Inaugural Video Production Workflow Report 2022-2023
At the end of 2022, we surveyed 367 Shift Media customers in the film and television industry on their workflow to gather insights on the latest trends from pre- to post-production. The goal was to help others better understand the opportunities and challenges our industry has overcome recently.
Just as the pandemic brought new ways of doing business, so does the challenging economic climate we face going into 2023. As budgets face scrutiny and managing costs becomes more of a priority, streamlining processes with more comprehensive solutions will be more important than ever.
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Who We Surveyed
Key Insights from the report
Remote Work Is Here To Stay
The challenging economic climate in 2023 will bring new challenges that require streamlining processes with more comprehensive solutions, with many still working from home.
*Fully or Semi-Remote.
Uplift In Virtual Production Projects
Production teams have adapted to having fewer people on hand and learned to lean on virtual tools for remote production. Here are the tools that they use most:
*Participants were allowed to choose more than one response. OTHER includes: Frame, Airtable, Frankie
Distribution Workflows Require A Digital First Approach
Streamlining processes is essential as the need to create high-quality content at a fast pace increases in demand.
“We get as much done in pre-pro to prep for production, so things go more smoothly. Using tools such as MediaSilo and Asana, we’re able to access any assets or briefs we might need.”
Read the full Video Production Workflow Report
MediaSilo allows for easy management of your media files, seamless collaboration for critical feedback and out of the box synchronization with your timeline for efficient changes. See how MediaSilo is powering modern post production workflows with a 14-day free trial.
Technology has the ability to shape the way we work, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. With the introduction of new technology, such as cloud-enabled editorial tools, it can be an opportunity to consider a better way of working.
The Evolution of Video Workflows: From Bespoke Hardware to Cloud Operations
It is worth reminding ourselves that up until maybe 10 years ago, all the equipment we needed for media production depended upon bespoke hardware. You bought a box to do a job, and your workflows were defined by the boxes you owned and how you connected them together. That applied whether you were shooting in the field, in the studio, or in post.
The twin-pronged revolution came when processing power developed to be able to handle video in real time, and when standards were established to share content as data files, replacing SDI (which of course also required bespoke hardware). By opening the option to use standard hardware and open standards, video workflows became more accessible and the ability to process video in software made these workflows more flexible.
Virtualizing Post Tools: The Benefits of Cloud Editing
The next step was to virtualize the software, and build systems on microservices. In simple terms, we have moved from connecting boxes that we happen to have into assembling the precise functionality we need, in precisely the order we need. With the infinite scalability of the cloud, the architecture can flex to do what we want without the requirement for large capital investment.
And that is why we have the opportunity to take a completely fresh approach. We need to decide what it is we are actually trying to achieve, and how best to do it.
Take editing, for example. Online editing has meant a largish room in a post house, with room for clients to sit around. That costs a lot in real estate, and power, and catering, and security, on top of the salary for a top editor and the cost of the equipment.
It is the way we have always done it, because it was the only way we could make it work. But if we are starting with a blank sheet of paper, is it the best way?
Collaborating Remotely: Enhancing Productivity and Saving Time and Money
At EditShare we talk a lot about how post tools, like editing, can be virtualized alongside the storage network and asset management platform. These are the industry standard tools that editors expect: tools from Avid, Adobe, DaVinci and others. With remote desktop access technology such as PCoverIP, the editor will work exactly the way they are used to, whether the processing and storage is in the machine room in the basement or in an AWS data centre hundreds or thousands of kilometres away.
The logical extension of that is that the editor doesn’t have to be in the expensive edit suite in the city centre post house. They can be anywhere which is convenient for them. The idea of editing high-value content on someone’s kitchen table has always been a security nightmare, but with cloud editing the video never leaves the central, controlled environment in the cloud.
But of course an editor rarely works in complete isolation. Producers and clients want to know what is going on, and directors may well want creative input. That is why the expensive edit suites have large couches for all these collaborators. And having everyone in the room may be right for some projects.
But for others, producers, directors and other collaborators will need to understand progress and approve material, without watching the whole process. With cloud-based tools it is easy for remote contributors to securely access proxy versions of rushes and cuts for comment. . If you need real time collaboration, there is no reason why you cannot use Zoom as the communication tool.
That saves time for producers and the rest, who are not sitting around while the dull parts of the job happen. They focus their attention where it matters most. And they save time and money by not travelling to the post house.
Balancing Work and Life: The Importance of Staff Welfare in Cloud Operations
The travel point is becoming increasingly important. Commuting every day, only to sit alone in a darkened room until late into the evening to meet a deadline can be demotivating and sap creativity and productivity. Connecting with people in person undoubtedly improves a quality of life, so it’s a balance of travelling when it counts. With the ability to start work in one location and continue somewhere else helps address work/life balance whilst still keeping to commitments. .
The cloud could, and should, be transformative for video creatives. It should be boosting staff welfare, business economics, and creative collaboration. That is why it is important to draw up a list of what is important to your facility, and fit the technology around it.
Want to find out more? click here to book a demo, or a chat with your local EditShare team member.
When you’re in a business like EditShare, the start of a new year means the time to think about what is going to be important in the coming 12 months. What are users going to talk about, what capabilities are they going to need, how will they challenge us?
Here is my view: this is going to be the year that hybrid production comes to maturity. Hybrid in the sense that it will be part on location, part remote; part using traditional tools onsite and part in the cloud.
Why 2023?
Before I explain why I think it is going to be important, let me just say why 2023 is the year when it is going to happen.
