Data breaches are costly – creatively and financially. Trust your content to a product that values data security. With just a few clicks, you can easily protect pre-released or confidential content, ultimately protecting creative impact and revenue potential.
Users can now watermark images and documents with email, name and/or custom text with SafeStream technology at the Workspace, Project or Review Link level. Whether you’re trying to protect scripts, key art, screenplays or call sheets, we help keep your projects safe and sound. Sleep better knowing you don’t have to worry about waking up to a catastrophic content leak.
Apply Watermarking Requirements to Your Workspace
As an administrator, you can require visible image and document watermarking for every new project created in your workspace.
Start by clicking the gear icon in the left-side navigation bar, which will take you to the Administration page. In the SafeStream tab, select Watermark Settings from the menu to open your workspace-level watermark settings. Now, toggle on Apply Visible Image and Document Watermarking.
Next, use the dropdown menus under Image Template and Document Template and select your default watermark template to apply to new projects. You can choose a template that displays a viewer’s full name and email address, the viewer’s email address only or a custom template created for your workspace.
On all templates, the watermarks will be displayed in a “wallpaper” format, which repeats diagonally across the entire image or document.
Apply Watermarking to a Project
You can apply visible image and document watermarking to all images and documents inside a project, provided the files match our list of supported file types.
From the project settings, a project owner or administrator can find watermarking options in the SafeStream tab. Simply toggle on the Apply Visible Image and Document Watermarking tab and use the dropdown menu to select the template you want to apply to the images and documents in this project. Whichever template you choose, the viewer’s identifying information will be displayed in a “wallpaper” format, which repeats diagonally across the entire image or document.
Apply Watermarking to Unwatermarked Files in a Review Link
Applying watermarks to images and documents at the Review-Link level allows you to protect select items you’re sending without using those watermarks on the entire project.
Click the Advanced button in the bottom left in the Share for Review window, and toggle on the Apply Visible Image and Document Watermarking tab in the Watermarking section. The default templates chosen by your administrator will display automatically. You can keep these selections or choose a different template. Whichever template you choose, the viewer’s identifying information will be displayed in a “wallpaper” format, which repeats diagonally across the entire image or document.
If these watermark templates display a viewer’s identifying information, you must enter link recipients in the Audience tab on the left side of the share window.
Your choice of watermark template can affect the link’s Access setting.
If a watermark displays the viewer’s name, you must select Workspace users and enter workspace users as recipients.
If a watermark only shows the viewer’s email address, then you have the additional access options of Public and Password protected. When you select Public or Password protected, you can enter any email address in the recipients field, even if that email does not belong to your MediaSilo workspace.
For more detailed information, please visit our support page or contact us at sales@mediasilo for a demo.
You already know how important good audio and sound is for a film. When was the last time you watched through the entirety of a video with bad-quality audio? As an audience, we can deal with a certain level of poor video quality, provided the sound quality is still good. However, as soon as the sound is bad, we’ll stop watching.
While filmmaking is a visual medium for storytelling, it’s undeniable that audio plays a huge role in the process. To create great films and videos, you need to produce great audio and sound. Let’s take a look at 8 tips to achieve great film audio production.
Microphone choices
First things first, let’s talk about microphones. Yes, every camera nowadays comes fitted with its in-built microphone, but let’s be honest…these simply don’t cut it.
If you’re serious about capturing great audio and sound, you must invest appropriately. Just as we invest in cameras to achieve beautiful visuals, we need to invest in microphones and develop professional microphone techniques to capture stunning audio.
For video production, there are two main microphones to consider:
Shotgun mics
Long and cylindrical, the shotgun microphone is directional. It picks up sounds directly in front of the mic while rejecting and toning down ambient sounds to the rear and sides.
Shotgun microphones are highly versatile, allowing you to capture all kinds of sound, from actor dialogue to room noise and wild sound. Because of its directional nature, you will need to think about where you place a shotgun microphone and how you use it. We’ll take a look at how to do this below.
Some of the broadcast-grade shotgun mics you may want to consider:
Lavalier microphones, often termed “lav mics” or “lavs” in the industry, are the classic small-form clip-on microphones you’ll see used frequently in interview videos or where a presenter is talking to the camera.
Unlike their shotgun counterparts, lavalier microphones are very small and designed to be lowkey and unobtrusive. Because of this, Lav mics don’t really pick up that much background noise. Lavs are much more about capturing quality, clear audio from the person they’re attached to.
Some of the broadcast-grade lavalier mics you may want to consider:
To boom, or not to boom? That’s a common question when tackling how to capture great audio during video production. As discussed above, there’s a clear difference between shotgun and lav mics. To capture really high-quality audio and sound for your film project, you need to consider the following:
Which one you’re going to use
When you’re going to use it
Where you’re going to use it
With a lavalier microphone, you’ll capture clear, crisp human speech from the actor. However, it can create a sense of closeness for the audience, which may feel a little jarring or strange if we’re watching a wide shot. This is where you need to think about the microphone perspective.
Shotgun microphones can be attached to a boom pole, which then gives you the freedom to experiment with the microphone perspective. If you’re looking for closeness, you can bring the boom in closer to the actor. Equally, if you’re going for a wider shot and want to capture a bit more of the room tone or environment, you can bring that boom away so that the audio recording feels more natural with what you see on screen.
Stop and listen
When you’re in the middle of production, firing on all cylinders and juggling ten things at once, it can be easy to forget to check your audio before hitting record. However, it’s an essential part of any professional production.
When you take the time to listen to your audio before each shot, you’re allowing yourself to catch any potential mistakes or errors. You may notice that you can hear the traffic from a distant highway or planes from a nearby flight path. All these details help you to adjust and rethink the way you shoot this particular scene. Or perhaps (I’ve experienced this plenty of times), you realize you need to switch on your microphone!
By taking the time and slowing down to listen and double-check things, we save ourselves a lot of pain further down the line in post-production.
Invest in necessary accessories
Again, just like with cameras, where we buy different lenses and ND filters for specific scenarios, along with tripods, lights and whatever else you can think of, you need to invest in additional accessories and gear for your audio-capturing gear.
Noise-canceling headphones
On the topic of listening to audio before shooting, it’s well worth purchasing a high-quality pair of noise-canceling headphones. These will eliminate all the background noise on set and enable you to focus on the actual sound of the film. This approach often helps you detect any potential mistakes that need to be smoothed out. When the guy with the headphones on set says do it again, you do it again.
Some of the best noise-canceling headphones you may want to consider are:
It’s advisable always to avoid filming in windy conditions at all costs. However, that’s sometimes easier said than done. As filmmakers, we can’t control the weather; therefore, it’s well worth ensuring all your microphones (lavaliers and shotguns) have deadcats. These fluffy mic buffs will shield the condenser from any unwanted noise, such as wind or even a sharp exhale of breath, that could cause the audio to clip and create all kinds of issues in the edit.
Compressors and limiters
Making use of compressors and limiters can help you to smooth out an audio signal. On many higher-end microphones, you may well find that they already come with an in-built option for limiting. Employing a limiter prevents the amplitude of a signal from exceeding a predetermined value. In other words, you hopefully stop any potential clipping from happening.
Meanwhile, a compressor will reduce the volume of louder sounds while amplifying quieter sounds. This effectively compresses the audio signal’s dynamic range, making it “smoother” and easier to work with.
Think about your location
When you’re location scouting in pre-production, don’t just analyze a space from a visual perspective. Think about location in terms of audio.
How does your voice carry in a certain location – is it bouncing off walls and echoing? Are you on a busy flight path? What elements of the environment can you control, and what can you not?
