DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES

Timecode

Systems for identification of moving pictures and sound synchronisation

Film technology is increasingly relying on the possibilities that opened with the rapid development of digital technology that has introduced many changes in film production. One of these changes includes the interweaving of the post-production phase with the production phase. Big productions tend to do the editing already on the set, which was enabled by the introduction of timecode on the image of the video-asist of the film camera. The timecode enables the editor to edit certain scenes (synchronised with sound) during the production so that the director and the cameraman have insight into the editing continuum and the rhythm of shots.

In this way, they can decide whether they need another close-up or a total for a particular scene before the whole crew moves to another location. Timecode also helps to pre-visualise various optical effects, for example, in computerised shot assemble. It is obvious that the timecode introduces a number of advantages in film production; the shooting becomes more economical and flexible, allowing much more creativity in the process.

Miran Krčadinac