In media, we have a well-established four year cycle, driven by external forces, mainly sport. In 2024 and every four years from then on we have the Olympics (and a US presidential election). In 2026 and every four years we have the Winter Olympics plus the FIFA World Cup. In 2025 we have the European football championships. But in the other year of the four year cycle – like 2023 – we do not have any big events. So we have time to think, to develop sensible plans.
Think about this: there is no one size fits all post production workflow. If you are making a nature documentary you may be accumulating footage over years; but investigative journalism might be shooting almost up to the time of transmission. Movies will allow months for post production; sports broadcasters will want a fresh highlights package every time there is a break in play.
If you are planning a major sports event like the Olympics, or a major location-shot reality show that needs daily coverage, do you want to ship your post production team off to the location – where you will have to build facilities and pay for food and accommodation – or do you want to keep them back at base where they have set up their rooms just as they like them, and they know the quickest route to the best coffee shops?
Fast connectivity has changed everything
There are no right answers to any of these questions. But what has happened is that we have built workflows because, in the past, they were the only way that the technology allowed us to work. Now, thanks to fast connectivity around the world, we can take a step back and decide what is the best way to work on each individual project.
The cloud, of course, is central to all of this. That is not to say that it is compulsory: there will be plenty of workflows where traditional, in-place post is the best solution. The major nature documentary series I talked about earlier is a good example: getting all the content to a post facility for editing and finishing at a considered pace is probably the way to go (although you might want a security archive in AWS S3).
But if you do put all your content in the cloud, then you can access it from anywhere. You can call up processing resources when you need them, for instance for batch creation of proxies, or to do large-scale transcoding.
The real transformative technology, though, is cloud editing. All your media is in the cloud, as is all the metadata. With EditShare FLEX, you can host the edit software – whichever platform is your preference – within the storage network. If the post-production storage network is in the cloud, so too is your edit software. Remote desktop technologies like PC-over-IP (PCoIP) means you have the look and feel of a traditional edit suite, but it is all happening at some distant location.
You can access huge resources without the cost or time of moving large amounts of content. With good, automated proxy generation you can work with even a modest broadband connection.
Cloud editing is not for everyone, or for every project. That is not the point. What it does is open up new avenues and new workflows. You can take a step back and decide what is the best way for you to work on this particular project: what is best for staff welfare, for business economics, and for creative collaboration. Workflows your way.
One of the first things any post professional needs to get a handle on is the concept of a “codec.” Short for “code/decode,” a codec is the method that is used to write your video and usually audio into a file.
The analogy I find most helpful when talking about codecs is that of a language. You have an idea, and you can write that idea down in Hindu or Swahili or Cantonese. With video, you have an image, and you need to record it; you can also record it in any of a variety of codecs, depending on what you are hoping to do with that image and who you need to communicate with.
Codecs Vs. Wrappers
One of the first questions that come up is often, “oh, is a codec the difference between .mp4 and .mov and .mxf?” Actually, those aren’t codecs. Those are wrappers. If we want to continue our language analogy, you can think of those like the format of a written document. You can have a German language magazine or a Ukrainian magazine, but both are magazines. Or you can have a Ukrainian magazine and a Ukrainian book; both are Ukrainian but in different wrappers.
Codecs and Wrappers work the same way. You can have an H.264 (one of the common video release codecs) that you write into a .mp4 file, a .mov file or a .mxf file. It’s still written in the same language (in this case, H.264), but you put it in a different format depending on your use. In this case, MXF (media exchange format) is the most robust professional format, while MOV is an older QuickTime movie format, and MP4 is a popular consumer format. Something like YouTube accepts all three, but your phone is unlikely to be able to play an MXF file, while it’ll almost definitely play an MP4.
What Are You Using the Codec For?
We broadly divide up the uses of codecs into three categories: capture formats, intermediate (or editing) formats, and release formats. All of these tasks for a codec have different jobs, so we use different technology to achieve that job.
The job of a capture format is to capture as much of the on-set information as possible. You want the brightest brights and the darkest darks and the full range of colors in front of you captured as best you can. The job of an intermediate codec is to be easy to work with; you want your editing process to feel easy, with applications opening quickly, timelines whizzing by, and quick exports for client approval. For final release, the goal is different; the file will generally only be played linearly (forward from beginning to end), without skimming or image manipulation, so all you care about is making the best-looking image in the smallest file possible.
These are all different tasks, so we often use different codecs, or different flavors of codecs, to achieve them.
Download our free Guide to Codecs now.
At the capture stage, we frequently use either RAW formats, which aren’t even really codecs, or larger codecs with high bitrates to capture all the possible scene information. The bitrate of a codec refers to how many Mbs are allocated per second to create the image, with more Mbs offering higher quality images. There are capture formats that are close to 2000 Mb/s for 4k video capture, which can quickly fill up a hard drive and can be too onerous for even powerful computer systems to easily deal with.
This is a great time to remember the difference between Mb and MB: Mb is “megabits,” while MB is “megabytes.” Megabits are usually used for datarates of something happening in real-time (like uploading/downloading data or playing files), while Megabytes (and the larger gigabytes and terabytes) are used for data storage. Bits and Bytes aren’t equal: a byte is 8 bits. That means a 2000 Mb/s file capture format works out to around 250 MB/s.
To make matters worse, since we do multiple different things with files, you’ll often see their data rates written in different ways. For instance, intermediate codecs will often talk about quality in terms of MB/s, while a release codec like H.264 will often be discussed in terms of Mb/s. If you think about it, it makes sense since the intermediate codec will be taking up storage space on your hard drive, while that H.264 will be streaming over the internet, but it can take a second to get used to.