Developing location-sound strategies will help you immensely later in post. Ideally, the more things you control, the better.
Room tone
On the topic of location, it’s a great idea to pick up room noise and ambient sound from the places you shoot in. Think of this as Foley on set.
When you’re in post-production working on your film sound design (more on that below), it can be very difficult (often impossible) to recreate the exact ambiance and match it with the scene you’re working with. Sometimes called “room tone,” this process helps you precisely capture the tone of your room.
For this, you may want to invest in an audio recorder, or you can use something like a shotgun microphone. However, you do it, it’s a really useful habit to have, giving your sound designer much more to work with in the edit.
Clean dialogue
Depending on the type of video or film you’re making, you may want “clean dialogue” capture.
Even if two actors are interacting with each other, going back and forth in a scene, it’s a good idea to have them redo their lines afterward, just one actor at a time. Capturing these lines crisply and clearly, with no interference from anyone else, gives you much more to work with in post-production. Clean dialogue can allow you to speed up lines, cut them out, overlay them elsewhere, and perform many other little tricks in the edit.
Post-production
Typically, the phrase “we’ll fix it in post” should cause you to run for the hills. As a professional filmmaker, you should never rely on post-production as a surefire way to patch up bad production. However, certain elements of post-production audio are essential when it comes to quality audio and sound.
For example, don’t be afraid of SFX. Great filmmakers understand that not everything can be captured during production. When you’re editing your film, you need to work closely with SFX to help build out your environments with sound design, helping to bring the visuals to life and make the audience feel like they’re truly there. This is where capturing things like room tone and ambiance can lend a helping hand.
Additionally, if working with actors, you may also need to capture ADR (audio dialogue replacement) to ensure you’ve got the best-sounding edit possible.
Wrapping up
So, there are 8 great tips to help you capture great audio and sound in your next video. It’s a challenging part of the filmmaking process to perfect, and many filmmakers can shy away from it. However, as this arti
It’s no secret that Automated Dialogue Replacement (ADR) is not the most revered part of post-production. ADR mixer Greg Crawford jokes that “there are three things people don’t want to do…number one, go to the dentist. Number two, go to the DMV. Number three, do ADR.”
Despite being often shunned or feared due to the perceived complexity of ADR (not to mention the extra work involved), it is a great way to improve audio quality and clean up less-than-perfect dialogue captured during production. Nowadays, the available tools and technologies make it a more viable, easier option than ever before.
A quick recap – what is ADR?
First up, let’s recap on what exactly ADR is. Automated Dialogue Replacement refers to the process of re-recording audio in post-production – typically in a more controlled, quieter setting.
There are a few main reasons why you may want to utilize ADR. These include:
Tech issues. There could have been a problem with the audio captured on set caused by a plane flying overhead or too much bleed-through from another actor’s microphone.
You may want to replace an actor’s vocal performance. This is particularly popular for (but not exclusive to) musicals.
If you’re creating a “TV safe” cut that removes the adult language, for example, ADR is a great way to achieve this.
Creative purposes. From time to time, both actors and directors prefer ADR. There’s a particularly famous example of this: Marlon Brando confessed to mumbling on purpose during his performance in “The Godfather” (1972). He wanted to see the final edit so that he could improve his performance with the full context!
The ADR process today
While the technology has advanced, the principle of ADR is the same. In general, you’ve got two different ways to carry out ADR. First, there’s visual ADR – the process by which an actor listens to a line of dialogue and then aims to match that line of dialogue while watching the performance on screen (with no sound).
Alternatively, you have audio ADR, where the actor will listen to the line of dialogue and recite that dialogue over and over, with the audio recording playing in their headset. It’s agreed that audio ADR may give a slightly better, more accurate result, but these different processes come down to the preference of actor and director.
How to achieve great ADR
Because ADR is recorded in a “clean” environment with no interference, it will most likely feel very jarring and completely wrong if you edit it straight into a scene. Audiences will know almost immediately that this audio was not recorded on set, and it will make for awkward viewing.
Expert ADR mixer Greg Crawford (responsible for ADR on blockbusters including Avengers Infinity War and Spiderman) gave a great interview, shedding light on the process of achieving great ADR.
Ultimately, he always aims to keep as much of the original production performance as possible. Sometimes, his ADR is as nuanced as just pulling a syllable or one word to cover for a moment where there was a rustle of clothing on set. He calls this “surgical ADR.”
However, there are other scenarios where full-blown ADR is called for. Greg discusses the “three Ps” of pitch, performance and placement. He’s constantly looking to match the actor’s ADR pitch and performance with the pitch and performance they gave during production. Alongside this, he’s always looking to match the placement of the microphones on set.
To achieve this:
The same microphones used on set during production are used for ADR
The microphone placement is the same as during production
The room is as large as possible (a smaller room creates more problems with reverb and echo)
The environment reverb is matched
The first three-pointers here are self-explanatory, but the fourth requires a little more work and begins on set.
Matching reverb with Adobe Audition
Reverb is a small detail, but it can make the difference between good ADR and great ADR. Considering you’re already recording room tone anyway, this isn’t too much extra hassle, as the folks at The Film Look expertly demonstrate on YouTube.
ADR recording software to consider
Naturally, when it comes to recording ADR, you’ll need to decide which software you will use for recording, editing and syncing the new dialogue. While the example of Adobe Audition is used above, there are plenty of others to consider:
Pro Tools is a popular, versatile DAW (digital audio workstation) offering plenty of features and plugins for ADR, including Revoice Pro, VocALign, EdiCue and EdiPrompt. You can record multiple takes, edit and refine the dialogue, sync it with video and export in various formats.
Nuendo is another specialized DAW with a dedicated ADR module. Processes such as spotting, cueing, recording, editing and syncing are all simplified here in an easy-to-use interface.
Meanwhile, Fairlight is a DAW integrated into the DaVinci Resolve suite. Its comprehensive ADR toolset enables you to record, edit and sync dialogue, all within the same interface as the video.
ADR recording hardware
Alongside software, there’s hardware. Greg Crawford touches on it briefly in his interview, confirming what you should already know. If you can, use the same microphones as used in production. It will make your job that much easier. When it comes to microphones, here are a few great choices to consider:
The Neumann U87 (mentioned in the interview with Greg)
The Sennheiser MKH 416
The Rode NT1-A
Meanwhile, the quality and compatibility of your hardware will undoubtedly impact the quality of your ADR. You may consider looking at intuitive controllers that adjust sound levels, sync and playback during your ADR session. Here are a few:
Avid S1
Steinberg CC121
Blackmagic Fairlight Desktop Console (great when paired with the Fairlight DAW)
Of course, a great pair of noise-canceling headphones will be needed, too. Popular throughout the industry are:
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro
Sony MDR-7506
AKG K240
Remote ADR collaboration tools
Post-covid (and in general, in modern times), it’s not always feasible to get everyone together in the same place at the same time. This is one of the most challenging aspects of ADR – coordinating and communicating with multiple people in different parts of the world and different time zones. Fortunately, there are some great tools out there that can enable you to carry out ADR remotely.
Source Connect effectively takes your studio global, allowing you to stream high-quality audio over the internet and record or monitor your ADR sessions remotely. You can integrate with other DAWs or even video conferencing platforms such as Zoom and Skype.
SessionLinkPRO is a web-based service where you can conduct ADR sessions using your browser and microphone. You’ll find an array of features, including video playback, chat, file transfer and encryption.
Meanwhile, cloud-based ipDTL offers video sync, ISDN bridging, multi-track recording and live streaming.
