Post-Production : Post-production basics for newbies? by David Savage

there is a lot more to post than knowing software. are you interested in audio post ? editorial ? VFX or Motion graphics ? post production supervision ? there are many positions and professional areas within post production. You need to start looking at where you're strengths and interests are. For audio, as an example, you can do sound design, dialogue cleanup, ADR recording, ADR editorial, Foley walking and Foley recording, Sound effects recording and editorial, Music editing, ( even recording and mixing music for picture ), then there's pulling it all together as a mixer/re-recording engineer. For these areas you need to be about to do artist sound work and technical sound work. The majority of professional sound engineers utilize Protools as a sound editorial / mix platform ( and there are many others ) . In the picture editorial area, there is work as an assistant editor, DIT, Colorist, and editor, with AVID, or FCP, or Premier, DaVinci, Color, After Effects, and many other software packages. Moving into VFX and motion graphics you might start doing titles, lower thirds, basic graphics, or get into animation and 3D work using software like After effects, Motion, Red Giant, Cinema 4D, blender, autocad, flame, maya and others... Then there is the need to be able to integrate all this stuff into a comprehensive and holistic whole to deliver a project. For all these you need a solid understanding of how things integrate, the workload and work flow for your projects and have a solid understanding of broadcast, film, new media and other delivery specs. Post production ( my speciality btw ) is a broad area and to make this your profession is not simple and should be entered carefully and knowing the direction you want to get started in. I started in sound design, then moved into re-recording for film and broadcast... then I started editing and now I do 3d VFX work along with the rest. I've been doing this for about 20 years... and i've trained over 100 other people along the way. My one piece of advice is research not only what you want to do, but how it fits in the big picture and the honest possibilities of making a living doing it. If you are just starting out with no knowledge, you are probably at least 5 years away from a steady decent paycheck, in which ever discipline to enter.

Thanks Georgia, I appreciate your thorough and thoughtful response. I should have specified that I meant picture/editorial area, as I come from a photography and footage background. In terms of training, do you think an obvious first step would be to enroll in a FCP course and then start building from there? Thank you again.

FCP 7 is dead... FCP X is not really picking up for professionals as yet... people are using it, but I would recommend learning AVID media composer and/or Premier to get started.

Good to know, thanks again!

Question: For someone who wanted to start freelancing in post, what software programs would absolutely be considered essential before I would even be considered? It is going to be your reel in which you will judged or considered. Many like Adobe, Avid or Vegas. Some Mac people swear by their computer and FCP. IGE: I offered to help a person out with doing some rough cuts. I offered them a non compressed AVI im MPEG format for their render out, to later cut into as seen fit. This person was set on a certain software timeline instead. ~ Strange pool to swim in. Due to me using a different software he decided to not get it done immediately. /> In other words no matter what software you learn, there is always someone wanting a different one. If I was to go back two+ years, I would say learn Blender. However, learning Adobe AE in 2.5d allowed me a much better understanding when modeling or animating. Bottom line you Reel is what people look at and decide. I can do many, many things, but due to not being in my reel some do not visualize I can do their project. For instance I just modeled a working Barber Pole. Looks real and that it was shot with an expensive camera with the Background removed. Will someone realize that Barber Pole could have easily been a space ship...? Or the Planets I modeled under my Photographs, will they be able to understand they all can be animated or have a intergalactic war going on around them? Georgia really hit it on the head. Specialize in what you are good at. SFX? See After Effects and Blender. Plain Edit and color correct see Premier (Adobe) and Divinci although you can get a good color grade out of Adobe. Thinking about a news station and doing bumpers and lower thirds Avid Media Composer is the consensus software. Although Adobe will export in any format too. As well as many stations are making the move to Adobe due to the vast lateral in creating effects, opposed to canned effects the other guys are using. I can spot a FCP commercial in two seconds from the templates used. Due to production, the software you use will be the software others in your building are using. So all exports, or rough T.L will be editable from any station tied to the assets. Check out ClassonDemand.com There will find a head-start and GREAT in-depth tutorials on the software mentioned, except for Blender. That is Free Open source software. That is where I create / model worlds, barber poles, any 3d object, including an ocean with an aircraft carrier with working waves. The paid version is called MAYA. The info goes on and on. With what Georgia and I have shared with you, you should have enough to think about for weeks. Best, S

Thanks Simon, great info.

Thanks Nate, I really appreciate the feedback. Interesting how you favor FCPX over Premiere. I'm learning that it really depends on who you ask. Looks like I have a steep learning curve in front of me but it's good to get the perspectives from pros in the industry.

Hi Nate, CS6 has many upgraded changes including media link. Whereas you can create an After Effects T.L and then import it right into Prem Pro and edit as seen fit (going back in forth). The Color correction has gotten really good. I think if not mistaken it is a Davinci starter package. Where you add it to the TL in an adjustment layer if so desired and then add it again for a secondary correction. With it being only in the adjustment layer your computer won't be lagged from adding it to many different clips. WIth FCP (correct me if I am wrong) Your lateral is a bit limited for transitions and effects as would be Premier if it did not have After Effects coupled with it..Correct? As you can do anything in AE as you can PS if I am not mistaken. As a matter of fact I usually just import right into AE to do PS work. As there is everything PS has except for me an my workflow, I am use to AE's Control Panels.

