Digital Video - January 2008 - (Page 40) Even that compressed, there is generally about 8 terabytes (TB) of picture and sound to work with for each episode. The Unity, Higgins says, “is definitely crucial to our being able to have seven editing rooms going at once. We can all use the same B-roll. It’s very helpful.” The process of sifting through the material starts with the shooting producers, who provide notes with the camera reports about potentially good material. “There is a rating system for each client,” Higgins says. “‘This person has a great story.’ ‘That person is funny.’ ‘She’s dull.’ ‘He’s hard to listen to.’ And we get notes that something interesting happens — for instance, ‘a client’s children come in at this time code.’ Our transcribers write every word that’s said so producers can read through portions or search for a certain word or phrase. “The transcripts are hundreds of pages long,” Higgins continues. “So then the turning producer will skim through them and do a paper edit. They then hand that off to the editors. I usually have my assistant set up [my Fill-in audio engineer Adam Howell monitors levels of all the wireless microphones. Avid] so that I can work with the group-clips function [that lines up different angles with identical time code on the editors’ monitors] but different editors work differently. The first cut [of a segment] from the paper edit will then run long — maybe 12 or 15 minutes — and then we trim the fat to give about 5 to 7 minutes to a client.” When picture is locked, the assistants use an Avid Symphony system to re-digitize those sections of tape included in the EDL. The Symphony then spits out almost a complete online. “We have an older system,” Higgins notes, “so a small number of the effects don’t translate to its graphics card and have to be re-created. But only a few.” Viewers aren’t the only ones fascinated by the goings-on at High Voltage Tattoo. Higgins reveals that the people and the world of LA Ink have interested him in more than just a professional way. “I don’t have tattoos,” he confesses, “but like a lot of people, I’ve had the idea in the back of my mind for long time. I’m just afraid to get my first one. I think that seeing [others get inked] might make it easier for me to go through with it. I know what I’m in for. I didn’t know — do they ink you right there? How long does it take? Now, I feel more comfortable about the whole thing.” DV 40 PHOTOS BY JON SILBERG Von D. and a client (center) are flanked by operators Wong (left) and Allen (right). Producer Nick Kellis (foreground) watches the action on a handheld monitor.
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