The future of ADR
In the past few years, AI has been a hot topic of discussion, advancing at a blistering pace and infiltrating just about every part of the filmmaking process. ADR is no exception. What has typically been a long, painstaking process of refinement, requiring many takes and long hours, could soon get a whole lot easier and shorter.
Check out this astonishing example of TrueSync in the movie “Fall” (2022).
Using AI, TrueSync analyses and tracks the performance of Virginia Gardener, recreates her face with a 3D model, removes her original dialogue, and then replaces it flawlessly with language that can take the scene from R-rated to PG13. You just watched the future of ADR.
This example demonstrates a new and exciting way of conducting ADR – one that could save hours of time, as well as money and resources. Lengthy processes in software such as Adobe Audition, where you have to sync up multiple tracks and experiment with impulse response recording files, could be rendered unnecessary. Things could be achieved with a few clicks.
While we’re not quite there yet, it’s clear that lip-synced dubs with custom-made AI-recreated voices could become commonplace in the next five to ten years. TrueSync is not the only example of how AI is starting to make its mark on the ADR space.
Lovo.AI, for example, now offers the ability to clone any voice and create high-quality custom voice content. Similarly, Murf.AI offers the tools to “clone once. Use forever” – a foreboding phrase that would make any SAG-AFTRA member rightly shudder. When you listen to the examples on these sites, they’re not quite there yet. But they are pretty impressive and, in some cases, definitely usable.
Other notable AI technologies doing a similar thing include Respeecher, which uses deep learning and neural networks to transform one voice into another (again, without requiring the original actors). And then there’s Lyrebird, which creates a digital copy of your voice using a few minutes of audio samples. Then, you can generate a totally new dialogue or alter the existing dialogue with different emotions, tones and effects.
The writing is on the wall here. This technology is only going to advance, and as we’ve already seen, the rate of that advance is extremely fast.
Wrapping up
So, that’s the rundown on the state of ADR today and where it’s headed tomorrow. It’s no secret that ADR has often been a laborious, tedious process (remember Greg Crawford’s joke about ADR being one of the only three things people hate to do). However, there are many great tools out there that ensure you can get the job done to the high-quality standards we expect from all big blockbusters.
As we move forward into a new post-production landscape in which AI increasingly dominates, we can expect to see drastic changes to how ADR is conducted in the future. If you told the folks experimenting with ADR in early 1930s Hollywood that one day, ADR may be an almost irrelevant, minuscule aspect of the post-production process, they may have fallen off their chairs.
MediaSiloallows 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.
Josh is a filmmaker and storyteller based in Indonesia. He is passionate about travel and shares and documents adventures and stories through his films because he is a firm believer that travel is the greatest education tool out there. If you want to do anything in life, the experiences travel offers you can set you up with the perfect foundation on which to succeed.
Remote workflows have quickly become the norm across much of the post-production world. While bringing significant advantages in flexibility and the opportunity to collaborate globally, it also brings some significant challenges. Internet speeds, communication and leaks keep producers up at night. So let’s look at the top five most common challenges of remote post-production and some practical tips on how to overcome them.
Challenge #1: Uploading and downloading large files
Efficiently getting files to and from the cloud can be a significant challenge. Slow upload speeds, interrupted file transfers, hanging loading screens, and uncertain transfer completion times are just the beginning. Although numerous services are dedicated to file sharing, few are optimized for media professionals.
The consequences of a failed upload can mean the loss of hours. Who hasn’t seen an upload get halfway through and then it gets interrupted? Now, you have to start over again.
The first step to solid performance is ensuring your physical network is reliable. For instance, if you have cable internet, have the cable company inspect your network at the box outside the building, the splitters in that box, and the jacks in your home. Unterminated cable jacks can degrade the performance of your connection. Faulty splitters can introduce problems as well. Your ISP service person can test the performance of the signal at the jack coming out of the wall where your Gateway (modem/router combo) is connected.
Once you’ve ensured that the signal at the jack is solid, make sure your Gateway or modem is up-to-date. A DOCSIS 3.1 modem is capable of faster speeds than a DOCSIS 3.0 modem. If you rent your modem from your ISP, sometimes you can be eligible for a free upgrade on your modem. If you’ve had yours for a few years, this can significantly boost your network’s performance.
Hard-wire your network
A hard-wired connection is the next thing to consider. WiFi performance keeps getting faster but is still vulnerable to latency issues. As cloud technologies improve, editing apps can stream connections to editors. Even if you have a fast connection, you may not get performance if you are experiencing latency issues. Your internet “speed” measures the “bandwidth” or how much data can be sent simultaneously. The latency measures how fast it gets from the destination to you. By using a wired connection with Cat6 ethernet cable, or better, you reduce the traffic that can compete with your work. A good switch, cables, and ethernet adapter will ensure that your video files meet with the least amount of resistance from competing traffic in your home.
If you have family, and everyone hops on the network when they come home, do everyone a favor and let them know that if they are trying to game or video chat while you are uploading, it will slow everyone down. Many ISPs offer very fast download speeds but relatively modest upload speeds. (Like Xfinity 1200 Mbps down and 35 Mbps up). So a family member can watch a movie, and it won’t slow down your upload, but if they hop on FaceTime, they are uploading video data that will compete with your workflow.
But transfers can get interrupted with even the best setup. Some cloud services not optimized for video will make this an excruciating process. You’ll have to try to cancel an upload. That may or may not register. Then, you’ll have to begin the upload again. This results in you reaching back out to your client, informing them they must wait while a new transfer is completed.
MediaSilo monitors the speed and completion percentage of your upload and estimates how long it takes until the transfer is complete. Suppose your transfer is interrupted (maybe a Thunderbolt cable came unplugged from an otherwise solid connection). In that case, MediaSilo will pause the transfer and continue to look for the link to be re-established. Once a connection is live again, MediaSilo will pick up where it left off and complete the transfer.
Challenge #2: Keeping track of revisions
The second challenge that remote post-production pros face is versioning. An exported file is sent out for review, and comments come back in an email. This works for a version or two, but at a certain point, someone on the email chain or Slack channel gets left out of the loop, and people get confused about what is being referenced.
MediaSilo addresses the challenges of versioning with an easy-to-use drag-and-drop method of updating assets.
This method eliminates the uncertainty when you upload a new version to the cloud and wonder if it will update the old one. Often, the file names have incremented according to the version, and the duration may change. When you face this kind of uncertainty on a longer project, it means that you have to check the upload when it is completed and possibly manually version the asset so that your review links don’t need to be updated.
If the new version is in MediaSilo as a separate asset, just drag it over the old one, and you are all set.
Challenge #3: Communication
Communication can be tricky in an all-remote world. There are multiple communication channels, each with its own settings and notifications. It is challenging for clients and executives to know what has been covered already, what is “final,” and what is still a work in progress. Sometimes, you have different “classes” of reviewers. For instance, direct collaborators may want to call out small things, and executives may just want “the big picture.”
MediaSilo enables you to create different review links for the same asset so that viewers will only see the comments relevant to them.
If your workflow requires a private review session, you can create a review link and turn on the toggle “On this link only.” This way, comments made in the review link are only visible to people with access to the review link, and comments made in the review link will not appear in your MediaSilo project when you enter Review Mode.
Reviewers can then comment on the assets according to timecode. They can even use the drawing tools to call things out visually. If your reviewers put their comments into the comment section, you can export those comments as well.
So whether you need to keep the commentary private or work together, MediaSilo’s advanced commenting functionality helps streamline communication.
Challenge #4: Visibility
Have you ever sent off a link and wondered, “Did they even watch it?” This question is crucial when submitting to film festivals or potential distributors. Without this feature, editors can feel in the dark about whether or not they can begin a new revision or if they should wait for additional viewers to watch the video.
