Inside The Matrix A Screening with Zach Staenberg, Dane Davis & Gregg Rudloff by Andrew Seklir On June 21st, The Editors Guild, Avi d, and LA Digital Post presented a screening of ‘The Matrix’, followed by a panel discussion with Zach Staenberg (Picture Editor), Dane Davis (Sound Designer/Supervising Sound Editor), and Gregg Rudloff (Re-recording Mixer). All three received Academy Awards for their work on the film. The screening was introduced by Rob Kobrin, Guild member and recently-appointed Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing for Avid Technology. In his introduction, he expressed Avid’s firm commitment to the Hollywood environment and community. With new, low cost digital editing systems giving Avid a run for its money, this is a pivotal time for the company and they appear to be seeking to reaffirm their relationship with their high-profile customers in Los Angeles and New York. For the audience, a mix of filmmakers, Guild members and a large number of teenagers, it was an excellent opportunity to see and hear the film in the optimal screening environment at the Director’s Guild. The panelists then took to the stage to answer questions and shed some light on the making of the film. When asked what they thought was most important to the success of the film, they stressed the strong vision of the directors, brothers Andy and Larry Wachowski. The pair co-wrote the script and started showing it to their key post production people while still finishing their first film, Bound. This gave everyone ample opportunity to start thinking about it and for Dane, it meant that he could start compiling and recording sound effects very early. Next, the Wachowskis presented a detailed storyboard of the film that read much like a graphic novel. It provided a common visual reference point and allowed everyone to pre-visualize specific sequences (apparently there are plans to publish it). Once shooting got under way, good and frequent communication between the various key departments was part of the winning equation. At first glance this seems straightforward, but the logistics were difficult in that the picture was being cut in Sydney, Australia and sound was being done in Los Angeles. By using the Internet, sound was able to evolve alongside picture in a gradual process. Zach would send edited sequences to Dane in Holly-wood, and Dane would upload effects tracks for transmission to Sydney. For Dane, it was the first time that sound was fully digital from start to finish. The process started by having picture and sound elements loaded separately and synched in the Avid. Audio went directly from DAT to drive and film dailies were projected dual-system using a "digital dubber" to play back the digitized audio contained on a jazz disc. The film was completed on a fairly routine post schedule – under eight months in post production. While admitting there was a lot of hard work, Zach mentioned that, for the most part, it felt fairly easy. He seems to have been excited and inspired by the process of working on such a collaborative project. Although some scenes ended up being shortened, there were no major structural or story changes that took place in editorial. Zach attributes this to the amount of careful planning that went into making the film. He also emphasized the importance of having a small, focused crew, and planning in advance for special effects. Dane frequently consulted with the composer to make sure that sound design would not compete with score. For Gregg, the sixty-day mix was aided by a ten-day temp dub where the challenge was to strike a balance between action and dialogue. All stressed the most important thing was clarity in the telling of the story. The panel also discussed the Wachow-skis’ working style. Though guided by a strong vision, the directors allowed each department to fully exercise their respective crafts, and encouraged each to contribute to and enhance the overall vision of the film. By not attempting to control every aspect of the filmmaking, the directors were able to get the best out of the creative team they had assembled. By trusting them, and by winning the trust of the studio with their rigorous preparation and coherent vision, the Wachowskis effectively created an "auteur" film within the studio system. There was also a brief discussion about how the future of technology will affect the workplace. All agreed that interconnectivity through advances in telecommunications would improve the work environment and workflow, which hopefully will translate into more time for people to work on a project. They also agreed that the technological tools used to get the job done should become as transparent as possible. In addition, they stressed the need for tools to have interfaces that are more ergonomically designed for the eyes, wrists, hands and backs. Zach is looking forward to a time when he can edit high resolution or uncompressed video. Dane wants to be able to take 24fps sequences from the Avid to cut directly in Pro Tools. Gregg looks forward to a mixing console that will take change notes and be event-based instead of timecode-based so that mixing information can travel with sequences during the course of a dub. It’s interesting to note that while the evening was co-sponsored by Avid, Zach made a point of explaining that he places the importance of good story-telling above the mastery of any particular editing system. He indicated that the advantage of the Avid is not that editing gets done faster, but that the editor gets to try more options in the same amount of time. Of course, new tools make the logistics of the job easier, but it is still the creative individual’s input that ultimately makes the difference in the film. Nobody should understand this better than Rob Kobrin. As a former editor, his relationship with Avid goes back to 1989. Reached in his office, he indicated that he is interested in streamlining the work environment and making processes more efficient for the editor. So far, he has helped develop technologies such as OMF and shared storage and is currently developing Avid ProNet, an internet-based review and approval system. Though wary of being inundated with phone calls, Rob is open to speaking with editors regarding their concerns. However, he suggested that people with specific issues speak directly with Alan Stewart, Avid’s film specialist at the Burbank office. If you’re a fan of the 'The Matrix' you’ll be happy to learn that the next two installments will be shot back-to-back during a fifty-two week production schedule. Some of the key visual effects scenes will shoot first because the effects will take as much as a year to create. 'The Matrix 2' is due in 2002.   Andrew Seklir is an editor, Guild member and graduate of the American Film Institute editing program. He can be reached via email   Reprinted from The Motion Picture Editors Guild Magazine Vol. 21, No. 4 - July/August 2000   Guild Home | Magazine Home | Top of Page   Copyright © 2000, All Rights Reserved by The Motion Picture Editors Guild, IATSE Local 700