How to make an interview string-out

An interview string-out is a timeline of interview selects laid end to end, with no b-roll or polish: one per interviewee, one per theme, or the whole story in rough order. It's how an editor turns hours of interviews into something that plays, before the real cutting starts. Here's how to build one in Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve, and how to get one straight from a paper edit.

What goes into a string-out

A string-out holds the interview clips only, cut to the lines you want, one after another. Common kinds:

• Per interviewee: every select from one person, in the order they said it. Good for getting to know a character.
• Per theme: every select on one subject, from everyone. Good for finding who says it best.
• Story order: selects from everyone in the order of a paper edit. This is effectively the first cut, with sound only, and is sometimes called a radio cut.

Keep a little handle on each clip (half a second either side) so the next pass can find the breath before a line.

In Premiere Pro

1. Pull your selects first, as subclips or a selects sequence (how to pull interview selects in Premiere).
2. Make a new sequence, named for the string-out, like Strings: The letter.
3. In the Project panel, click the subclips in the order you want, then choose Clip > Automate to Sequence with Ordering: Selection Order and placement Sequentially. Premiere lays them end to end in that order.
4. Or, from the Source Monitor, mark each select and press Insert (,) with the playhead at the end of the sequence.
5. Add a sequence marker (M) at the start of each section and name it, so the string-out reads like a document in the Markers panel.

In DaVinci Resolve

1. Put the selects in a bin (or mark In and Out on each clip in the Source Viewer).
2. Create a timeline for the string-out.
3. Use Append at End of Timeline (Shift+F12) for each select. Resolve adds it after the last clip, so you never have to place the playhead.
4. Add timeline markers for sections, and colour clips by speaker with clip colours.

Straight from a paper edit

If the order already exists as a paper edit (a document of quotes with timecodes), there's no reason to build the string-out by hand. Paste the paper edit into PaperEdit with the interview transcripts, and download the string-out as a sequence for Premiere, Resolve, Final Cut Pro or Avid: every line cut at its first and last word, in order, with the paper edit's headings as markers. The paper edit template is laid out to paste in directly.

When a producer is picking the lines, PaperEdit lets them build the order from the transcripts in their browser and send it to you as that sequence.

FAQ

What is a string-out in editing? A string-out is a rough timeline of selected clips placed end to end, without b-roll, transitions or fine timing. Editors use it to see and hear all the usable material before cutting the story.

What's the difference between a string-out and a rough cut? A string-out keeps everything that might be used, usually too long, in a loose order. A rough cut is the first attempt at the film itself, at roughly the right length, with the story structure in place.

How do I add clips to the end of a timeline in Resolve? Select the clip (or mark In and Out in the Source Viewer) and use Append at End of Timeline, Shift+F12.

Should I make one string-out per interview or per theme? Both are common. Per interview helps you learn each person; per theme helps you compare who says it best. Story-order string-outs come later, from the paper edit.

Can I make a string-out from a transcript? Yes. Mark the lines in the transcript, then let a tool cut them into a sequence: in Premiere from the Text panel's Insert, or for several interviews at once from a paper edit with PaperEdit.