A flatbed editor is a type of machine used for the editing of a motion picture film. The two most common brands, Steenbeck and KEM, were invented in Germany the 1930's. There are also the less well-known Italian (Prevost) and French (Moritone) flatbeds. All these machines have a rotating prism rather than the "Maltese Cross" or Geneva drive intermittent shutter mechanism used by the American Moviola editing machine. The rotating prism allows the film to move smoothly and continuously, reducing mechanical noise and potential damage to the film. It also makes high-speed operation feasible, and some machines can move the film at up to six times normal speed. The trade-off for these advantages is a slight smearing of the image compared to the American Moviola.
The use of multiple sound tracks (up to three separate tracks) and multiple picture heads (up to three separate picture tracks) is also a feature of the KEM, which has a modular construction.
Flatbeds also made it easy to view ten or even twenty minutes of film at a time. The "armed" Moviola could manage a ten-minute reel, but with difficulty because it did not have high-speed operatiion.
European flatbeds came into more common use in the United States during the 1970's, although never completely replacing the Moviola.
By the mid-1990's, flatbeds were in turn being replaced by electronic non-linear systems such as Avid and Lightworks.
Categories: Film editing | Filming stubs
