Over the course of my career, I’ve worked on dozens of theatrical feature films, documentaries, TV series and pilots, made-for-TV movies, and shows made only for streaming. I’ve worked as the editor, colorist, online/finishing editor, or post supervisor. As it’s become easier to make films on limited budgets, it’s also easier than ever for the clueless to jump into the game. It doesn’t have to be that way. If you take a little care, solid and successful workflows can be devised to produce respectable results. Here are a few suggestions.
Develop a manageable game plan
Time is literally money in filmmaking. That starts with the script. The longer the script, the higher the production costs. On average, scripts run around a minute per page; but there are variables.
A script line like “a fight ensued” could take a day or more to shoot, require a lot of extras, and consume several minutes of screen time. A sci-fi script could involve complex sets, locations, props, and both practical and digital effects. Compare that to a grounded drama set in a small town, which is a simpler and cheaper script to film. A 100-page script for a basic story will take between 15 and 30 days to shoot. An experienced producer will budget two to five additional days in reserve to cover for reshoots, pick-up shots, and weather days.
To know whether those 100 pages translate into a 100-minute movie or a lot longer, it’s important to time the script. Read it through multiple times and mime the action. Time each scene as you go through it. Do the same for table reads. This will give you a realistic idea of how long the script should be. Ultimately, you want something that’s 10-30% longer than your target. This gives you room to tighten, trim, and rearrange the film during the editorial phase.
Your Team
Gather the full team of stakeholders early. This should include all keys, such as the director of photography, editor(s), colorist, lead audio mixer, and VFX supervisor. Do not wait until everything has been shot before you decide on the players that will finish the film.
Technical specs
Make sure that all of the stakeholders are on the same page – technically speaking. This means decide on the common frame rate (24.0, 23.98, 25.0, 30.0, 29.97, other?), final delivery size/aspect ratio (4K UHD, 4K DCI, 2K DCI, HD, 2.39:1, 1.85:1, 16×9, other?), audio delivery (stereo, 5.1, ATMOS, other?), and so on. Everyone should be well aware of these requirements before filming begins.
Pipeline for nonstandard media
If you have material that deviates from the above specs, like archival footage, decide in advance how that footage is to be integrated into the final product. Determine a workflow, such as whether or not to convert it prior to being introduced into the editorial pipeline.
Exposure philosophy
Principal photography should be limited as much as possible to one camera type. If this is a two-camera shoot, cameras should match and a matched set of lenses should be used. The DP should be conscientious about making sure all settings are correct and consistent. Expose “to the right” – meaning, shoots should NOT be underexposed. It’s easier to make shots darker than to bring them out of the mud. RAW and LOG recordings are not a replacement for correct exposure, lighting, and color temperatures at the time of fiming a scene. Certain RAW formats perform better than others, so don’t expect a RAW recording to save your under or overexposed shot. The colorist should be able to take a LOG or RAW recording as is, apply a LUT or mild grade and be 90% of the way towards a finished look.
Camera selection
When selecting cameras, make sure you are using professional gear. This means cameras that record in professional formats (like ProRes, not H.264/265) and that record with proper timecode and unique file names. If you have no other option than to use a camera that generates generic clips without proper timecode (I’m looking at you iPhone, GoPro, DJI), then the footage must be transcoded to intermediate files prior to the edit. This may also include frame-rate correction to adjust the footage to your common project frame rate. Once done, the transcoded files become the “original” media to be used for edits and final color correction.
Edit system selection
You can edit with any NLE application you prefer. In my opinion, Apple Final Cut Pro is the best tool for many indie filmmakers who are not experienced editors. It’s easy to use, discoverable (deeper features are revealed as you dig farther into the application), and it’s easy to review media in a manner that will look close to the final product. More experienced users may also opt for Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere Pro, or Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve. Avoid reframing and changing speeds as much as possible. This shouldn’t be necessarily if principal photography was done properly. You aren’t David Fincher, so don’t plan on this level of post. Instead, take the Clint Eastwood approach to filmmaking.
Understanding the finishing steps
For color correction, your edit in Media Composer, Premiere Pro, or Final Cut Pro will be sent to an application like DaVinci Resolve for color correction/grading. In many cases it will be “round-tripped” back into your NLE for final assembly. Resizing and speed changes may or may not be handled properly in this process. That’s because every application computes frame rate and speed, spatial conform, and scale and position information somewhat differently. The less of this that you’ve done, the better – especially on a tight budget.
Audio
Be sure to handle audio properly, especially if it was recorded as double-system sound. Every NLE application has a method to sync location audio with picture. The editor and lead mixer should consult with each other as to how to properly handle the audio workflow, since it will vary with the tools being used.
Deliverables
Determine who and how to handle your deliverables. Different distributors have differing requirements. Meeting those will add to your budget unless you’ve planned for them in advance. For example, the most recent films I’ve handled required 4K and HD master files with both 5.1 and stereo sound tracks. In additional, various textless versions and separate audio stems were also required.
A film is never finished – merely abandoned
Many creatives are never completely happy with the results of their efforts. A director will always look for ways to make the film better. Given the time, they will often tweak, edit, and rearrange elements of the film until the very last moment. Resist the urge to do that. Be disciplined with your time. Evaluate, adjust, commit, and move on. Remember that perfection is the enemy of good.
©2023 Oliver Peters
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