MediaSilo includes analytics for your assets. You can see if viewers watched the whole thing or if they dropped it off. This was a vital feature in the submission process of The Othrs‘ latest documentary, “Defiant,” which went on to become a TIFF Official Selection. They knew if all the key partners had viewed the film or if any stakeholders had yet to review it. The ability to tell not only who watched it but also when they viewed it and where they were viewing it from proved invaluable.
You can enjoy a broad overview of all of your assets, Spotlights or review links. You can see who downloaded the videos, and if they haven’t, you can see when their link will expire and nudge them to view the asset to ensure the project meets its deadline.
This insight helps resolve many unanswered questions in the review and approval process. Ultimately, this helps remote team members achieve visibility and transparency with each other.
Challenge #5: Security
In some ways, this challenge should be numero uno. A leak can spoil a film and jeopardize a project. Sharing a link and hoping for the best simply won’t cut it. New tools come on the market to circumvent older methods of DRM. And leakers can have private, personal agendas that don’t align with your team’s goals.
This problem is why MediaSilo implements a multi-prong security strategy. The MediaSilo platform is SOC 2 Type II certified and follows the Secure SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle). This ensures that every feature is built securely.
MediaSilo provides an array of tools to safeguard your assets with SafeStream. User permissions and classes help to limit the scope of your project’s exposure. Visual watermarks deter would-be leakers. Forensic watermarking enables you to track the source of leaks if they do happen. Administrators can implement security policies at an organizational level so editors don’t have to go through the hassle of turning watermarks on and off in their timelines.
Conclusion
The world of remote post-production is upon us. Producers who take advantage of the opportunities will see productivity gains and cost savings like never before. Tools like MediaSilo will help deliver assets and streamline communication workflows so deliverables can arrive on time and on budget.
MediaSiloallows 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.
Reuben Evans is a director, an award-winning screenwriter, and a member of the Producers Guild of America. As the former executive producer at Faithlife TV, he produced and directed numerous documentaries and commercials. Reuben’s tools of choice are RED Cameras, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve.
The Othrs, an award-winning full-service media and production company, has steadily earned acclaim with documentaries such as “The Great Hack,” “The Square,” “The Vow,” and the 2023 sequel “The Vow II,” offering audiences narratives of ordinary people traversing through extraordinary moments. These narratives are a testament to The Othrs’ talented and dynamic team, although crafting these compelling stories is accompanied by inherent challenges.
The Othrs experienced difficulties unifying their post-production workflows while maintaining rigorous content security. With its growing creative teams, The Othrs required a platform that was not only secure and user-friendly but also capable of accommodating its creative personnel scattered across the globe. To navigate these evolving challenges, The Othrs employed MediaSilo by EditShare.
Examining projects like “The Vow 2” and “Flight Risk” illuminates MediaSilo’s crucial role. Dailies were uploaded to the platform from one location in a format that, while compressed, did not compromise on quality, ensuring immediate access for globally distributed producers. Furthermore, MediaSilo became a centralized exchange hub for proxies, graphics, music and other vital assets, functioning as a secure repository and a dynamic exchange platform.
Specifically, MediaSilo’s advanced review and approval features proved indispensable for multiple projects overseen by The Othrs. Sebastian Iturralde, Post Supervisor at The Othrs, highlights the importance of MediaSilo by stating, “Real-time collaboration from people in other time zones wouldn’t be possible for us without MediaSilo.” The platform allowed for timecode-accurate comments and notes, which were essential for use within editing software like Avid Media Composer and Adobe Premiere Pro. Moreover, MediaSilo’s versioning capabilities facilitated unified change tracking between versions. “It was key to have the ability for everyone to seamlessly watch different versions of cuts while they’re all saved in the same place,” says Sebastian. This approach significantly enhanced communication clarity and efficiency during the review and approval processes.
“Real-time collaboration from people in other time zones wouldn’t be possible for us without MediaSilo.”
MediaSilo also served as a repository for pre-production and non-video files. In the event of an emergency, this approach provided a reliable cloud backup for the high-resolution media stored on their on-premises Avid NEXIS storage system.
Considering the sensitivity of content featuring whistleblowers within their type of documentary filmmaking, security is non-negotiable for The Othrs. MediaSilo, with its advanced permissioning tools and security compliance, stands resilient as a digital fortress. Recognizing the robust security measures provided by MediaSilo, The Othrs began entrusting it with increasingly sensitive content.
With their latest project, “Defiant,” which premieres this fall at DOC NYC and is a TIFF Official Selection, MediaSilo was considered vital in the submission process. “One of the key advantages of using MediaSilo was the ability to share a unique link with a distinct password for each festival, along with the option to set expiration dates,” said Fazïa S’Lika, Producer. These features simplified the submission process, allowing them to share the film with exactly who they needed to, when they needed to, without fear of leaks.
MediaSilo bridges the gap where remote and on-location workflows diverge, providing seamless facilitation of hybrid operational models through its intuitive design and robust functionality. Especially useful is MediaSilo’s “Feed” function, which keeps all team members on the platform up to date on any changes to their workspace and projects since they’ve last logged in. Karim Amer, co-owner at The Othrs, notes, “As the owner, I can get a sense for all of the projects by tracking the MediaSilo feed.”
Offering unmatched flexibility with user seats, storage space and a predictable cost structure, MediaSilo outperforms competitors in these domains. Its economical scaling solutions for enterprise-level usage are not only cost-efficient but also integrate into The Othrs’ existing workflows, accommodating both remote and on-location operations.
“We are on team MediaSilo. I use it every day.”
For The Othrs, MediaSilo isn’t merely a tool—it’s integral to their digital strategy and workflow. Sebastian points out that without MediaSilo’s capabilities, executing nearly 90% of their groundbreaking work wouldn’t be feasible. MediaSilo not only makes real-time collaboration possible in the fast-paced world of global production but ensures it is efficient and reliable.
Karim echoes these sentiments, emphasizing his daily reliance on MediaSilo as an indispensable operational tool that keeps him connected and informed about the pulse of all projects under The Othrs’ banner. For him and his team, MediaSilo is an integral part of their daily workflow, a silent partner that is as much a part of The Othrs as any producer, editor or artist.
The alliance between The Othrs and MediaSilo transcends transactional interactions; it’s a partnership forged from challenges and triumphs in the heat of production. MediaSilo is more than a technological tool; it embodies a strategy deeply embedded within The Othrs’ operational DNA, enabling them to continue their journey of telling extraordinary human stories. With security, efficiency and collaboration as its cornerstones, MediaSilo is more than a platform; it’s a catalyst for storytelling in the digital age.
Karim concludes, “We are on team MediaSilo. I use it every day.”
MediaSiloallows 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.
Broadcasters have been hard at work tackling the challenges of what the newsroom of tomorrow will look like. As broadcasters face the challenge of competition from social media, it’s become critical to look for new ways to collaborate remotely. There’s a tension between tried-and-tested workflows and the need for greater efficiency that comes through new technologies.
What are some of the key challenges facing broadcasters in this new era?
Cross-collaboration between industries
Dave Hoffman, business development manager for the Americas at Blackmagic Design, noted, “Broadcasters are starting to implement tools and techniques from cinema workflows like different effects and lenses, while production companies are implementing gear from the live streaming side, like switchers and routers, for multi-camera scripted shoots and virtual production.” Practically speaking, this means that film teams are broadcasting, and broadcasters are moving into cinematography. These changes bring new tools, skills and workflows to both sides of the equation.
Professional sports leagues are using more large sensor cameras to produce more cinematic images. Gimbals are showing up on the sidelines. Some shooters are experimenting with photo lenses and face-detection autofocus on cinema cameras. Mobile bonding wireless technology makes it possible to record in the cloud as well as in the camera itself.