RAW
RAW isn’t a codec since it isn’t even video yet; it hasn’t gone through the “codec” step of “code/decode.” RAW formats take the RAW sensor data, unprocessed, and compress it. It still needs to go through all of the processing to even make it a usable video file.
Because of the unprocessed nature of RAW files and the massive file sizes of capture video codecs, as soon as we get into post, the first step is often doing a demosaic (sometimes called a debayer). This process takes a video file from one format (RAW) and translates it (there is our language analogy again) into a codec for use in editing. You don’t have to worry too much about this transcode process since we generally reconnect back to those original video files for our final color grade, so image quality loss in this transcode isn’t a major deal.
The Intermediate Codec
We then get to edit our smaller files wrapped up in a more manageable codec, usually with a data rate under 200 Mb/s (25MB/s), sometimes even down around 100 Mb/s or less (12MB/s). This makes life much, much easier while you are editing since the computer has to bring much smaller files “live” into memory while you are working, and your edit process can feel smooth and painless instead of slow and tortuous.
Another major feature of editing codecs is that they typically focus on intra-frame encoding instead of inter-frame encoding. This means that the compression they apply (and all the video we ever work with has some compression) is applied one frame at a time instead of looking at multiple frames and encoding them together. Intra means “inside,” and you can think of this as each frame is only compressed “inside” itself. With inter-frame encoding, the encoding is spread between frames.
Inter-frame encoding, sometimes called Long GOP encoding (for Group of Pictures), is wonderful for a final release format, like a file you put up on YouTube. But it’s very frustrating in post-production since you are going to be moving forwards and backward and scrubbing over clips quite a bit. To do that with a Long GOP codec, the computer has to constantly be looking at all the frames around an individual frame in order to “draw” that frame accurately.
With intra-frame encoding, the computer has to do a lot less work. Every time you land on a frame in your timeline, the computer only has to look at one individual set of data, one frame, to “draw” the frame on your screen. It’s much easier on the processor and makes for a faster edit process. Once you add a cut, with intra-frame encoding, you are A-OK. With inter-frame encoding, the computer still has to keep referencing those other frames outside the timeline to draw that frame.
The big codecs that are used in editing (Apple ProRes and Avid DNxHR) use intra-frame encoding and are available at a variety of bitrates, so you can choose a reliable codec for easy editing at a bitrate that fits the power of your editing workstations and the available space in your storage.
Online & Release
After you edit, you reconnect to your capture format, whether it was RAW or a larger capture codec, and do your online color grading session. Typically this requires a more powerful machine since you are working with the larger capture formats that were used on set. From there, you’ll transcode the movie into your release codecs.
This typically involves a larger file (something like a ProRes 4444 XQ file or similar) that will become your master file and will be delivered to your client and a smaller file for web delivery. That web delivery file is where a Long GOP codec like H.264 becomes a great fit. Since it’ll be watched linearly, the image benefits of Long GOP compression will outweigh the drawbacks.
Check out our handy guide on the most common codecs for a better understanding of how they work and how they fit into your post workflow.
MediaSilo allows for easy management of your media files, seamless collaboration for critical feedback and out of the box synchronization with your timeline for efficient changes. See how MediaSilo is powering modern post production workflows with a 14-day free trial.
Our Senior Director of Innovation, Michael Kammes, recently sat down with Richard Sanchez to talk about his work as a visual effect and assistant editor. Richard has assisted on the films “Robin Hood” and “Naked“, the television series “The Good Place” and “I’m Dying Up Here.” More recently, he was the visual effects editor on “Bill & Ted Face The Music” and “She-Hulk: Attorney At Law” for Marvel Studios. As co-creator of Master the Workflow, Richard provides in-depth training and information for aspiring film and television editors.
In this interview, they discuss why you need VFX turnovers, collaborative workflow between teams and demystify conflated VFX terms. Richard walks through his process and gives aspiring VFX editors a preview of what they will learn in his Master the Workflow course.
MediaSilo allows for easy management of your media files, seamless collaboration for critical feedback and out of the box synchronization with your timeline for efficient changes. See how MediaSilo is powering modern post production workflows with a 14-day free trial.
As anyone who’s ever shot any type of film or video project can tell you, filmmaking is a hard and complicated process.
It requires a great deal of planning to put together a script, cast and crew for a short film that you’re looking to shoot with friends over the weekend. It’s difficult for most to even imagine the amount of planning that goes into bigger projects like feature films — or even bigger projects like television shows.
Yet, for years, great showrunners have found ways to pull everyone together and execute on highly complicated programs that shoot several episodes simultaneously while coordinating many different skilled directors, actors and crew.
But how do these showrunners keep everyone on the same page for so many of a project’s style and nuance elements? Well, the answer is often tone meetings. Let’s explore this essential part of any television or streaming show’s success and see how you can facilitate and run tone meetings of your own.
What are tone meetings?
So, what are tone meetings and what are they all about? Well, in short, tone meetings are any production meetings held to help keep different key creative contributors in sync about various creative decisions and aspects.
And while tone meetings can be used for any variety of project types, they’re most often used to help with television or streaming shows as a way to get the myriad of different creative storytellers (like directors, editors and other creative managers) on the same page about certain elements of style, voice, and — well — tone.
For example, showrunners for television shows often hold tone meetings before each season with the different episode directors and editors to share info about the story beats and talk through overarching themes for the season as a way to keep everyone synced together.
