Jayna Neagle wrote: > > I have a simple question, maybe too simple for this group. However, I > will ask it anyway because this has been on my mind for quite > sometime--what is linear and non-linear editing? what is off-line, > on-line editing? > In LINEAR EDITING the programme is assembled by the editor shot by shot, starting with the first shot, then the second and so on. This is typically the process used in editing videotape. It requires considerable forethought before each shot is edited onto the end of the existing sequence. If you decide to alter the duration of a shot that occurs early in your programme, you will have to re-lay (in one way or another) every subsequent shot too. In NON-LINEAR editing you can construct a sequence of shots in any order you choose, and later alter the duration of any shot in any position in the programme without affecting subsequent shots. This is true both of film editing and of digital random access editing systems (such as Avid or Lightworks). With film editing, however, you do still have to consider each edit very carefully before you make it - simply because it is awkward to change an edit later (cutting off or replacing single frames which can then sometimes be difficult to play). What most people mean today when they say non-linear is the non-linear digital random access computer based systems. Here, to be honest, you don't need to pay too much attention to each cut as you make it because each cut can be instantly altered. I'm not arguing that as a working method, it is probably still a good idea to carefully consider each cut before you make it - the point is that if your decision is wrong it is easily and quickly changeable. These systems also allow you to try relatively quickly alternative cuts, without losing your original version. In short, these so called non-linear systems might more usefully be referred to as random access systems. OFF-LINE and ON-LINE editing refer to the two principal stages of videotape editing. They roughly correspond to EDITING (off-line) and OPTICAL PRINTING/NEG CUTTING (on-line) in film. The terms themselves come from the computer industry. OFF-LINE editing usually refers to the stage during which relatively inexpensive equipment is used by the editor to construct the essential story of the film - what shots go where and for how long. An off-line edit can be made using linear or non-linear or random access systems. Usually the output of the off-line edit is a list of edit decisions (most often in the form of a computer readable edit decision list, EDL). Often people refer to the off-line edit as the rough cut, but this is wrong. To be effective - ie to save you lots of money in the on-line - it must be very accurate, identifying each shot (by tape number and timecode), its position and duration. The only way in which it is rough is in the technical quality of the images - depending on the system you use, the off-line pictures can be of poor visual quality. The EDL is used in the ON-LINE to re-conform or re-constitute the programme using the original source footage in high quality (and hence expensive) equipment. The first part of the process is fairly automatic, the edit controller calls for the tapes to be inserted in turn into a particular player. It then spools to the correct point and edits the shot onto the record tape. Here the on-line editor's main job is technical, ensuring that the edits are all of the highest technical quality. Once this auto-conform process is complete, the director and on-line editor typically will go through the programme again, adding effects, multi-layering and titles etc. This part of the on-line editor's job can be very creative. On-line edits can take place in tape based on-line suites (usually consisting of two players, one recorder, an edit controller, a mixer, a digital effects computer, a caption generator, an audio mixer, various meters and so on) or in a random access non linear computer based system (consisting of a single player/recorder and a computer system such as Avid). ---- To sign off SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]