Taking care of your post production needs.

Post Production Tips: The Secret Sauce of Showrunner / Director, Brian Skope   By Jessie Pickworth When something tastes good you ask for the recipe. And when a television show works, you should ask for the same thing. Especially when the person who made it is veteran docuseries EP and Showrunner, Brian Skope. He built a solid career in documentary television, and is now Co-Founder of Whiz Bang, a production company that creates documentary/reality series for your favorite television networks as well as branded content for major consumer product corporations, esports industry leaders, and top social media influencers.  Recently, I asked him about his post-production process and what he thinks are the keys to his success…   Me:  Brian, you have made a variety of television and digital content for everything from bearded men in the wild to competition shows to e-sport docu-follows. What is your recipe for delivering a show that the network, or your client, ...

POST-PRODUCTION TIP:  HOW TO PICK AN EDITOR   By: Roberto Cardenas The right – or wrong – editor can make or break a project.  Who is the right editor? Obviously, you need your editor to have working knowledge of the most current editing tools and techniques and to be able to execute any special editing skills your project requires. But, also, don’t ignore the creative, collaborative and personality elements that make some editors a success and others…well, not so much. How do you find the right editor? Below is a list of interview questions that will help you suss out if an editor is good for your team and project. Before you start asking these questions, though, we impart the following advice:  As you ask these questions, it is important to not just listen to their answers but to hear HOW the editor answers. How they answer can tell you a lot about their ability to communicate their opinions and logic, their attention to detail, and their c...

Post-Production Tips: Lower Thirds  10 Do's, 10 Don'ts  By: Michael French  Attention to detail is a must for every service we provide at 16:9 Post. So, we thought we would dig deep into detail on one of the details of post-production…lower thirds.  Whether it’s film, tv, or digital, here are 10 Do’s and 10 Don’ts to ensure your lower thirds add to your story without distracting from it. DO: 1.      Use a lower third when a person’s identity would not be known without seeing their info in text. 2.      Use a lower third when you need more information than visuals and sound provide to complete the story. 3.      Base your lower third graphics on the style of other graphics already used in the project. 4.      Ensure that there is ample contrast between the lower third and the background. 5.      Choose colors that complement the c...

Post-Production – Trailers That Deliver  12 Tips for Success  By: Roberto Cardenas Your project may be Oscar-worthy, but without an attention-grabbing trailer you won’t have an audience. So, take in a few tips for building out a trailer that will bring in the crowds. 1.      Seek out the “defining moment.”  What is the moment in the movie that demonstrates the film’s logline? That moment of purpose, the dialogue that cuts to the core, the instant conflict begins…get to the point of what drives the film. 2.      Tell a story.  Remember that the trailer is a narrative, just like the film – albeit abridged. Viewers need to understand the story, not just the “vibe” of the film. Have a through line and a three-act structure, in which you introduce characters, the situation, the inciting event, and their struggles into resolution…but don’t show the resolution! That’s just not cool, man. #spoileralert 3. ...

POST-PRODUCTION TIPS: Smooth Sounds  By: Michael French One thing we have found is “picture perfect” isn’t always top priority. If you have to pick between a cut with good audio and a cut with good picture, go with the audio. Yes, in an ideal world, you want your picture to be beautiful. But viewers can be forgiving in that area…and can chalk up blurry or shaky shots to artistic choice. They will, however, lose patience and bail if they can’t make out what your actors are saying.  What happens if your only audio choice is not ideal? First, think twice before hiring that sound guy again (just kidding…it’s not always their fault…but then again, sometimes it is  🤨 ). Then, take a look at these three tips for smoothing out your sound. Put Ambient Sound To Work – Sometimes you have audio recorded in different locations, or with different mics, that you want to use in the same scene. In all likelihood, they will have different ambient sound in the background...

POST PRODUCTION QUICK TIPS:  Color Grading Do’s & Don’ts  By: Roberto Cardenas  Now that you have finished your color correction, it is time to make some more stylistic choices with regard to the coloring of your film/video project. That is where color grading comes in. The phase when you set the mood and create an environment that is unique to your vision. Whether you are embarking on this process hands-on or directing your team to your visually mind-blowing end goal, here are 6 tips for success.      1.     Don’t Move! First, only do work in a dedicated color grading room. These rooms are designed for color grading and are blacked out (sorry, no windows and scenic views for you, friend) to ensure that the only light effecting the color of your screen is coming from your screen. And, if possible, stay in the same color grading room in which you started. Any changes in environment can alter your perception of the light an...