Why tone meetings are important.
Generally, the bigger the scope of the project, the more important tone meetings become. And even if you’re working on a small project with a tight group of friends, chances are you’re going to sit down with everyone and explain some of the nuances behind the script and story.
For larger projects requiring many different managers and department heads, the need to keep everyone on the same page becomes even more necessary. After all, you don’t want one director shooting one episode a certain way, then having an editor edit it completely differently.
Tone meetings are a critical part of television production, which showrunners often make a regular part of their process. It helps them keep tabs on how the overarching themes are being treated or developing and allows them to rest assured that their overall creative vision is executed day in and day out.
It’s also worth noting that conflicts can arise on any set, and tone meetings are often the best venue for different parties and departments to come together and air out their disagreements in a safe and supportive space — rather than holding grudges through the rest of production. If you do find yourself in a situation where you’re running tone meetings for your project, don’t be afraid to let people talk freely. Having experience at every level of a production team, I can say that sometimes the most minor roles can give the most impactful feedback.
Tips for running excellent tone meetings.
So now the question becomes, how can you facilitate and run tone meetings for your own projects? In truth, that answer is really up to you and your needs for your show or program. However, while each project will always be different, some steadfast tips for running tone meetings can help you develop your own tone meeting agendas.
Start as early in the creative process as possible
Include only the key creative decision-makers
Take copious notes and track all creative changes for reference later
Check-in as often as necessary to keep everyone informed
Follow up at the end to see how you’ve done
Some showrunners use tone meetings simply as a way to keep their ironclad creative vision steadfastly followed. In contrast, others might use tone meetings as a way to encourage directors and editors to bring their own ideas and visions to the table.
Keeping your tone meetings on track.
We should also talk a bit about how to keep your tone meetings on track. When starting on a production, it can be helpful to outline a timeline for when tone meetings should happen (and be sure to stick to this schedule). For those without tone meeting experience, it’s a good general rule to include tone meetings early and often, after each major stage of production, including scripting, pre-production, production and post-production.
To keep things moving, try to keep the conversations rooted in a shared cadence and language. Like any meeting, tone meetings work best with a clear agenda that outlines who will speak and present information and in what order. Any topics you want to cover can be shared beforehand, letting all parties know what they should bring to discuss.
Ultimately, at the end of the day, tone meetings will only be as successful as the amount of focus and weight you put on them. So make a plan, include your key creative filmmaking allies, and have fun exploring how you can develop and run tone meetings for your own projects, big or small.
MediaSilo allows for easy management of your media files, seamless collaboration for critical feedback and out of the box synchronization with your timeline for efficient changes. See how MediaSilo is powering modern post production workflows with a 14-day free trial.
Every creative team is a bit like “The A-Team.” We’re all specialists who try to be great at what we do. And in a perfect world, our whole team comes together to win the day. While Hannibal may be the team’s leader and signal-caller, everyone has something to add to the equation, and ultimate success wouldn’t be possible without everyone’s contribution. So how can we pitch in and take our shows to the next level? Here are some ways to use your skills to put your mark on a great show while still keeping a cohesive vision.
Understand the strengths and weaknesses of your show’s production pipeline.
The shooting patterns and ways personnel are assigned vary a bit from show to show. And each organizational structure has its strengths and weaknesses. Some shows shoot their episodes individually in the order they will air. Others may produce episodes in blocks, with the same team assigned to all of the episodes in that block.
Each method has its strengths and weaknesses. Producing one episode at a time means that the director can focus completely on that episode, and all of the footage and elements needed will be finished within a fairly narrow window. This can help streamline production and keep things on schedule. It can also allow a director to really put a significant imprint on a particular episode, making it possible to choose a director with the perfect skill set for that episode’s themes and style.
On the other hand, shooting in blocks can give the production team more continuity, with a single director influencing and being exposed to more of the season’s ongoing story. Shooting in blocks also offers some obvious production efficiencies since those episodes can basically be shot like one feature over a period of several weeks. This means that locations that repeatedly appear throughout the block can be scheduled together, and shooting itself can be much more efficient. Editors can also start to assemble the entire story arc that is set to unfold over multiple episodes and make sure that it’s working.
However, shooting in blocks also has its drawbacks. In some cases, an editor may have to wait for critical elements of the episode that airs first because they haven’t yet shot critical scenes that will be done at a later location. Members of the creative team may also be unavailable for specific sessions because the various episodes they’re working on may be at different stages of completion at the same time.
Having a plan that takes advantage of the benefits of your production pipeline while minimizing the potential logistical challenges is really important in keeping things running smoothly and creating the best show you can. A smart production plan can help you avoid potential issues of availability while also maximizing creative continuity.
Use your resources.
With so many people working together to create one final creative product, there are a host of resources to take advantage of. Whether the show is brand new or has been on air for years, there are tools at your disposal that can be used as references. Some of those things are objects or files, show bibles, visual references, notes from tone meetings, and even past episodes.
But there are also human resources that can add a whole layer to the creative process. One important one is the script supervisor. If your first involvement with a project is during post-production, you probably won’t know everything that was discussed on set or everything that happened during the shoot. But you can gain a lot of that knowledge by talking to the script supervisor and reviewing the script notes. There is often a knowledge gap between those who were present at the shoot and those who are using the footage that was captured. The script supervisor and notes are one of the ways to create greater overlap, as mentioned earlier, between two phases of production that may not be well connected.