Cinematographers who are used to working on images with a colorist in post now need to apply those grades on set as it is streamed to clients and producers around the world. Broadcast camera operators are embracing new kinds of optics, focus systems, and lighting demands. Learning new skills is always fun, but it can also be challenging when you are an expert in one discipline and a novice in another.
The great thing about this cross-collaboration is an openness to new tools and techniques on both sides of production and post. Production teams are streaming right from their cameras and post teams are incorporating new tools to accommodate new workflows.
Those new workflows produce a vast array of assets. Some platforms need widescreen deliverables, and some need vertical. Sometimes, you need to have captions delivered in a separate file, and sometimes, they need to be overlaid onto the video itself. And each of these variations needs to be reviewed and approved by multiple parties before they ship.
Asset management for multi-platform broadcasters
Broadcasters are no longer targeting a single medium. The increase in delivery platforms and the worldwide syndication of media means that the average video has to be delivered in multiple versions. Not only are numerous formats required, but each piece of media might have to be tailored to a geographical area, a demographic and a platform.
For example, All Elite Wrestling needs different specs for every show in every location and region. Pay-per-view, international partners, and in-arena LED assets are all different. With at least a dozen assets per talent and close to 200 wrestlers in their roster, it’s a lot.
All these assets need to be created, ingested, grouped, reviewed, revised, and approved. That’s where cloud-based tools like MediaSilo can really streamline workflows. Editors working in a shared environment now have the tools they need to work the way they want to and provide secure, reliable review/approval and presentation links.
A good example of this NLE agnostic approach in MediaSilo is integrations. If you use Adobe Premiere or DaVinci Resolve, you can install a panel right in your NLE. You can sync feedback on both platforms with MediaSilo so that your producers, directors and editors are always in the loop. If one collaborator is using Dropbox and another is Google Drive, MediaSilo can integrate with both (and others) so that you can avoid the hassle of uploading, downloading and transferring between multiple systems.
When you have hundreds or thousands of files, it’s important for your team to know how to find the right ones at the right time. Metadata tagging is a great way to keep track of assets and simplify searching. In addition to plaintext tags, you can now create categories like location, director, and client. Set your categories and tags and quickly find files with the advanced search and filters on every page.
Simplifying collaboration between broadcast production pros
Collaboration tools ought to respect the preferences of the creative teams while facilitating work with freelancers using other tools. For instance, some editors use Adobe, and many editors are adopting DaVinci Resolve for more than just the color grade. MediaSilo has panels for both of them. This “NLE agnostic” approach defines the workflow of MediaSilo. Users can choose to work on the operating system or NLE of their choice while working with others on a different system. Each team member has different needs, so it is important that collaboration tools support the whole team.
However, the challenge to unifying different tools is in tracking, versioning and securing your data. And there are really two sides to that coin. There are assets to track during production and post-production, and there is the versioning and secure presentation of assets during the review and approval process. MediaSilo takes care of both. You can see when someone has viewed a video, where they were viewing it from, and how much they watched.
Security is another major component. In the broadcast world, it’s essential to prevent leaks. Broadcasters want to be the first to break a story. SafeStream is MediaSilo’s powerful security technology. It applies visible and forensic watermarking. This means leaks can be tracked to their source, and potential leakers will think twice before sharing their work before it is ready for release.
Conclusion
With cross-pollination and collaboration between industries becoming so prevalent, new opportunities are abounding. The organizations that can marshall their forces to embrace change instead of resisting it will win in this ever-changing landscape. But the key factor in managing that change will be keeping people in the loop and on the same team. Collaboration tools like MediaSilo go a long way to bridging the gaps between remote teams scattered throughout countries and time zones. They help to deliver the flexibility that creatives need and the consistency that business demands.
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.
Reuben Evans is a director, an award-winning screenwriter, and a member of the Producers Guild of America. As the former executive producer at Faithlife TV, he produced and directed numerous documentaries and commercials. Reuben’s tools of choice are RED Cameras, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve.
Just when you think everything is going well with your team’s project and the finish line is in sight, here comes the curveball. Someone was left out of the loop, or a senior executive gets surprised by a deliverable. The team scrambles to make last-minute changes and push back deadlines. Creative professionals know this can be discouraging. How can we improve our review and approval processes to ensure all stakeholders are included?
We all know that sometimes the approval process isn’t smooth. We’ll examine strategies for handling “curveball” feedback. So, let’s take a look at some specific, concrete steps that we can take along the way to give us the best chance at a smooth review and approval process.
Craft a solid brief
When you work with an agency, we may or may not deal directly with the client. But it is still our responsibility to ensure that the brief answers all of the key questions about the deliverable. Who is the audience? Where will this be seen? What are the goals of the campaign? What is the voice and personality of the brand? Getting as much information about the client’s goals as possible is critical to a successful end product. Here’s a great guide to crafting a brief.
Identify key stakeholders
It’s not uncommon for the task of creating a commercial to be handled by a Marketing VP or another higher-up. But sometimes, not everyone who needs to be involved is actually involved. Nobody wants to make the mistake of leaving out a CEO (who likes to be involved with everything) until the last minute. People who safeguard the brand visually and narratively must be all involved.
Another category of individual to consider is the “domain expert.” Companies often have individuals who really get the “heart” of the product and understand the customer’s desires. They might be in sales or even in product development. Getting those “domain experts” on your side can be vital to getting the final deliverable right.
A common decision-making framework is known as the DACI model. Each letter presents a key participant in the production and review process:
Driver: This individual doesn’t have sign-off authority, but they are responsible for moving the project forward.
Approver: You might have more than one approver. Usually, there is a chain of authority that needs to sign off. But overall, it is best to try to avoid having too many cooks in the kitchen.
Contributors: These individual contributors bring their talents to the table and help get the various aspects of the project done.
Informed: By keeping key people across the organization in the loop, you’ll avoid hearing “why wasn’t I consulted.”
MediaSilo delivers an environment for the members of a DACI team to collaborate. For instance, versioning helps to identify which export of a video a particular note applied to. And then, you can see how it was addressed in a subsequent revision.
Collaborate on the concept
When the stroke of genius hits you, and you draft that fantastic concept, view it as a rough draft. Sometimes, it’s hard not to be precious about a concept that works together on every level. So make sure your script and storyboard make the rounds to everyone who could kill it later. Help people to feel like they are a part of the process and that they are heard. This step will set you up for a successful review and approval process once the cameras have stopped rolling.
Work through legal and clearance issues
Keep in mind that your client may need to have their legal counsel provide input before and after you film your spot. Music and location clearances need to be in place to protect the company. And they will want to make sure that nothing in the piece could create unnecessary legal risk. It is key that the concept not rely on an element that might get struck down by a company’s internal legal team.
Gather broad internal feedback
When reviewing elements and deliverables, I like the saying, “Show your work early and often.” It can be scary to send out incomplete work, but platforms like MediaSilo provide a great way to get feedback at critical stages without slowing down the creative process. This way, the agency and client can feel like they have a handle on the process, and you can ensure buy-in along the way. Even then, it can still be tough to know who needs to see what at which stage. But getting early work in front of people can head off headaches. It also builds trust because it demonstrates a level of vulnerability. And your creative team will instantly know when you need to make course corrections.
This step is also where the presentation features of MediaSilo can make a big difference. When the work is presented online or in person, all distractions must be eliminated. It’s a key moment to control the messaging and ensure the work gets presented in the best light possible.
