Negative Cutting: Principle
When the fine cut of the picture has been perfected the camera original can be matched to the edited cutting copy. This work can be done before a film soundtrack is dubbed but it is often best to wait until the dub has been completed in case any last minute changes are required. Once the camera original has been cut changes often cannot be made. As I have already mentioned, the work of matching original to cutting copy is known as negative cutting. It is a specialist’s job, not usually done by the editor, and must be done with great precision. When you have perfected your final edited version you will normally send your cutting copy to a negative cutting specialist. Often the work is done in a laboratory neg cutting department.
Cutting by numbers
The negative cutter does not know your film and may well not be particularly interested in its subject. He (or she) is only concerned with the numbers on the edge of the film. The neg cutter will first log your cutting copy. He will wind through and make a note of the numbers on the edge of each shot you have used. Then he will wind through the camera original and take out the same shots. Using a sychroniser, which must be spotlessly clean and free of any attachments like magnetic sound heads, he will match original and cutting copy, shot for shot and cut for cut. He will do this by lining up the numbers on the side of the cutting copy with the identical numbers on the edge of the original checking two numbers each side to make sure before he makes a cut. Then he will join the master with cement and run on until he has a reel or reels of original exactly matching the edited version of your film. If a film only consists of cuts, and there are no dissolves, it is quite possible to neg cut a 16mm film in one reel so that at the end of the job you have one reel of edited cutting copy and one reel of edited camera original. Alternatively, the original can be assembled in two rolls using either a checkerboard or A and B roll process.
Cutting by numbers
Use a clean synchroniser without magnetic sound attachments and wear clean white linen gloves. Put the cutting copy (B) in the first track. Wind down to the first edge number. Take the original for the same scene and put it alongside in the 2nd track of the synchroniser (A). Align the edge numbers so that they are exactly parallel (C & D). Wind on and check another number to make sure you have not made a mistake, then wind back and cut the original, level with the cut in the cutting copy. Join with cement.