Script notes contain valuable information about each take, as well as call attention to differences between setups and takes that might not be immediately apparent. They also can provide insights into what each setup is trying to achieve. And those insights can be useful to essentially every department in the process, from edit to sound to visual effects and color correction. They can make the difference between capturing necessary subtleties in the finished episode and missing out on some of the layers of the show (or creating inconsistencies that you’re unaware of).
Another important resource can be the editors of the show. Not only are editors potentially useful to producers, writers, or directors because of their familiarity with footage and past episodes of the show, but they also can be a great resource for each other. Multiple editors will often be working on separate blocks of a larger show, and the sharing of insights about footage, existing assets and show themes can often help each of them do their jobs better.
Always think of the big story.
When creating an episode of a show, it is normal to get very focused on the specific moments and details of that particular episode, or even a particular scene or moment. And because episodic television has isolated creative aspects in each installment, it’s sometimes helpful to take a step back and look at the big picture. This is obviously most important in serialized shows where there is a bigger story arc going on, but can also be helpful in procedural or installment-based shows. Keeping in mind how the details fit in with the overall direction of the series and what the show might look like in upcoming episodes and seasons can be a helpful approach. It also provides opportunities to create anticipation or hide fun clues between the lines. Always remember that you’re telling a big story as well as the small one.
Be consistent, but also don’t be afraid to take chances.
Every show has its stylistic signatures and patterns. But for a show to have longevity with an audience, it also has to evolve and even surprise once in a while, or it can lose its excitement. While it’s important not to depart from important aspects that give the show its identity, it’s also helpful to take some chances now and then that help keep things fresh and surprise the viewer. You create rules to set expectations. But you can break them to make a point and create a powerful moment. However, when you break rules, always do it for a reason that serves the bigger purpose of the character, story, or plot development. That bigger-picture view is what gives the show internal consistency even when you change things up a bit.
Be yourself. Let other people be themselves.
In any process that has layers of approval, it’s always tempting to try to guess what the next people in the pipeline are going to think about what you’ve created or helped create. But it’s important to resist the temptation to incorporate those guesses into your work. Each layer of approval is there for a different reason and serves an important purpose, including yours. Trying to anticipate and “correct” things that you find valuable but worry others might find problematic can become an unfortunate trap for a number of reasons.
The first problem with trying to anticipate feedback is that you’re simply guessing what other people might think. But people are subjective and surprise each other all the time. If you’ve guessed wrong, you may have compromised or changed the episode to compensate for a problem that never existed. The only person whose view you can represent accurately is your own. By replacing that with what you think someone else might think, you misrepresent their interests and potentially deprive the project of your own.
You were chosen for your job because of what you can add to the process. So make sure you’re giving the team that. Otherwise, you may end up with a double emphasis on the input of whomever you’re trying to anticipate and no real input from you. Others will happily provide their own suggestions and critiques when it’s their turn. In the meantime, be yourself, and recognize the value people are counting on you to add.
How much time do you have, and what matters most?
Television is usually created with a faster workflow than other forms of filmed entertainment. As a creator and artisan, you’ll be faced with seemingly impossible deadlines at times, and the need to make important choices on the fly. It can be very helpful to take a step back and assess what you can accomplish in the time you have, and then take stock of what matters most. Television episodes are riddled with flaws, but a strong production team usually manages to avoid the really problematic ones. A large part of that is being able to prioritize what really matters to the finished product and what only annoys the makers.
To make production and post-production run smoothly, it’s often useful to divide input or revisions into three categories: “must have,” “nice to have,” and “if there’s time.” Even if something is a major task, it would be an error to ignore the “must have” changes that are critical to the story and characters. Once those are complete, it’s time to move on to the “nice to have” list. Each of those will make the finished product better, so if you can get through them, you’ll end up feeling pretty darn good about the finished product. But don’t fall into the trap of making a number of easy-to-address “nice to have” fixes before the “must haves” are all sorted. Last, you can start to pick off the “if there’s time” items, comfortable in the knowledge that if you don’t get to all of them, it won’t be a disaster. That kind of process will help keep important things from slipping through the cracks during the hectic episodic television creation process.
How can you make the piece the best it can be?
Most importantly, keep in mind that the final goal is to create something that’s as exciting and entertaining as possible. Your ultimate goal is to make each episode the best piece it can be. Before you sign off on your work or give your approval, it’s always worth asking whether the elements you’re charged with are as good as they can reasonably be, and think about whether there are any obvious ways to make them better (within reason, of course).
In the end, you’re creating entertainment. And the ultimate goal is to capture your viewers’ minds and attention. Have you done everything you can to do that?
Make sure nothing slips through the cracks.
When the episode is finally finished and ready to go, it’s always useful to have extra sets of eyes look at everything. Each person in the process tends to look at things in a different way and with differing priorities. While the showrunner is most likely to catch problems with overall storyline and consistency, they may be less attuned to details on the audio track. And the editor is more likely than the colorist to notice oddities in scene transitions. So giving everyone the chance for a final once-over is always good practice.
Another good practice is to have people watch the final product on a variety of different setups. Something might sound great on a theatrical mix stage in Dolby Atmos but not work the same way when played on a laptop or older television. Or a critical plot element might be visually obvious on a giant theatrical screen but not read properly on a phone. Yet there will be audience members watching on all of those platforms. It’s always good practice to not only view your finished piece on the best possible equipment but also on the most common lesser equipment that your viewers are likely to use. See your show as they will see it, and you’ll be sure you know what their experience is like.