Handling creative differences
Inevitably, creative differences arise. These are the “curveballs” we’re talking about. It’s the director’s job to work through the client’s feedback and figure out ways to make them happy while still realizing the creative vision. This moment is where it can be really helpful to gain feedback from various sources so that there is a balance to offset the feedback from one influential individual. One executive may have a strong objection to a particular element, but if other voices like it, those voices can help soften the blow. As daunting as it may seem, gaining feedback from as many voices as necessary is ultimately helpful to get the deliverable across the finish line.
Avoiding defensiveness is key when hearing feedback. The temptation to defend the work is always present, but it is more effective to take notes, and give a little time to try to get to the core of the objection. When you are in the moment and receiving pushback, your stress level rises, and it is hard to think clearly and respond well. Sleeping on feedback is honestly one of the best methods for processing it. Take some time to process it, gain input from other voices, and allow for creative solutions to present themselves after a night of sleep.
Curveball feedback can yield even better work than originally planned. Sometimes, that feedback reveals a weakness in the spot, even if the person giving the feedback could have been more precise in articulating the exact problem. When people try to explain what they feel in their gut, there is often a significant disconnect, but there is still something real there. An experienced storyteller can digest that feedback and uncover the real reason a piece isn’t working. That insight can yield new creative solutions that fix those underlying problems.
Focus groups can help
Once your commercial is “finished,” a helpful step can be to get feedback from people outside of the process. Sometimes, we are so “head down” in the work that we miss obvious things. So, feedback from internal focus groups or even beta testers of software products can point out things that we would miss. It’s important to hold this feedback loosely, but it can also be illuminating.
When feedback from focus groups is obtained, it is important to consider their similarity to your main audience. For instance, sometimes, the hardest core fans of a particular product do not represent the majority of the customers of that product.
Final sign off
When it is time for the finished piece to make rounds, ensure everyone gets included again. The two critical junctures for broad approval are the storyboards and the final sign-off before shipping. Hopefully, the rounds of internal feedback have helped finesse the deliverable to perfection. However, it is still worth asking, “Has everyone who needs to see it had eyes on the final version?”
Conclusion
Keeping everybody in the loop can be challenging with the best of plans. That’s why it’s critical to have tools like MediaSilo that reduce the friction and help keep everyone in sync. See those curveballs coming, and the team will hit them out of the park. And that’s the kind of teamwork that leads to repeat clients, happy teams, and creatively fulfilling work for all involved
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.
Reuben Evans is a director, an award-winning screenwriter, and a member of the Producers Guild of America. As the former executive producer at Faithlife TV, he produced and directed numerous documentaries and commercials. Reuben’s tools of choice are RED Cameras, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve.
Movie trailers. We see them by the dozens every time we watch a film in a theater. A trailer can provide great entertainment but also serve as an important marketing tool for filmmakers.
We spoke with three editors, all of whom have extensive experience working with movie trailers, to get their perspective on movie trailers today.
We’ll be hearing from:
Ryan Connolly of Film Riot. If you’ve ever looked for a filmmaking or editing tutorial, there’s a good chance you’ve discovered one of Ryan’s videos. In addition to their YouTube channel, Film Riot also has a terrific blog covering helpful topics ranging from pre-production all the way through post-production.
Chris MacDonald of Film Editing Pro. They have a 46-lesson course called The Art of Trailer Editing, which walks students through every aspect of putting together a trailer, including offering sample footage to work with to create your own trailer.
What aspects of a trailer make one great?
Ryan: The music and the pacing are major factors. I think the music is probably one of the biggest factors in that. The music doesn’t have to actually be a needle drop song; [instead] it could be the use of sound design. The use of sound from the film creates the music for the trailer itself and creates the pacing of how the trailer unfolds.
Pacing is paramount as well. I think the mystery is subconsciously asking a question of some kind, planting a seed in the audience’s mind that has this idea that they need to be answered. [Giving them] some sort of mystery that will pull them to the theaters. Because the ultimate job of a trailer is to get butts in seats or get clicks if it’s something on the Internet.
Patrick: At Muse, we have a thing that we call ‘the who gives a shit? meter’ and that’s about looking at any kind of content across mediums and asking yourself how much it’s really pulling you in, making you ask questions and caring in any way.
The number one aspect of a trailer, for us, would be that you have to get your audience’s ‘who gives a shit meter’ going as far off the charts as you can.
Visuals, SFX, soundtrack, and pacing all play into that—but that is more about characters and conflict, and all of it coming together to make your audience care and want to know more. It sounds simpler than it really is—, but when you get that, you have to motivate them enough to plop down $15, drive to a theater, and give 2 hours of their time. You really need to get that “WGAS” meter going.
Chris: A great trailer is one that tells the film’s story quickly and understandably by using the best ingredients the film has to offer.
With comedy, that means you’re telling the story by weaving together the funniest moments in a way that conveys the plot, typically supported by graphic cards and occasionally narration to tie it all together. Action uses the biggest, most exciting moments. Suspense moves you from scare to scare while explaining the plot.
Trailers of all genres will typically save the biggest, funniest, scariest moment for the end, right before the main title lands. The entire arrangement of these moments is made enjoyable to watch and seamless via the heavy use of music and sound to drive the cut forward at a pace that’s faster than the story would typically be told.
When an editor can include all these great moments in a rhythmic and natural-feeling way, you’ve typically got a great trailer on your hands. It also helps if the movie is good.
What recent trailers stand out to you as great?
Ryan: There are a lot of really awesome, more current trailers. Hereditary is a huge one.
That trailer was really brilliant, and its use of sound and the music that they chose was very brilliant.
I think all of Jordan Peele’s trailers are excellent: Us, Get Out, Nope. All of them really ramp up that mystery to get you to want to know what that is. But also, his selection of music is some of the best out there currently.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was a really great one, really great use of song and really great pacing. It got the tone of the trailer across.
Mad Max: Fury Road, I thought, had such an amazing kinetic energy to it that really told you what you were going to get into with the film without giving away too much. It all translated into the trailer. That worked really well.
Patrick: I have a personal policy of shutting off a trailer the moment I know I want to watch a film. They often tend to give away too much and so I usually only watch 15 to 20 seconds, and it tells me enough about whether or not I want to watch the film.
The trailer for Top Gun: Maverick is one of those examples where it’s not traditionally a film I would see; however, within the first 30 seconds, I was hooked, shut it off, and then went to the theater that week to check it out.
Ryan: I thought Inception was an absolutely brilliant trailer. Obviously, that shifted things quite a bit when it came to trailers. A lot of people mimicked how Inception sort of went about its marketing.
And then there’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, [whose] use of music drove the whole piece. You get that quick cutting, hammer driving the nail into your skull, which translated perfectly into what the film actually was without giving away a ton.
Going a little further back, speaking of tonally and the use of sound, I think Little Children is a really excellent trailer. It uses sound as music, and it’s maybe tonally one of the most incredible trailers. Its use of sound is really perfect to drive that growing sense of dread and asks so many questions.
The Shining is a brilliant trailer where it’s just one shot of the elevator, and the blood opens up and it’s just text. It asks a litany of questions that are screaming to be answered.
Patrick: I find it fun to go back to classic trailers, such as the one for Rocky, and you can see the principles of story structure and something like The Hero’s Journey at play inside of that three-minute trailer.
They’re very old school in style and don’t play like a modern trailer at all – they kinda look like film scenes mashed together – but as a way of learning about structure, they’re wild to watch.
Chris: I don’t know if it’s been long enough for this to be a classic yet, but the entire campaign of teasers and trailers for Mad Max: Fury Road was a beautiful and well-executed series of cuts that accomplished everything [I’ve mentioned about trailers].
