Post-Production Tips: Keeping the Workflow Flowing Despite COVID

Post-Production Tips: Keeping the Workflow Flowing Despite COVID 

By Michael French

With so many health and safety limitations on production these days, a lot of the onus to bring a project to life falls on the post-production staff. Making something out of almost nothing is not an easy task, but we need to find a creative way to do so if we want to be working these days. With this in mind, we have outlined 8 tips to help you keep the lights on and your output at top notch.

1.    You still need high quality equipment, so you have two options if your team doesn’t already own a workstation at home: One, find a post house that takes the COVID situation seriously and allows your team to come in to a safe, distanced space (ahem…we have that covered at 16:9 Post); Two, rent high-quality, customized workstations (we have that covered too).

2.    Map out team communication protocols with regular team calls/video conferences and set up communication platforms for group collaboration and tracking progress. DM us if you want some suggestions that could work for your team/project structure.

3.    Be clear about deliverables timelines and stay communicative to problem-solve or adjust expectations if you see that pandemic/work-at-home interruptions are causing delays. It is a good idea to build a little more wiggle room than usual into your timelines/budget, so you can be an understanding human during this difficult time instead of a demanding, out-of-touch boss-person.

4.    When you need shot footage, broaden your production crew network and look to locals for shooting and producing on location. If you are a control-freak, as most of us are, you can always hire a PA to carry around an iPad during crucial scenes/interviews so you can Facetime eaves drop and give your two cents.

5.    A skeleton crew reduces risk of spreading COVID, so go in lean and mean. That will free up the budget for more fancy trickery or a longer time in post…or to pay your field team an extra bump for putting themselves out there for you.

6.    Don’t be afraid to place your on-screen talent in COVID-world scenarios if you can creatively make it work in your project. Place them 6 feet apart and cheat camera angles. Elbow bump instead of shake hands. Address the elephant in the room. The entire world is going through this – your content will be relatable. And, if it is distributed while we are still living in a pandemic reality, you won’t make a good portion of your audience cringe when people talk so closely you can imagine the droplets landing all over the other person’s face.

7.    Look to alternative means to tell your story. Animation, vintage stock footage, Claymation, visual effects, Zoom call recordings, etc. can not only further your story, but help you stand out from the rest of what is out there.

8.    When you don’t have a paying project, build your own arsenal by creating marketing spots to promote your own business and show off your capabilities and by doing R&D and learning new skills to broaden those capabilities.