Part 3 Recap:
Understand and take advantage of the distinct strengths of block shooting or individual episode production.
Use all available references and resources to keep things cohesive, including show bibles, story meeting notes, visual and stylistic references, and even past episodes to keep the whole team on the same page.
Script notes and editor insights on the footage can solve a lot of unforeseen problems.
Always take a step back and consider the largest arc of the show. Consider whether your choices fit with the big picture.
Be consistent with the show’s voice, but don’t be afraid to take chances. This is the only way to keep a show fresh and engaging.
Make the creative choices you think work best for the show. Don’t try to preemptively overcorrect for what you think other stakeholders might say about a cut. Other team members can be their own advocates. Your job is to be you.
TV moves fast. Be realistic about what you can accomplish. Prioritize your battles and do the things that will have the greatest importance and impact for the viewer first.
Don’t forget final checks. Yours may be the last eyes that catch a slip-up.
Always watch the finished piece on a variety of formats and equipment. The home audience won’t always have the perfect studio you do, and you need to make sure the show works on mobile or a laptop. Critical picture elements need to work on a small screen, and the mix should be intelligible on any speakers.
Read the entire 3-part guide to Making Memorable Television now.
MediaSilo allows for easy management of your media files, seamless collaboration for critical feedback and out of the box synchronization with your timeline for efficient changes. See how MediaSilo is powering modern post production workflows with a 14-day free trial.
The return of conferences and exhibitions in 2022 has finally given us all the opportunity to sit down and talk to industry professionals from around the world to discuss what’s working and where the current challenges lie.
Many of the conversations I’ve had at these events relate to the industry hot topic at the moment: remote production. This topic takes on many forms depending on the needs of the production and so to tackle them in a single blog would be ambitious (for me to write and for you to read). So instead, I thought I would cover a more specific scenario to show the sort of challenges I’ve heard and illustrate some of the techniques that can be applied to other scenarios.
Take for example a production company responsible for a popular reality TV show. Let’s say it’s set, and shot, in the south of France, although the production company itself is based in Paris, 500km to the north.
Like all reality shows, it generates a huge amount of content from many cameras running non-stop. It also has an extremely fast turnaround, with audiences expecting high production values in programs reflecting the action that took place on site within the previous few hours.
To meet these two requirements, the production company could have set up a large server network on site. Let’s explore some of the implications of this and what alternatives could be used to improve the workflow.
On-Site Production Challenges
In a single storage network scenario the program would have to base a team of editors at the location. This would add substantially to the production budget: these editors, edit assistants and edit producers would need accommodation and food over the months that the program was in production. Space would have to be rented to house the edit suites. Travel costs would be high because editors may not want to be away from home for extended periods of time, therefore they would be constantly rotated in and out.
What the production company needs is the ability to edit story packages, and packages into programs, within the facilities they already have in Paris (close to the homes and favorite restaurants of the editors and producers). However, the content is hundreds of kilometers away.
Bring On The Proxy
I’ve written before about how you should embrace the proxy. When content is ingested into EditShare storage nodes it can automatically generate a proxy, at a bitrate determined by you, but small enough to be regarded as portable.
This means that users anywhere with the right privileges can log in, view the proxies, add comments if necessary, and manage the content. In this application, producers responsible for each story strand could log in, from Paris for example, whether from a computer or tablet, and review all the footage available. They could very quickly identify what material to use and drag it into an appropriate bin. This can all happen in a web browser using the FLOW media asset management system. We are nowhere near an edit workstation yet.
An edit assistant could then go through the selected sequences for the story and set up the bin structure for the editor. Again, this is still in a web browser, at any location, using the proxy.
When everything is ready, the relevant clips are loaded into the edit software. We are completely agnostic: we can preload bins and projects into Adobe® Premiere® Pro, Avid Media Composer and Da Vinci Resolve. The editor can start cutting straight away.
Stay In Sync
With EditShare EFS we recently introduced a new feature called Swift Sync. This is designed to synchronize content between multiple locations. It incorporates file acceleration which can move media files, over a leased line or a VPN tunnel, as much as ten times faster than Rsync.
It also is extremely flexible in what it synchronizes. In an application like the reality show example, there may still be too much raw content to reliably move, even after the selections have been made. We have smart segmentation in mind during this process as it’s not necessary to synchronize absolutely everything. The key is to synchronize what’s required, automate and optimize. So the editor can cut on the proxies, and only when the story is complete, will Swift Sync move the required clips with handles. It can even conform the edit in the server node at the location and just move the finished story as one file.
Savings Abound
This is the architecture that can deliver huge operational savings for the reality show, while maintaining quality and boosting productivity. The same ideas are applicable for other situations too.
You do not need to have physical storage nodes in both the remote location and back at base. One or both of them could be in the cloud, using EditShare FLEX software and the AWS Backbone to move material as needed.
If you are shooting a drama in 4K Ultra HD, or even higher resolutions using RED cameras, it might even be most efficient and cost-effective to edit using proxies and deliver the selected raw clips back to base on disk drives using FedEx.
At EditShare we see our mission as supporting producers to create amazing everywhere. Proxy workflows are a practical and very flexible way of achieving that.
Want to find out more? click here to book a demo, or a chat with your local EditShare team member.
“Point and shoot” has become commonplace in today’s world. Pull the phone out of your pocket and start recording. Many NLEs have embraced this trend by allowing creatives to begin editing their camera media instantly, as opposed to older workflows that involve transcoding (converting) the original media into a more edit-friendly codec (format).
