Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1175944
POSTING FALL TV www.postmagazine.com 27 POST SEPT/OCT 2019 "I have about five days from lock until I mix," says Chomsky. Two days will be spent mixing each episode, and then it goes through a QC process before delivery. Each editor handles their own episode, but should one need support, another will jump in to help. "I like to have an environment where we're all on the same team," says Chomsky. "We're all working towards the same goal." Chomsky explains how the edit evolves through the different review stages. The editors will work from the script and dailies to put the editor's cut together. "It's their first take — their interpretation of the script and the material that they receive out of dailies from the director," he says of the editor's cut. "After they put their assembly together, they send that to the director. Our director comes and works for four days with our editor to craft the vision that they had for the show, and then we receive the director's cut." The editor's cut will often run longer than the 44-minute time allocated for a one-hour broadcast. "Our first couple of episodes were coming in clos- er to 50 minutes," Chomsky recalls. "We have some time that we have to get out of them. Dean is really good at story and the script. He is really good at giv- ing us suggestions for lifts. He'll also, at times, want to refer to what the editor put together for a certain sequence. Sometimes we might revert back to some of the work that the editor did in their cut. It's sort of a team effort: What do we have? What what's going to create the best version of this episode?" The show's visual effects needs may not be that of a sci-fi series, but there is still work to be done, and it may go unnoticed by the viewer. Monitor composites, for example. "A lot of times in the courtroom, there'll be a case and they'll use video or streaming files on comput- ers for playback as evidence," explains Chomsky. "A lot of that is handled in post so we can control the timing. And, a lot of times they have to shoot the material. It doesn't necessarily shoot with enough time to prep for actual playback on the day when they're filming, so it becomes visual effects." Studio Post and Technicolor in Hollywood handle those VFX needs. Bluff City Law's Memphis feel is further supported through the use of original music created by a com- posing team that's well versed with the region's style. "Waz and Jamie Jackson — they are from the south and they're very versed in the feel of music from that area, that locale, and I think that's going to play into the show in a really positive way," says Chomsky. Smart Post Sound in Burbank handles all of the show's sound editorial, its ADR and final sound mix- ing. The series is mixed in 5.1 and folds down to stereo. — By Marc Loftus " O n e h u n d r e d p e r c e n t o f t h e s h o w i s b e i n g s h o t i n M e m p h i s . " - C h o m s k y Smart Post Sound handles audio post. The series is cut on Avid systems. Producer Peter Chomsky