Behindwoods : Editor Harsha

Editor Harsha

Behindwoods
August 8 , 2005

The credit for bringing finesse in Tamil films should go in a large measure to the technicians. One such is Harsha, an editor. He uses computer technology in editing which gives him immense pleasure. Among the 150 movies he has done so far, he is delighted about “Autograph” and his ambition is to become an internationally acclaimed editor.

What do you think is the secret of your success?

Hard work and dedication coupled with the energy to innovate.

How many years have you worked in this field?

I worked with Suresh Urs for 10 years in 15 languages. Now I work independently and have set up my own studio. I have done nearly 150 movies.

Are you satisfied with your work and what difference do you find after ten years?

While my work requires plenty of creativity for which there is no limit, I am happy that new technology has opened great possibilities. Years back the work was done manually and it required more assistance to work on it. Now technology has improved and work is done faster.

Can you tell our readers a little about the process of editing?

My pleasure. After the film is shot, the negative is given to me. The negatives are serially numbered. These numbers, called ‘head numbers’ are noted. The negatives are punched and go for Beta monitoring. This process is carried out at a specific distance and touch up for the background is finalized. Out of nearly the lakh and more scenes available in the negatives, the acceptable shots called OK takes are sorted out. Lights of the spot and sounds will be entered into the computer. The OK shots will be synced and arranged.

Okay, what is this OK take?

They are the best possible shots for a particular scene. For example, while showing a house, many shots at different angles will be recorded but the most suitable one for the given scene is the OK take.

Who sorts out these OK takes?

The assistant director will arrange all the OK shots.The director and the editor sit together and analyze the full scenes and then go in for Rough cut.

What is this rough cut?

Rough cut is the collection of OK shots for the entire movie.

Is it the final stage?

No. After the rough cut comes dubbing for voice. Suitable dubbing artists are chosen. After this process, we play the CD and eliminate extraneous stuff.The film gets its real feel only after dubbing. The film gets its real

feel only after dubbing. We now use the head numbers and cut and paste the negatives to get a smooth flow for the film.

How do you cut and paste the negative?

We use a machine called G E Film Slicer.

What about the songs?

Songs are incorporated at the given scene with proper sound effects in the required scenes.

How do you feel when you see the film on the screen?

It’s just fantastic. Every film is a great team effort requiring the cooperation of so many people. We all bring our talents and work to make the film reach the audience.

What is your outlook for the future?

There will be advances in technology which will make the editing easier and improve the quality of the product.

Thank you, Harsha. It was great talking to you.

Thanks to you. I wish the Behindwoods team all the success in their future endeavor.