Award-winning indie film gets Quantel boost

California-based postproduction company Brass Knuckles recently put the final touches on two trailers for 'Dallas 362', an independent feature film written and directed by Scott Caan.
The film had such a strong run on the festival circuit that Caan, together with producer Greg Sabatino, took action to make a limited release this spring.
Editor Doobie White worked with eQ artist Wren Waters to put creative muscle behind the two trailers that were finished in HD 1080 24P. The project has also seamlessly ushered in new opportunities for Brass Knuckles due in part to the flexibility of the eQ and its ability to open up new workflows, markets and opportunities whether the job calls for SD, HD or mixed resolutions.
The trailer highlights the story’s characters, Dallas and his best friend Rusty, and their struggles along the path to young adulthood through bar brawls, drinking, smoking, and dating all the while trying to figure out where in life they’re headed.
White’s unique style of editing easily lent itself to bringing out the film’s grittiness, with his choice of extremely quick edits setting the pace and creating staccato-like character interaction. The trailer literally takes you for a wild ride and drops you in your tracks, only to leave you waiting for the movie to open.
After a couple of weeks White’s cuts were locked and Waters stepped in to begin the online edit, which can often be a long and tedious process. “I don’t mind leaving creative decisions for Wren to make because he’s a talented artist and I trust his instincts, which is important for a project this ambitious,” said White.
Along with conforming a project edited in 30fps to a 24fps sequence, Waters had to complete graphics, composite images and add final creative touches to the trailer.
“By using tools in the eQ I brought in film grain, created scratches and film noise to spice up the promo,” said Waters. “The piece called for a multitude of very flashy edits and quick transitions. In addition, I did the titles and designs on the QScribe. Everyone was blown away by the quality of the end result.”
Waters said the producers anticipated that the trailer would take up to one week to complete because of the number of shots and the conversion from 30fps to 24fps. Even he was surprised when, in his words, he was able to “crank it out over a weekend.”
(GB)