracker Funk]

Hi,

I`m the assistant editor on a local indie feature, shooting in a few weeks. I`ve been reading over the script and the writer for some reason has decided to use letters in his/her scene heading markings on certain pages. Scene 1A, 1B, 2, 3, followed by 3A, etc.

Yep, that's weird. As Gonzo mentioned, maybe the reason he/she did it is because they added in a new scene, and didn't want to completely shift all of the scene numbers.

Regardless, I don't see how it should present a big problem, so long as the rest of the protocol is followed. I mean, does it really matter if you call it scene 4, instead of scene 3A? So you'll have to label things differently, no big whoop. Instead of 3A-1, maybe you label it 3-A-1, that way when you get to the strangely labeled scene 3A, you can label the shots in this manner: 3A-A-1.

I've been making movies for years, and I've only recently learned that the number-letter-number system was any kind of standard. I've always used all numbers: 1-1-1, 1-2-1, 2-1-1, etc. Who cares? As long as you have some way of labeling scene-shot-take, it's six or half dozen of the other.

As a general rule, I think it's good to follow standards, so I'm gonna start using letters to indicate the shot. But for this one project, since the writer has already implemented a weird system, might as well run with it.

 

[Alcove Audio]

I've gotten lots of different formats for scene designation, but they all started with the basic scene-shot-take format. Mostly they would add what type of shot it was, and some would add the characters name (or an abbreviation).

11-D-3-CU-John

I did like having CU (Close Up), TS (Two Shot), etc. when it came time to find matching dialog from the unused clips.

Yep, that's weird. As Gonzo mentioned, maybe the reason he/she did it is because they added in a new scene, and didn't want to completely shift all of the scene numbers.

It shouldn't really matter. I've gotten two films that had the scenes in a very different order than the original script. I've also gotten films where numerous scenes were cut outright. It was sort of weird going from 23-A-5 straight to 36-C-3; it got me wondering what wasn't there.

 

[Gonzo_Entertainment]

I've had to do it because the AD was already breaking down the script, shot lists had already been started, etc... If you then add a scene between scene 3 and scene 4 then every scene after that is now off between script and breakdown. It would be a lot of work to realign everything on the pre-pro work. Much easier to just make it scene 3A. Same is true of a "hidden scene" which I had a couple of in my last script. He went from the bedroom to the hallway, should be another scene, so you can either leave it as a hidden scene or make it an "A" scene.