Designing Conan

Another frame from the show's opening sequence. Just as with each night's guests, announcer/sidekick Andy Richter's title card includes a descriptive black icon.

THE REHEARSAL

Starting at 1PM, the show begins its rehearsal. I am able to view this in my edit room through the router. If the projects I am working on that day are taking a while to complete, I may end up having to multitask by editing while listening to what Conan and the show's producers have to say about what is currently being shown. I try to take these notes in, as incorporating them while I work can help save time for delivery by the end of the day.

Rehearsal usually ends at 3PM. At this point, the writers return with notes they have gotten from the show's producers, Conan, or head writer Mike Sweeney. We have about a hour to get the notes done, color correct, audio mix, quality control, and send the QuickTime files to the Grass Valley K2 server for playout. There actually have been times that I will be finishing a piece as the show begins its taping, but we generally try to be finished by 4PM.

THE SHOW

At this point in the day, I get my system restarted and ready for the show. I clean up any media that will not be needed for the show that night. This is also the point in the day where I imagine myself in a hot tub drinking a beer. It's hard in here for an editor.

The show begins filming at 4:30 PM. As the show begins taping, Dave and I locally record the line cut through our Kona 3 cards. This protective measure is so that, in case something bad should happen to our SAN, we would at least have something to air.

We watch the show being filmed and try to keep our heads up about any immediate problems that may arise, such as a curse word that should need bleeping. Once Act One is done filming, Dan goes to work. [Ed. note: see Dan Dome's editor's perspective.]

BACK ON TRACK

After the show is delivered, we start work on the next day's materials if they are available. Mostly, we just try to mentally recover from the thrashing of anxiety that we just experienced.

And by recover, of course I mean I am rolled up in a ball in the corner and someone has to tell me I'm a special big guy.

I got to end 2010 how I began it: being a really lucky guy who is just happy that he gets paid to make really fun stuff with ridiculously talented people. I am proud of the work that we have done so far, and very proud of the way I have been able to take on more responsibility. I am thankful that we get to have fun on television again. I drive my wife a lot less crazy.

 

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Rob Ashe Los Angeles, California USA When Rob isn't spending his time riding limos and doing press junkets as the world's 46th most famous editor (right behind the editor who cut those Crazy Eddie commercials), he likes to write essays on the post production industry, most recently at blogs.creativecow.net. He thinks that titles are prettier than skies, and really loves long and multi-colored timelines. He thinks his daughter is way cuter than yours.