What are your thoughts on how much should be revealed? Are the best trailers just emotional rides with no insight into the story? Or do great trailers give you a little taste?
Ryan: Some of the trailers that I’ve mentioned don’t really give you that much of a taste of the story but more of the tone of the film. Some give a whole lot of story. I’m not a big fan of giving too much away because you’re then detracting from the actual experience.
The marketing team is just trying to get butts in seats and make back the budget of the film, of course. But I think a perfect trailer has little hints at what the film will be about. But more than anything else, I think the most important thing for me with the trailer as far as what to convey to an audience it’s not necessarily about story plot points but conveying what sort of experience [the audience is] going to be in for.
Conveying that is paramount. Above all else is, “What is the thing that’s going to get them to click?” I think it is an exciting trailer that grabs you but also asks questions and plants little mysteries in your mind that you will feel then feel compelled to solve.
Patrick: I believe that the commercial answer is that you do what you have to do to get somebody to watch the film. But we personally don’t subscribe to the clickbait model where you’re less concerned about whether or not the person who checked out your content actually feels like they got value and had a good experience.
We very much try to set up a strong story with a good deal of intrigue while leaving a lot more for the final film so that we are delivering on that experience.
Chris: There are multiple types of trailers. Each has the same goal of presenting the film in a way that will entice a person to see the film, TV show, doc, etc. All seek to generate an emotional response from a viewer en route to that goal, whether the response is laughter, excitement, fear, nostalgia, or just a feeling of “I want to live in the world of that film for 90-120 minutes”.
Shorter promotional pieces like teasers live up to their name and tease just a bit of the plot while focusing mostly on generating emotion. Often, this is a strategic marketing decision as much as it is a logistical one.
Many times, when a teaser is being created and often even released, much of the movie has yet to be filmed. Occasionally, teasers are largely graphical and use little to no actual footage from the film. The majority of trailers, however, focus on telling a shortened version of the story, highlighting the best parts, whether they’re jokes, scares, or action set-pieces.
A common complaint is that “the trailer spoiled the film.” That’s a subjective statement and one I think is rarely true. If a trailer makes a movie/show look appealing to a viewer and doesn’t reveal a critical plot point, like the main character dying, it’s done its job. Watching a film is about the journey and experience. If a 2-minute and 30-second trailer can ruin that entire experience for a viewer, the movie/show probably didn’t have much to offer and wasn’t worth watching in the first place. That viewer should probably just thank the trailer editor for saving them $15 and 2 hours of their time!
You are also a filmmaker and content creator. What storytelling and editorial tricks/techniques can movie trailers teach us to use in our day-to-day work, whether short/feature films, YouTube videos, or branded/commercial content?
Ryan: The main thing is capturing the audience’s attention. Trailers do such a great job at that. They come in fast, gripping you, and then try to keep you there for the entire runtime of the trailer because it’s trying to sell something to you.
But it’s an emotional journey, you know? That’s what’s going to do it the most. Whether I’m writing the script for a feature or I’m making a short film, that’s always an aspect of the thing that I’m thinking of, keeping every possible moment compelling to some degree. Not saying that the moments are screaming at you, and they’re all loud action moments, but even when it’s a quiet moment between two people talking, what are the under-beds of theme and conflict there? Maybe that’s keeping the scene intensely compelling. And I think trailers do that just unbelievably well.
Patrick: From a storytelling perspective, we very much focus on character and conflict, as in how can we show you a character that you love or that you love to hate, but more so that you want to know more about.
And then how can we constantly bring in conflict, which, from a psychological perspective, creates a question in the viewer’s mind? If you can create a character that the audience feels connected to and a bunch of questions they want the answer to, it’s very much how we can motivate somebody to want to watch our film.
I believe the common mistake is that we vastly underestimate how much conflict is required both in a strong trailer and in a strong feature film.
Chris: I find myself drawing on trailer editing techniques constantly while creating content for our training school Film Editing Pro. Obviously, promotional pieces benefit from trailer-style editing, but even YouTube intros, lesson transitions, and the overall pacing of training videos and tutorials draw on the skills of the trailer world. This is a bit of a “meta” example, but this tutorial on How to Cut a Movie Trailer makes heavy use of trailer-style editing to keep the viewer engaged throughout the lesson.
So what makes a trailer great?
The answer is complicated. Every editor we spoke to gave a different answer, but the main thing that connects all of the answers is that a trailer needs to make you feel something and get you excited.
Ryan and Chris both pointed out Mad Max: Fury Road as a trailer to look at for understanding how to tell a story with tone, sound, and music.
The main takeaway is that if your storytelling hooks an audience, they will likely want to see your movie.
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.
Brian is a director, producer, and editor based in Los Angeles. He runs a boutique production company called Forge and Discover, which works with brands of all sizes in helping to tell their stories. He’s also one of the trainers at filmeditingpro.com, where he teaches various editing techniques and conducts demonstrations.
After a 146-day strike that halted television and film production and threw the entertainment industry into crisis, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) reached a tentative agreement on Sunday night. If guild members vote to accept the deal in the coming days, some 11,000 writers can finally return to work.
Though the WGA cannot discuss details of the deal “until the last ‘i’ is dotted,” most speculate that the agreement includes almost everything they wanted from studios, including increases in royalty payments for streaming content and assurances that artificial intelligence will not infringe on writers’ credits and compensation.
In a published memo to its members, the WGA negotiation committee said with great pride “that this deal is exceptional — with meaningful gains and protections for writers in every sector of the membership.”
What does this mean for the SAG-AFTRA strike?
While the end of the writers’ strike comes as a relief to many, it doesn’t mean everyone returns to work as usual. With almost 160,000 Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) members still on strike, the only shows restarting production soon will likely be late-night and daytime talk shows.
SAG-AFTRA members walked out in July over similar disputes relating to low pay, streaming residuals and AI, to name a few, and the group has no talks scheduled with studios yet.
In a statement released on their site after news of the tentative WGA deal, SAG-AFTRA applauded their counterparts for “incredible strength, resiliency and solidarity.” They also emphasized that the organization’s strike would continue, urging the “studio and streamer CEOs and the AMPTP to return to the table and make the fair deal that our members deserve and demand.”
The WGA continues to support their acting counterparts, calling on their members to join SAG-AFTRA on picket lines this week. Many hope that the negotiations accomplished by the WGA will lay the groundwork for SAG-AFTRA to reach a resolution with studios quickly since it addresses many of the same concerns.
Studios are undoubtedly feeling the effects of the strikes, with stock prices for Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global having dropped and analysts estimating that studios will forgo as much as $1.6 billion in global ticket sales for movies pushed to next year. And while everyone in the entertainment industry collectively breathes a sigh of relief at this week’s progress, economists estimate that the dual strikes have cost the California economy roughly $5 billion.
What now?
This deal does not mean that the strike is over or that the entertainment industry can return to work immediately. Picketing has stopped, but contracts must be finalized. The WGA negotiating committee needs to vote; then their 11,000 members must accept the terms of the new agreement before the WGA strike is officially over.
In addition to the striking actors, more than 100,000 behind-the-scenes workers — including directors, camera operators, publicists, makeup artists, prop makers, set dressers, lighting technicians, hairstylists and cinematographers — will continue to stand idle, many with mounting financial hardship. Some A-list members of the Writers Guild pressed for a return to negotiations, citing the pressure on idled workers.
TV dramas and comedies will likely take the longest to come back because of the actors’ strike and the complicated logistics necessary to restart large-scale productions. Production will need to contact crew members and writing teams to resume, which might take some time if people have moved away from their filming locations, Variety reported. Shows will also need time to kick-start marketing campaigns so that audiences know to tune in.