This instant gratification factor is very attractive to creatives but also has the unfortunate potential downside of technical problems later in post-production. This is where we encounter a well-known truth in post-production.
Pay now or pay later
In short, pay now means taking the time to shoot content in a format that is friendly to post-production tools, or at the very least, prepare non-edit friendly formats into friendly ones.
Pay later, on the other hand, affords you the ability to edit the camera originals instantly while pushing technical hiccups to later in the post-production process, where format problems can snowball quickly.
In virtually every post-production scenario, planning to pay now is infinitely better than pay later. Why? Another post-production truth: you have more stress and time constraints approaching your deadline than you do when post-production starts.
“There is never enough money to do it right, but there is always enough money to do it again.”
So, what can you do to ensure that we pay now and prepare our production and post-production for success? Shoot in edit-friendly codecs.
These formats are easier to edit because each frame recorded by the camera contains the complete set of data to display that frame. Often, you can begin editing immediately after recording.
Other formats, such as:
H.264 (AVC)
H.265 (HEVC)
…are easy for cameras to shoot but are often very difficult to play back in video editors. Why? These formats are known as Long GOP (long group of pictures), which do not contain enough data in each frame to display that frame on its own. The NLE needs to look at many adjacent frames to determine what the single frame looks like. This puts strain on your computer and software and can make playback – let alone real-time visual effects – difficult, if not impossible.
However, if we transcode (convert) these Long GOP formats into the aforementioned edit-friendly codecs such as ProRes, DNxHR or CineForm, your NLE will play back, scrub faster and handle more real-time plugins and filters. To be clear, this won’t improve the quality of your footage, but it will make that footage easier to manipulate in post-production.
Now, if you have the option to shoot in a (true) RAW format, do it. RAW formats were designed to capture even more information in a single frame than the edit-friendly codecs listed above. You might have guessed – this forces you to pay now; as these RAW formats expect that you will transcode those camera original files into new files to work with in post-production – and then potentially relink to the RAW originals later in the post process.
Now what?
An often neglected step is to test your workflow before you shoot. You’d think this would be a no-brainer, but often the assumption is that whatever is shot on location will just be handled by post-production. This fatal flaw can often cause chaos in post-production, which then reduces the time post-production creatives can work on your project. Make your project memorable by letting creatives create for as long as they can and spending less time fire-fighting issues with camera formats from on set.
Save yourself the stress. Ensure post-production has media in formats that are easier to edit, and test your workflow in its entirety to reduce the chance of technical problems.
MediaSilo allows for easy management of your media files, seamless collaboration for critical feedback and out of the box synchronization with your timeline for efficient changes. See how MediaSilo is powering modern post production workflows with a 14-day free trial.
As you sit and stress about all the different people who have to give an episode of your show their blessing, it can seem like there are way too many cooks in the kitchen or that the approval process is byzantine and endless. But all time and layers of the approval process are there for a reason, and you can use them to create a better show. It’s all about understanding why each stage is there and what it’s supposed to accomplish. Think of those layers as chances to make the show better rather than hurdles to clear. Your team was assembled because of its experience, creativity and skill. The approval pipeline can be the key to unlocking all of those assets.
The Order of Operations Exists For a Reason
While the showrunner’s approval is often the primary goal, and the most important consideration, the approval process in episodic television also involves a number of other stakeholders, and there is a traditional order to the creation process for a reason.
Initial assembly
Once filming for a given day has been completed, the footage is sent to the editor. In most cases, editing work is anywhere from one to three days behind the actual filming, up until the episode’s shoot schedule is complete. The editor may be working remotely or may actually be on set, which can help close the gaps between what is shot and what is needed in the episode. In that time, the editor will usually make a first assembly, trying to get all the basics of the story and structure into a working cut. The editor will typically have between one and six days after receiving all the dailies to create an initial assembly to send to the director. That stage is very important structurally and adds a lot of value to the final episode, because editors tend to work on multiple episodes and are usually more familiar with previous episodes and the show’s ongoing tropes and style.
As the footage is given to the editor, the director will usually provide some direction about how the episode should be put together. At the same time, the script supervisor has usually provided notes and insights based on what happened on set. These notes also add value and often can help the editor discover aspects of the footage that might not otherwise have been apparent.
The director’s cut
Once the episode’s filming is complete, the director and editor will work for up to four days to make the director’s cut of the episode, which is normally the first official milestone in the post-production pipeline. Before the pandemic, it was common for directors to physically sit with the editor while working on the director’s cut if the director wasn’t committed to working on other projects immediately. That opportunity for close collaboration was a valuable part of the process, and trying to maintain that same level of interaction with today’s workflows is an important consideration. With modern production tools and workflows, live remote editing can accomplish many of the same things, and the rest is achieved through digital collaboration platforms such as MediaSilo, email and any other means available.
While creating the Director’s Cut, the director and editor can drill down on specific shots to ensure delivery of the showrunner’s vision.
Episodic television is an unusually collaborative medium, and great shows benefit from the creative imprints and inputs of every team member. Even though there will be other levels of approval after the director’s cut, it’s important to treat each one as a separate stage, because each one adds a different value to the process. Skipping ahead before creating the best director’s cut can leave great creative ideas on the editing room floor. Many of the industry’s top showrunners like to let the director experiment a little at this stage rather than insisting on having them present the script as shot. Making sure the director at least gets to the point where the cut lines up with the vision of what they were trying to shoot is a critical part of creating the best final product. This is even more true in serialized shows, which are often less dependent on a strict formula.
