By now you may have heard how awesome Baby Driver is. If you haven’t, take our word for it. What makes it so unique is its seamless fusion of music and action. However, putting it together was anything but effortless as editor Paul Machliss was forced to cut the movie right from the set with a MacBook Pro.
The intricate task was examined by The Beat. Given the complicated integration of music with the script of Baby Driver, Machliss utilized a 15-inch MacBook Pro with an external display showing storyboards to choreograph the music and scenes. He used Avid editing software to cut the footage, which is a staple in Hollywood movies.
Machliss was editing the footage anywhere and everywhere on set. He had a special dolly stand that housed the MacBook, external display, extra keyboard and other necessary gear.
“Roadside editing, you know, this is anywhere, anytime basically,” revealed Machliss in an interview with The Beat. “This was for a climactic chase sequence, and you could literally wheel it out of the main truck and be ready for Edgar in minutes.”
He went on to call Baby Driver “the hardest job” he’s ever worked on.
Much of the challenge came from director Edgar Wright’s insistence not to use audio cues. Instead, he relied on the actors to fall into the beat of the music naturally.
The computer in question was a pre-2016 MacBook Pro with Retina display, which means no Touch Bar. It featured a full array of ports including USB-A, HDMi, Thunderbolt 2 and an SD Card slot. The specifications of the computer weren’t revealed, but we imagine it was a fully specced out version.
The shoot ended up taking its toll on the gear. In the gallery above, you can see the dire state of the keyboard Machliss was using.
Baby Driver is in theaters now.
