'Baby Driver' cut in real time with Avid on Apple's 15-inch MacBook Pro

Posted:
in Mac Software
Hit film Baby Driver was cut essentially in real time on set on a MacBook Pro, cutting way back on the need for expensive post-primary photography re-shoots.




In an account published by The Beat film editor Paul Machliss called heist film Baby Driver the "most difficult edit" and "the hardest job" that he'd ever worked on. Machliss set up a 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro from before the 2016 relaunch to do the job actively on the set, to help assist with the tight choreography needed to sync the action with the heavily music-oriented action-filled script.




Using Avid, Machliss had the storyboards running on a lower video layer to help coordinate the action with the expected soundtrack. And, he did it all on the road, and outdoors.




"Roadside editing, you know, this is anywhere, anytime basically," Machliss told The Beat. "This was for a climactic chase sequence, and you could literally wheelit out of the main truck and be ready for Edgar in minutes."

At one point, Machliss was in the rear of a process trailer, collecting footage as it was shot, to guarantee that re-shoots would be less of a problem after principal footage concluded.




While there is no discussion about how well the computer itself held up, the production took a toll on the keyboard.




Baby Driver tells the tale of the eponymous getaway driver, who cancels out tinnitus by constantly listening to music. The film is nearly always set to music that Baby is playing, with musical cues setting off action set pieces.

Machliss is primarily known for his editng work on Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, The World's End, and early seasons of the UK version of The IT Crowd.
«13

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 44
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member
    I've always wanted a black Apple USB keyboard for just that reason. The white keys get so dirty, even with normal use. At least a black keyboard won't show it.
    tipooavon b7
  • Reply 2 of 44
    netroxnetrox Posts: 1,415member
    macxpress said:
    I've always wanted a black Apple USB keyboard for just that reason. The white keys get so dirty, even with normal use. At least a black keyboard won't show it.
    Mine doesn't get dirty. If yours get dirty, then you need to get in habit of washing your hands more often. 
     
    Rayz2016AvieshekMacPromacky the mackyRacerhomieX
  • Reply 3 of 44
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    Wait. Professionals are abandoning Apple in droves because of their expensive, under-powered, port deficient hardware. No ‘real’ professional uses Apple gear anymore. Or so we’ve been told by the ‘pros’ that comment in AppleInsider forums. 
    macxpressSolilongpathrotateleftbytetmaytzm41pscooter63StrangeDaysRacerhomieXcolinng
  • Reply 4 of 44
    razormaidrazormaid Posts: 299member
    Great, great movie just made more intriguing with this info

    tmay
  • Reply 5 of 44
    This is all pretty impressive. Man that keyboard...
  • Reply 6 of 44
    tipootipoo Posts: 1,141member
    lkrupp said:
    Wait. Professionals are abandoning Apple in droves because of their expensive, under-powered, port deficient hardware. No ‘real’ professional uses Apple gear anymore. Or so we’ve been told by the ‘pros’ that comment in AppleInsider forums. 

    I'm not in the camp that necessarily thinks that, buuuut...It doesn't help the argument that he's using the previous generation rMBP, on a movie studio budget :P 
    Avieshekneo-techtzm41
  • Reply 7 of 44
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member
    tipoo said:
    lkrupp said:
    Wait. Professionals are abandoning Apple in droves because of their expensive, under-powered, port deficient hardware. No ‘real’ professional uses Apple gear anymore. Or so we’ve been told by the ‘pros’ that comment in AppleInsider forums. 

    I'm not in the camp that necessarily thinks that, buuuut...It doesn't help the argument that he's using the previous generation rMBP, on a movie studio budget :P 
    The only difference is that with a newer one he'd be able to edit and render everything even faster, with a better screen and a lighter machine.
    longpathpscooter63RacerhomieX
  • Reply 8 of 44
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member
    tipoo said:
    lkrupp said:
    Wait. Professionals are abandoning Apple in droves because of their expensive, under-powered, port deficient hardware. No ‘real’ professional uses Apple gear anymore. Or so we’ve been told by the ‘pros’ that comment in AppleInsider forums. 