Understandably I’ve come to the conversation a bit late but…as a working editor based in Manchester, UK. I’d like to point out that an understanding or a broad range of software is essential nowadays. For example, the BBC is still virtually all FCP7 but also runs some Quntel suits and a few Avid Symphony and some individuals rough cut on premier. Most post facilities will offer Avid as their main edits. The software in its self is all much of a muchness. In the end it does the same thing just in different ways. Many will turn round and say Avid is the be-all of editing as it’s been classed as industry standard for many, many years. Whereas apple software like FCP7 crept in, then they shot themselves in the foot with the original release of FCP X. But know after some tweaking (like apple usually do) FCP X is a superb tool and is second to none with its media management ability and smooth workflow (it multicam’s better than any other software). Adobe has come up a lot over the last few years with Premier jumping into the void when Apple abandoned their support for FCP7. But with Adobe’s move to the cloud a lot of facilities are a little unsure of running software which is predominantly online and there as an as when you need it. But putting that aside their moves into post with the colouring and After Effects are utterly superb and straight forward to use. Personally I will use After Effects over Motion any time but I am an FCP editor by training. Motion gfx are something else now and a basic understanding is very useful to know. Don’t forget that there is also much lower end software like Sony Vegas, which are all good work horses but not as often seen. But of course there is also Lightworks and Smoke which are great pieces of software to play with. Smoke as it stands is an outstanding piece of post software, which is encroaching into facilities more and more as an edit base these days. Putting software aside it is about skill the understanding of the rules and grammar of the edit and knowing where you can break them. Also having the understanding of what the director/producer is wanting to achieve especially if they are not 100% sure of how to get that idea across. In the end though, the edit is a very rewarding situation to be in. The act of watching these raw rushes involve into a polished product is second to none. Its paramount to being a sculptor, you start off with a chainsaw hacking great chunks from the structure before reverting to your hammer and chisel and then chipping away. Each small tap revealing the next step towards the finished article, in my mind there is nothing else like it.

I am a gold believer in Apple FCP. I have been editing since version 101 16 years ago. Awesome. Also I finally got my head around FCPX. AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! I don't care what others think. I have put this to the test on my projects with speedy and great results!

There are 2 questions you need to ask yourself, once you have answered these 2 questions, then you are where you need to be... Question 1: What am I editing? By that I mean, short form, news inserts, or the next Star Wars epic? Question 2: What is my budget? This is the most overlooked aspect of this whole debate. In the end, all computer based edit systems have to the user the same tracks, the same layout, and they all do the same thing, edit from left to right, in tracks. FCP X uses tracks in a new unconventional way, possibly better, only time will tell. In the end all tools are the same, in a trained and experienced operator, they can produce Ben Hur 2 on an ipad mini...A cut is a cut, be it on Avid, imove or FCP X!!

The only question you need to ask is... Do you feel lucky, Punk? - Dirty Harry.

It also depends on where you want to work. If you are in L.A. and want to work on features, you may want to understand the Avid Workflow. I have not seen many places outside of any major tv/flim hub city that utilizes Avid other than a regional news station. A lot of people are transition to the Adobe CC workflow, so that also would be a great place to get your feet wet as well. That's the easy part though, the hard part is getting into one of those gigs.

@ Mylene - A foreign person wishing to work in the USA will require a work visa, which will require a sponsor company and they can only hire you if you have a very specific set of abilities and they post the job opening in the US and cannot fill it with an American Citizen... And even if you get past this you will need a good immigration attorney and about 3 years to get it squared away on any sort of permanent status. In general there are some basic paths to a "green card" There are basically NINE ways that you can get a visa to live and work in the US: (1) Marriage (or engagement in anticipation of marriage) to a US citizen. (2) You have skills that are in short supply in the US e.g. scientific or medical training. A degree is normally a must. Or you have superior specialist skills with at least 12 years experience. (H visas) (3) You have an Employer who is willing to transfer you - but even the employer has to make a good case for you - so you have to be a manager unless you fall under category (2) above.(L visas) (4) You may get a Green card in the diversity lottery (UK citizens, except N.Ireland, are not generally eligible unless you, your spouse or parents were born abroad or held a different citizenship. (5)You own or buy business (does not get you permanent resident status i.e. no green card)You must be a national of a qualifying Treaty countries. The business must have a minimum value of around $150k (more the better) bearing in mind you will need somewhere to live and with any startup business you will need at least 2 years living money as back up. So a figure of $350k would be a nearer minimum (E-2 visas) (6)You are an "investor" i.e. you have at least US $1m in assets to bring with you. half of that in a few areas. And your background will be investigated to the hilt. (EB-5 visas) (7)You have a close relative (mother, father, brother, sister and no further) who is an US citizen who would sponsor you, approx time this take 2-12 years? (8.The R1 visa is available to foreign members of religious denominations, having bona fide non-profit religious organizations in the U.S., for entering the U.S. to carry on the activities of a minister or religious worker as a profession, occupation or vocation (9)THE UNUSUAL You are in a position to claim refugee status/political asylum. or You get a member of Congress to sponsor a private bill with legislation that applies just to you. The S visa issued to persons who assist US law enforcement to investigate and prosecute crimes and terrorist activities such as money laundering and organized crime I'm NOT an attorney so I recommend engaging one.

I'm sorry, Don't know anyone at present. It's not impossible.... just difficult. its something that requires a lot of time, energy and unluckily... money.