Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1151081
57 Q3 2019 / CINEMONTAGE create lineups with information the visual effects post coordinator needed to send over to vendors for them to create the master shot. This was a constant task that I had to perform throughout the day, and then we hired Michelle Gold to help with it, as well. I was also helping out with de-composing temp shots and sending out plates to the visual effects team." Fleischmann agrees with Santana, pointing out that, on a project like this, it is incumbent on all assistants to do whatever they can to keep the project flowing efficiently. "We had one visual effects editor, and he was very busy," he explains. "I've done quite a bit of effects editing myself, so I just tried my best to help him. There are as many visual effects shots in this movie as in many science-fiction films, after all. I tried to take on as many responsibilities as the editor would surrender that wouldn't compromise my job." A SEXTET OF THEMES Music also plays a key role in Sextuplets. The movie features a rich soundtrack thematically tied to the story content and nature of the characters. Music editor Andrew Silver explains that, like the visuals, a complex, wide range of elements were required to build the music track. "I usually present anywhere from three to five choices of temp music for a given scene, which means I'm actually temping the entire film at least three times," Silver explains. "But I don't look at it that way, because what I'm doing is working through the film scene by scene, finding different approaches that work within the frame of the story and the characters. As the work progresses, and the director begins to favor certain cues, it becomes my guide to what he feels works for the film. In that way, the temping process can get easier. "However, I'll continue to find more ways to temp a scene, because I don't stop just when I've found a cue that works," he adds. "I always try to find cues that surprise me and work in ways that are completely unexpected. After I watch the film for the first time, I make a list of scores to draw from. There can be 40-50 scores on there, but it's just a starting point so that when I start to work on a scene, I scan the list to see if there is one score to start with. That list morphs and changes over time." Silver tracks all cues in the picture using the scoring database tool Cue Chronicle. "During writing, the composer sends demos, which I cut in, mix against picture and present to the director," he says. "Then, I type up his notes in Cue Chronicle and, after the playback session, I send the notes to the composer." One of the key aspects of his job on Sextuplets was to find what he calls "themes or motifs" for each of the characters played by Wayans. The lead character, Alan, for example, "is grounded, so his theme is warm and relatable," says Silver. His brother Russell is an introvert, possibly on the autism spectrum, "so his theme is a bit off-kilter." The character Ethan is what Silver calls "an updated version of a 1970s pimp with a heart, so his theme has '70s wah-wah electric guitar with drums and bass. And then, the sister character, Dawn — her theme was more of a motif. At least initially, she is meant to be a bit dangerous, so we felt her theme should be like a Dr. Dre song. And then, Baby Pete is a manipulator, so I had to find cues that were weird and felt like things were closing in on Alan as he talked to him." Reflecting back on the challenges of putting Sextuplets together, Jordan emphasizes that the project exemplifies the need for editorial to learn how to maximize visual effects to a story's benefit. "You have to be able to embrace different tools," he concludes. "For us, visual effects are becoming second nature at this point. It's a tool we can utilize in so many crazy ways to help tell the story. I don't even look at it as something new; I look at it like I'm cutting a traditional scene: What are our story concerns, and what methods can we use to address them?" f Andrew Silver. Sextuplets. Netflix