    I'm not in the camp that necessarily thinks that, buuuut...It doesn't help the argument that he's using the previous generation rMBP, on a movie studio budget :P 
    If is current Mac is working for him then why upgrade? Just because there's money to purchase one doesn't mean you just go upgrade for the hell of it. For someone like him that also means reinstalling every app back on, migrating everything, etc. Thats a lot of work. 
    longpathtmaypscooter63
  • Reply 9 of 44
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member

    netrox said:
    macxpress said:
    I've always wanted a black Apple USB keyboard for just that reason. The white keys get so dirty, even with normal use. At least a black keyboard won't show it.
    Mine doesn't get dirty. If yours get dirty, then you need to get in habit of washing your hands more often. 
     
    I wash my hands all day long. The backs of my hands get super dry because I wash my hands so much. I can't possibly wash my hands before I touch my keyboard.

    I don't really think the white keys go with Apple's current designs anyways. A black keyboard, even with the current silver frame would be so much better in my opinion. 
    longpathneo-tech
  • Reply 10 of 44
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member

    lkrupp said:
    Wait. Professionals are abandoning Apple in droves because of their expensive, under-powered, port deficient hardware. No ‘real’ professional uses Apple gear anymore. Or so we’ve been told by the ‘pros’ that comment in AppleInsider forums. 
    Apple is doomed! Remember?
    longpathAvieshekmacky the mackypscooter63
  • Reply 11 of 44
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    macxpress said:

    netrox said:
    macxpress said:
    I've always wanted a black Apple USB keyboard for just that reason. The white keys get so dirty, even with normal use. At least a black keyboard won't show it.
    Mine doesn't get dirty. If yours get dirty, then you need to get in habit of washing your hands more often. 
     
    I wash my hands all day long. The backs of my hands get super dry because I wash my hands so much. I can't possibly wash my hands before I touch my keyboard.

    I don't really think the white keys go with Apple's current designs anyways. A black keyboard, even with the current silver frame would be so much better in my opinion. 
    It would still get just as dirty but you wouldn’t see it. With the white keyboard at least you know when it’s time to clean it.  B)
  • Reply 12 of 44
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    macxpress said:
    I've always wanted a black Apple USB keyboard for just that reason. The white keys get so dirty, even with normal use. At least a black keyboard won't show it.
    There's a concept call "cleaning" that works wonders.  Try it.  

    I use disinfectant wipes every couple weeks to wipe down everything on my desk.  My white keyboard after 8 years still looks fairly new.  Washing hands helps too.
    cyberzombiepscooter63StrangeDaysRacerhomieX
  • Reply 13 of 44
    mtbnutmtbnut Posts: 199member
    That's fucking amazing. I feel like an idiot. I can barely use iMovie to make stupid movies of my kids farting.
    pscooter63razorpit
  • Reply 14 of 44
    AvieshekAvieshek Posts: 100member
    edited July 2017
  • Reply 15 of 44
    lkrupp said:
    Wait. Professionals are abandoning Apple in droves because of their expensive, under-powered, port deficient hardware. No ‘real’ professional uses Apple gear anymore. Or so we’ve been told by the ‘pros’ that comment in AppleInsider forums. 
    Totally agree. There was one post on a forum yesterday that clearly stated that the 2017 MBP had a less powerful CPU than the 2012 one.
    Apple haters are gonna hate no matter what and nothing will stop them from continuing their campaign.
    That's life folks. Get used to it.

  • Reply 16 of 44
    volcanvolcan Posts: 1,799member
    A pretty cramped set up for sure. Not very ergonomic either. Working on the side of the road in the bright sun? So much for color calibration. Even the photo inside the tent looks really disorganized. Glad I don't have to work like that.
  • Reply 17 of 44
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    That he wasn’t nominated for an editing Oscar in 2011 for Scott Pilgrim is bewildering. Some of the finest editing I’ve seen. Sure, storyboarding and filmmaking has a lot to do with the edit of the film, but still. The film is alright, its editing is best in class.
    edited July 2017 neo-tech
  • Reply 18 of 44
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Baby Driver has one of the best starts to a film that I've seen in a long time.
    edited July 2017
  • Reply 19 of 44
    Soli said:
    Baby Driver has one of the best starts to a film that I've seen in a long time.
    Where'd you see it...?
  • Reply 20 of 44
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Soli said:
    Baby Driver has one of the best starts to a film that I've seen in a long time.
    Where'd you see it...?
    The movie theater. It hit nationwide a couple weeks ago in the US.
Sign In or Register to comment.