The industry pivots
The implications of the record-breaking strikes are unclear, with many companies downsizing and out-of-work picketers having left the business for good. But viewers will still get the content they crave. Networks had already pivoted their fall programming to include international shows, game shows, documentaries, more sports and even a few new series and movies coming out this year. While it’s unknown how postponed projects will react to the news of the deal, with writers anxiously ready to get back to work, we wouldn’t be surprised if your favorites were back soon.
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.
So, you want to get your film or TV show on Netflix? Unfortunately, there’s no easy A-B-C blueprint to follow here, and the truth of the matter is it’s a tough task. However, don’t let this dissuade you from trying. It’s not impossible. At the end of the day, Netflix is one of the biggest streaming platforms in the world, and they’re always on the lookout for new content!
While the roadmap for each individual project making it onto Netflix is always going to be slightly different, there are certainly a few pointers and tips that you can follow to give yourself a far better chance of success. If you have a project in mind and a goal set, read on to find out how you can get that famous “tu-dum” playing at the start of your production.
Have a clear, concise vision in your pitch
First things first (and this goes for any production, not just the one you want to end up on Netflix) – you need to have a very clear vision. In the pitch for your film, you should be able to succinctly summarize what the film is about, who it’s made for, and where it should exist in a content library. Furthermore, why make this film right now? And why you? If these basic things aren’t nailed, you’re going to find pitching it to Netflix an even tougher job.
Additionally, as an extra little tip, you may even want to include a roadmap that builds your world and opens up the possibility of extending it in the future, assuming that makes sense for the project. Streaming companies like Netflix love to capitalize on the success of a first installment with follow-ups. It’ll be interesting to know how your world can be built and what the potential longevity is. Of course, if you’re pitching a limited series or a one-off documentary, this won’t be as relevant.
Is this your best work?
This pretty much goes without saying, but to even have the tiniest of chances of making it onto a streaming site as large as Netflix, you need to be brutally honest with yourself and your team. Is this the very best work you can produce? Nowadays, there’s so much great work, and the competition is tough—if this is anything less than the very best, you can forget about it. Even if it is, that may still not be enough.
Secondly, you need to ask if this stands out from the crowd. What makes your show or film so unique, and why should Netflix commission it? If you can’t answer these questions convincingly, you’ll need to circle back to the drawing board.
Find an aggregator
This is perhaps the most important tip we can give you when it comes to getting your film on Netflix. As you can imagine, there are many independent producers and filmmakers out there who would all love to have their film or show streaming on Netflix. If Netflix was to take pitches from everyone separately and independently, it would take so much time and effort that it simply wouldn’t be worth it.
Instead, Netflix only works with trusted third-party aggregators. On their website, you’ll find the following guidance when it comes to pitching ideas:
“If you have an idea, game, script, screenplay, or production already in development that you’d like to pitch to Netflix, you must work through a licensed agent, producer, attorney, manager, or industry executive, as appropriate, who already has a relationship with Netflix. We are unable to share references for these resources.
If you do not have any of these resources available, Netflix will be unable to accept your unsolicited submissions.”
In other words, an aggregator is absolutely essential. They meet with Netflix regularly to pitch ideas, and they know what the streaming platform is looking for. These aggregators are always on the lookout for the next big thing, so they will be the ones to hear your pitch and review your film. If they like it, they’ll pitch it to Netflix on your behalf and help you package it properly, taking care of all the details before final delivery to Netflix.
And how much does this cost? Well, it depends. Different aggregators use different pricing models, so there isn’t a universal, consistent figure for you to work with here. As a general rule of thumb, you can expect that most aggregators will charge at least $1,000 to get your film on Netflix, and there may well be further pitch fees, annual charges, or percentage cuts of any profit generated. Here’s an idea of what two aggregators cost:
Quiver Digital charges $1500 + $150 pitch fee + $75 annual charges (payable after 2 years)
Distribber charges $995 +$150 annual charges (payable after 1 year)
For help in finding an aggregator, you can explore a full list of “NPFP” partners here. These are elite companies that have met strict requirements to become a “Netflix Preferred Fulfillment Partner.”
Find an agent
Finding an aggregator isn’t the answer to everything, unfortunately. If you’re serious about getting your film on Netflix, hiring an agent can open a lot of doors for you. While aggregators are there to get your film onto Netflix with packaging and final delivery, you may be wondering how you get to meet an aggregator in the first place.
An agent who’s earned their access and credibility in the business can pull strings and arrange such meetings with potential buyers. They will offer their expertise on how to improve your pitch and help it stand out from the crowd, assist with marketing, and guide the development process to a successful conclusion. They also have their ear to the ground and meet with Netflix buyers regularly, so they know what the network is looking for.
Attach a big name
Love it or hate it, in this business, sometimes it really is all about “who you know.” One of the ways to give your film or show a fighting chance is to attach a “big name” to the project. If you can find a producer, an executive, or an actor who already has a great relationship and track record of working with Netflix, it’s undoubtedly going to help you out.
If this “big name” backs your project and comes on board, it signals to Netflix that you’re worth a shot. This person has the ability to pull in an audience and produce great work, and they’re willing to vouch for you and believe in your project!
Do your homework
With all of the above in mind, you need to do your homework. Catching the eye of a big name in the industry or finding the right aggregator and agent is not simple. If you want the best chance of finding the right fit and getting people on board with your film or TV show, you need to research who it is you should be targeting.
If you have a new German comedy aimed at Gen-Z, it might not make sense to be talking to an aggregator who specializes in groundbreaking historic documentaries. And vice versa. Instead of wasting your time aimlessly, invest in the time it takes to dig deep and find the people who are most likely to be interested in what you have to say.
Network, network, network
How might you bump into these kinds of people? It isn’t going to happen sitting in front of your PC screen, sending out cold emails. You need to network in person and network hard. The good news is there are plenty of opportunities to do so.
Thankfully emerging from the other side of the pandemic, in-person events are back on. From pitching and film festivals to industry talks, networking events and casual social gatherings, there are many ways to rub shoulders and get your face seen and known throughout the year. In the case of pitching festivals, not only will you have the benefit of networking and potentially meeting the right person, but you’ll learn a lot about the industry and what it takes to build a great pitch. Both pitching and film festivals also present the possibility of meeting directly with Netflix personnel – they’ll be in attendance.
Social media helps
When it comes to networking and getting your face known (for the right reasons, of course), social media can certainly help out. You should keep an active presence online by sharing your latest work, getting involved with discussions in the industry and connecting with people in the business. If you happen to have a substantial following or are able to build one (we’re talking tens of thousands of followers/subscribers at minimum), then that can certainly pique the interest of Netflix. They like to know that you can bring an audience with you.
Working the social media angle can also help if you’re able to generate substantial social chatter and interest in your project. There’s a good case in hand happening right now, with Russell Cook (aka “Hardest Geezer”) currently attempting to be the first person to run the entire length of Africa. He’s been courting Netflix and generating a lot of chatter on Twitter and YouTube, so watch this space…
Getting your film or TV show streaming on Netflix isn’t easy. It’s a long, arduous process, and there will be many setbacks. In fact, our final piece of advice here would be to get comfortable with rejection. The word “no” doesn’t necessarily mean no forever; it just means not today.
Pretty much everyone in the industry starts off with a “no.” How you deal with this rejection is key. Try to build on it by taking feedback on board and understanding that you have to knock on thousands of doors before even one opens. Rejection and failure are part of the game. With perseverance, patience and the application of the advice you’ve read above, you can maneuver yourself and your project to be in the best possible position to get that famous “tu-dum” playing at the start of your show.
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