Few phrases in the English language evoke the power of joy and nostalgia as these four little words: “Who ya gonna call?”

So it comes as no surprise that the new Ghostbusters video game — written by Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd and featuring the voices of all 4 original ‘busters — is so hotly anticipated.

Right in the thick of the action is Film grad Mischa Hrziwnatzki, who, in his editing position at Rainmaker Animation, got to work extensively on the cinematics (for non-gamers, they’re the prerendered animated scenes after a big boss battle or new level).

We had to know how Mischa’s filmmaking background comes into play in his work now, so we caught up with him to ask him a few questions…

Tell us about your official role at Rainmaker — what’s your title, and what does the job entail?

My Producer calls me their Senior Editor, but the website only says Editor. I prefer Creative Editor, what can you do?

Daily duties here for me as an Editor at Rainmaker include a myriad of things to do, but it kinda depends on what part of the cycle we are in. The 6 stages of our cycle are:

1 – Development, Pitches, and Ripomatics

During this stage I am in meetings with the Producer, the Executive Producer, and a Director about whatever game/trailer is open for bidding. We are bouncing concepts around until we come up with a list of ideas, which I will then use as a map to create a Rip-o-matic to support the concept.

A ripomatic pre-vis / reference edit (taken from the advertising world) is where the editor will take a bunch of clips from movies and re-edit them to set the emotional tone and pacing of the piece we intend to lace over the finished product we are pitching. I make ripomatics all the time, and it’s one of the most radical things to do (usually this is because you only have a day or so to make one, and it takes a super powerful computer to rip through all of that footage in a timely manner). It’s here that I get a lot of input as a creative editor to express the timing and scale of the trailer using high-end movies for easy reference. The clients will receive the ripomatic amongst other visual materials and scripts during the pitch and will have a strong idea of what type of trailer we are going to make before they spend any money.

2. Storyboarding, Board Edits, and Reference Gathering

This is super straightforward board editing. The director and the board artist will be producing story panels during the first few weeks of the show. Here is where the editor is scanning the pages, cropping the images, importing to Avid, and editing them to dialogue or scratch dialogue (fake dialogue that will be replaced when the real material comes in) and setting the pace of the show (duration of shots, camera moves, and temp sound effects). Every day a new version of the edit is uploaded to the crew so they will know what sorts of shots will be coming their way and plan accordingly.

Also, the board edits will be sent to the client to ensure that everything is pre-planned according to their designs/contracts. At the same time, any references from films that are suggested get ripped and delivered to the crew so they can prepare elements and ideas for their shots.

3. Animation

Animation is in full swing and the editor at this point is replacing shots with new versions and making sure that frame counts, file names, and lip sync are correct with the animators. We could go over a shot many times. Sometimes we get as many as 20 versions of a shot being redone before it is approved.

During this time, I find that any suggestions to make a shot special are welcome and find their way into the show. This part remains awesome throughout, as working with the animators is one of the most fun things in the world to imagine.

Everyone I’ve worked with is both charming and creative and loves what they do.

4. LGT CMP and Audio

LGT and CMP (Lighting and Compositing) have been working laterally and will be submitting tests they’ve been developing since the beginning. This is the most expensive part of the show in that it takes the most computing power to export a frame that is fully lit and comped. This is why exact frame counts are hyper-important to the editors’ relationship with the crew: every shot missing a frame is many hours of wasted time. As soon as the animation is approved, it is shot tested (confirmed all elements needed for LGT are present) and then sent to the lighters. They work their delicious magic with lights and then pass it on to the compers. Comp adds their special ingredients and effects to the shot and then send it back to me, to place over top of the approved animation. Slowly but surely, all shots move from grey shaded animation to fully lit and beautiful shots. Here is where lighting continuity must be observed and communicated with the LGT/CMP leads.

During this time, exports of the show are sent to the sound department where they replace all the temp sound I laid in with their wicked sound effects libraries. Funny enough, when a sound edit comes back, it makes the show look a thousand times better than it did before.

5. Final Export

Finals are the tough spot for an editor in that usually stuff is being changed well past the last minute before deadline. For GB I was awake for a full 36 hours before the final file was copied to a drive and sent through the mail to the client. Files are huge and must be perfect, with review copies also prepared and equally as pristine. This is where knowledge of compression codecs and filters is very important. The clients need both huge files for their production team/archives, and versions that they can watch on their iPhones or laptops, or however they would like to watch it.

6. Smoke Break

Afterwards I have a smoke break and drink some beers. This is my favourite part.

We know that you have a deep, lifelong love for Ghostbusters, which is partly why this gig was so exciting for you. What is it about GB that keeps people coming back?

Ghostbusters is great because it’s really just a story about a group of young men ascending to the peak of their careers while trying to kiss some girls. Who doesn’t wanna laugh and be scared when thinking about work and women? It’s also a special effects masterpiece. And it’s well written. And it has Bill Murray in it.

And it’s written really good.

Has anything been particularly challenging or exciting for you?

What’s been challenging for me is finding better ways of communicating.

Also, the magic of this position is the convergence between the mediums. Basically, we are marketing using computer animation for a video game based on a film. Advertising, animation, video games, and film? The best of all worlds!! You couldn’t ask for a better job.

In what ways did your VFS education prepare you for this work?

The respect for the hierarchy of production. How to work as a team. And how to enjoy work.

Thanks so much, Mischa! We’ll think of you when the game hits the stores!