The third and final stage of video production is post-production, which is also referred to as editing. After the pre-production and production phases, post-production is the final stage in the process when all of the components are combined to create a finished product that corresponds with the director’s vision. Although the video has only been online for a short time and is an excellent method to incorporate it into an inbound marketing strategy, the editing process should not be overlooked or taken lightly. Although each stage presents its own set of obstacles, we’ll dedicate this section to post-production and offer five techniques for smoothing out what might otherwise appear choppy.
Preparation
Gather as many of the resources as possible for the project right away. This will save time in the long run since you’ll already have much of what you need and won’t have to waste time selecting things like fonts and pictures. It’s hard to anticipate everything you’ll need before the start of a lengthy edit, but taking some time to think about it ahead of time will set you on the right path.
Organisation
The organisation is one of the most significant aspects of a successful post-production environment. The more files are required, the larger the project will be. Having a structured digital file structure in place—one that you’re familiar with and follow—will ensure that you can locate everything as quickly as possible. Using the same file structure inside your editing program as you do on your hard drive folder for the project is a simple method to avoid confusion when the number of folders grows. Plus, as many editors understand, finishing a project and receiving a large red “missing file” warning is one of the most heartbreaking things that can happen.
Set Goals
Whether they are major or modest, establishing objectives in post-production is a vital method to keep track of the numerous activities required to complete a task. Tell yourself you won’t do anything else until the colour correction on all of the interview footage is finished or all of the B-roll from a certain location has been sorted and labelled. These objectives don’t have to be large, and setting them will help keep your head—and project—moving forward.
Review
It might be intimidating to have outside eyes evaluate your work, but it is a necessary component of keeping track of the project’s mission. Make checkpoints throughout the post-production process with your supervisor— or even one of your coworkers —to go over what you’ve done and why you’re doing it. After conducting a thorough examination, the project is ready to go into production. At this stage, the post-production team will do a final round of checks before turning in their work for publication. It’s not pleasant when someone else finds typos or jump cut in your work, but it’s far better to find that out now than have it.
There is no way to make the post-production process easier, but following these suggestions can certainly help. Understanding something new to improve your efficiency with each project you finish will make you a better editor and help you better align your projects with their goals.
