What is a Film Rough Cut?
In filmmaking, the term rough cut is one of several commonly used terms in editing. If you’ve never heard the term rough cut, you’ve probably not worked on a film project. Or had much to do with the post-production process. The term rough cut is used in editing. Usually in post-production, representing the second and three stages of editing after the raw footage is captured. But what is a film rough cut exactly? And what does the term mean?
What is a Film Rough Cut?
A rough cut is the editing term that is used to describe the post-production first editing version of the film. This is the film that has made it past the initial reviews. All of the clips have been pieced together in the order that is likely to be most efficient.
And the main sequential theme is set. The film rough cut is unfinished, there are no visual effects or music added, but in terms of assembling the narrative and getting the main pieces together, the rough cut is the first major output.
Rough cuts in film are often used to deliver the first tangible view of a film to the client. Scenes are not finalized, per say, at this point.
Several additional changes or even the removal of certain scenes could still take place at the Director’s request. The general idea is that the film rough cut is the first major output of the assembled film.
What is the Purpose of a Rough Cut in Film?
The purpose of the rough cut is to help the client or the Director of the film to begin to see the overall outcome of the performance. The rough cut sets the pacing and overall general tone of the narrative.
The assembly of the rough cut is the sequential order of the shots and will be used to determine whether there are any pickup shots required to finalize the film production.
Sometimes, rough cuts are used to test screenings or to perform market research. You might recall a rough cut having been used as the basis upon which initial edits are requested for a narrative or for the overall final views of a film.
Difference Between Rough Cut and Assembly Cut
You might be wondering, what’s the difference between a rough cut and an assembly cut? A rough cut is not the same as an assembly cut or final cut. The rough cut is by no means the final version, in fact changes will almost certainly occur.
This is the first, sequential ordering of the film, post-production. There will be many fine changes, with a lot of editing, before the rough cut can become an assembly cut. In fact, the rough cut and final cut have a long way in between one another. The two cuts are not the same.
The assembly cut is the longer, more drawn out version that is usually refined several times before the film is released. In fact, the assembly cut will be revised many times, with many clips and scenes eliminated, before a rough cut is defined.