A number of the preliminary stages can be undertaken by lower cost staff, or people less skilled in using expensive and sophisticated editing equipment (such as those who are not directors). With the advent of digital
video editing software and
non-linear editing systems (NLE), films or television shows go through a number of stages. There is often a large amount of footage to be reviewed in a given project. An example workflow is given below: •
Digitizing: Ingesting the material into a digital computer greatly simplifies the handling of footage compared with its original form on tape or film. •
Logging: Logging the shot material allows particular shots to be found more easily later •
Offline editing: Video effects. • Initial Assembly: The selected shots are moved from the order they are filmed in into the approximate order they will appear in the final cut. • Rough cut: More shot selection, approximate trimming. The sound is untreated, unfinished, and will require sound editing. Often dialogue and sound effects will be incomplete. Titles, graphics, special effects, and composites are usually represented only by crude placemarkers. Colors are untreated, unmatched, and generally unpleasant. In modern big-budget films, this often begins while filming is still taking place. The editor tapes together the first cut of the film, the "editor's cut", arranging the separate takes into a coherent story in communication with the director. The editor's version of the film will often be as much as two hours beyond the final running time of the film. • Final cut: The final sequence of images and sound are selected and put in order. •
Online editing: The picture and sound quality of the project is adjusted and brought to their optimum levels. •
Mix: Audio is finished by a specialist with equipment in acoustically treated rooms. ==Director's cut==