'Houdini' editors reveal their secrets

Editing software company AVID has put out a press release highlighting the work of the editors of the Houdini miniseries ("Avid Everywhere Brings Houdini Back to Life"). It offers some insights into how the editing team approached the miniseries and worked with director Uli Edel, and also what to expect in the extended edition. (I'm interested to lean that Houdini was edited just blocks from where I live.) Here are a few excerpts:

Faced with a tight editing schedule, editor Sabrina Plisco, ACE expanded the editorial team to include co-editor David Beatty, and assistant editors Jared Zalman and Paul Alderman. By establishing a collaborative editorial environment based on Avid Artist Suite and Avid shared storage solutions at EPS-Cineworks in Studio City, California, the team was able to collaborate effectively both among themselves and with director Uli Edel, who was on location in Houdini's birthplace, Budapest, during the 45-day shoot.

While Houdini is a periodpiece, the network, producers and director wanted a contemporary feel to attract younger audiences. Edel gave the editors freedom to experiment with different cutting patterns. "This Houdini is more of a psychological thriller, so we used jump cutting, freeze frames, and contemporary sound and music to give an edginess to a classic story," explained Plisco.

Plisco and her team had to create a longer version of the miniseries for the international market. Relying on the speed and flexibility of Media Composer, they changed the sound, music and cutting style, and added an additional 16 minutes of footage and visual effects that were then scored, mixed and conformed.

The extended edition of Houdini is now airing in the UK. It will be released on DVD and Blu-ray in the U.S. on October 7.