The CH Guide to Post Production

23rd February 2018 by CH

Last month we told you about our top 5 tips to achieve pre-production success . This time, we’re jumping ahead to post production where everything comes together to create the final video.

The edit suite is a dark and enticing room that fills our Producer hearts with joy! This really is where the magic happens.

First Stop – The Edit Itself

Depending on video length and style, the editing process can take anywhere from hours, to days, weeks or even months. But once you scope out what’s required, it’s easy to plan it all out.

But before that, the editors need to arrange and organise the rushes (raw footage) to see the bigger picture. It’s a bit like a jigsaw puzzle. The pieces need to be put together properly to produce the best possible output.

Every editor sees it differently and there’s a million ways a video can be put together so the Producer/Director is there to make sure it stays on track.

Once all the footage is arranged, the narrative is locked down. Think of it as the heart and soul of any video. It’s what’s holding it all together. This is why we make sure it’s bang on before building the rest of the film, adding cutaways and selecting the correct visuals to hide cuts, if required.

Your video will go through several iterations before final delivery. But the amends stage can’t go on forever, so the storyboard, shot list and script should be signed off by everyone involved, before starting work.

Also, scheduling in time for reviewing the video, sending feedback and time to work on the amends is agreed way in advance too, in the pre-production stage. This guarantees a seamless workflow. Talking of seamless, last year we shot, edited and delivered a video that followed a week-long project in just a few days .

Incorporating Visual Effects and Motion Graphics

Post production is also the stage at which visual effects are created and added, and motion graphics or animation is created.  Depending on how they’re used, visual effects can completely transform your footage and bring it all together.

Check out our Matilda the Empress promo which features visual effects that were created using 3D software to create shattered glass.

Colour Correction and Grading

Colour correcting is the process through which, you guessed it, the colours of the raw footage are ‘corrected’. We film using a ‘flat’ profile to get the best results when colour grading. This allows us to set the tone of the footage because it retains more information in the image. So, when it’s graded we have more control over how it looks.

This can make a world of difference to your video, and it’s probably the most important finishing touch because it enhances the video so much. Depending on the mood you want to convey, you can opt for a darker colour scheme for suspense or go lighter if it’s a feel-good film, for example.

The Sound of Music

Another important part of this process is adding the music, recording the final voice over, creating sound effects and anything else your video may need.

In some cases, post production involves ADR (Automatic Dialogue Replacement) when actors re-record their lines if the sound originally recorded wasn’t good enough, although this is more common for films and TV shows.

Ready for Final Delivery

Once you’ve put your video through all the stages and you’re happy with the final cut, you’re ready for the final file. Sorted!

To find out more from us, just say hello@ch-video.co.uk