Because directors tend to only work on just one episode per season (or a small handful), a talented helmer often can provide new ideas and insights that might have eluded the ongoing team members. Focusing on the ideas of the director at this point helps introduce fresh and exciting ideas that haven’t been part of other episodes. There will be plenty of time to get things back in line with existing stylistic aspects of the show afterward, but the director’s cut provides a unique opportunity to get original input into the episode from a new viewpoint. And this kind of input can help keep a show interesting to viewers, eliminating predictability and repetition.
The showrunner steps in
Once the director’s cut is complete, it’s time for the showrunner and producers to come into the process and make the episode part of the greater whole. As the central creative visionary behind the show, the showrunner needs to make sure that the cut fits with the previous episodes and that it leads properly into planned upcoming episodes that haven’t yet been filmed. While the director may have treated the individual episode as a standalone creative opportunity in some respects, it is the showrunner who makes sure that the episode fits with the entire show’s arc. Just as the director’s cut provides new ideas, the showrunner makes sure those ideas fit with the overall direction of the series.
This stage is also when the showrunner may get input from the writers and other producers to ensure that the episode is coming together as they had envisioned. The showrunner collects notes from the team and makes sure the cut is working for them before finalizing the producers’ cut. Because the showrunner is the show’s creative shepherd, this stage of approval is the most critical creative stage for the episode’s outcome. If the showrunner is happy, then chances are most others will be as well.
Other stakeholders make their mark
While the showrunner represents the show’s creative vision, episodic television is a business, and there are many concerns and interests involved. In some cases, the showrunner’s cut will move forward in the post-production pipeline with only minimal additional input from the studio, network, and sponsors. But those viewpoints are still very important aspects of the creation process. Once the showrunner is satisfied with the episode’s rough cut, it’s time for the producing studio’s producers to weigh in. Just as the showrunner is focused on maintaining the creative vision and protecting the story, producers will have the studio’s interests in mind. They might be thinking beyond the story or individual show to how it reflects on their larger plans. Beyond the producing studio, there are also network stakeholders and executive producers who need to weigh in on how the episode fits with the image of the network and with the needs of potential advertisers or sponsors. And in some cases, those advertisers or sponsors may even get to review the content themselves.
Though some may think of this part of the process in purely negative terms, it also can present an opportunity, creatively speaking. The best producers will use this stage as a chance to make the show even better, not just rein it in and keep things “safe.” Any creative person can sometimes get too mired in personal aspects of a story or be too close to it to see flaws. A savvy and experienced producer, while also seeking to represent the studio, network or stakeholder’s interest, might also be able to provide insight into the minds of the larger audience and what is likely to appeal to them. So this stage, when used correctly, can actually improve the final product by making it more universal and helping connect the show more deeply to the audience.
Using each of these approvals as a way to make the show better is the way to end up with the best product at picture lock. It’s important for the creative team to be open enough to outside input that opportunities aren’t missed. At the same time, it is incumbent upon the studio, network, and sponsors to operate from a place of creativity and opportunity rather than fear and defensiveness. Make things the best you can rather than the least risky. No one remembers safe, and that’s usually more dangerous than any risk you might take.
The finishing touches
While the showrunner has been the guiding figure through edit approval and picture lock, there’s still work to be done. Generally speaking, the picture-locked cut will still require a whole range of adjustments, including the creation and insertion of visual effects, sound design, additional dialogue recording, and color correction. And many of these elements will be created by outside vendors and post houses. With the showrunner less present, it usually falls to the Post-Production Supervisor or Post Producer to bring it all together and make sure all of these elements proceed in a way that enhances the final product. In a perfect world, each of these elements has a chance to make the show better and more engaging. And while the showrunner and producers will eventually sign off on the finished product, it’s the Post-Production Supervisor or Post Producer who must make sure it’s all going according to plan.
Once all of the finished elements are in place, the editor or editors will be asked to check all of the post-work and make any needed adjustments. The mix will be reviewed on a mix stage or at the post house. Then the showrunner and writers will give their signoff and sometimes be part of the team that attends the final laybacks. If all goes well, there are few surprises or changes at this point because communication has been consistent and thorough.
In the next installment of our guide, we will look at how each player on the production and post-production teams can put their mark on a show and make it better than the sum of its parts.
Part 2 Recap:
Each approval stage serves a specific purpose, as does the order in which the stages are arranged.
The editor provides much-needed continuity between episodes and can be a great resource on what stylistic choices have already been made.
The editor can be the primary conduit between the script supervisor on set and the actual content of the show. This helps keep things from slipping through the cracks that could be costly later.
The director’s cut can provide fresh ideas and useful insights from a new perspective. Even though the showrunner will have final say, focusing on the director’s cut first allows the director to demonstrate what they had in mind when shooting. It can also provide a perspective from a skilled voice that isn’t so close to the show and applies to the specific episode. This helps keep the show fresh and interesting for viewers.
The showrunner must be sure to keep the big picture and overall themes consistent. They’re the link between all the talented team members and the original vision.
There are a wide variety of interests and business motivations beyond the story itself. This can be used as an advantage, not just a hassle.
The network and producers often have special audience (and sponsor) insights.
It’s always dangerous to be “safe.”
The little details added at the end can often elevate the entire show.
Read the entire 3-part guide to Making Memorable Television now.
MediaSilo allows for easy management of your media files, seamless collaboration for critical feedback and out of the box synchronization with your timeline for efficient changes. See how MediaSilo is powering modern post production workflows with a 14-day free trial.
