Postproduction Workflows - Something You Don't Want to Think About.

 The common issues and confusion with the postproduction workflow from someone who suffered through it. 

I will talk about the main struggle that most independent films, animations, and games go through in the postproduction stages. This is not a guide, this is the common weak points that causes projects to fail.

What are Postproduction workflows?

Typically most of the "hands on" work that goes into a project tend to be where most of the excitement and focus is placed on. But once it's over, there is a sudden reminder that it has to be all stitched together through many stages before the final product is complete. I will not talk in detail about post production processes for mediums, as they have their own workflows, but will talk about the KEY issues that go down with student or independent projects.

Do the Work!

The smaller the group, the more hats you wear. Having multiple jobs is not uncommon at these stages. But how do projects fall apart so easily? And why is it always that time is against you?

Time is the Achilles Heel of a project, even when there is no deadline. It sounds so simple, yet this is where things go most wrong. You have to ACTUALLY WORK on the project and devote time to it. In most postproduction pipelines, a certain step in the operation, like a final edit or version, can halt other operations from starting. When you need to hand-off your work for the next person to work on, it is vital that it is done in a timely manner. 

Most efficiently, having a schedule will greatly organize important tasks like work time and handoffs. If you are behind by a day, that next person suddenly has one less day to complete their side of the work. Which is very stressful and creates sloppiness or fatigue.  

Watch Your Work!

Another devastating thing I've seen and experienced is people working on a project for days, then someone who watches their work realizes they spent tens of hours on a mistake! Rewatching your work bit by bit can save you a lot of mistakes in the long run. 

An example, one student I knew began grading color in the wrong version of a short film. And when they asked me to watch it, half way through they said, "Oh this is the wrong version..." Hours of work gone in an instant. Because they did not watch it all the way through while editing, they never caught that their version is a minute shorter and out of date. 

Saves and Backups!

The single most critical thing to do is to have backups of your media and projects. Especially that with the more complex your project is. Many people I've worked with have lost drives, or had project files corrupt, and they lose a ton of progress. DO NOT FORGET TO SAVE! Make versions and put the date in the name so anyone knows what version that is. 

Larger amounts of data can stress computers out and are more prone to corruption. Not having a backup of your data means you can lose the core data itself. In film production, that is a risk you cannot take. You cannot recreate that scene with those people easily. Computers will eat your files, so always save a backup or multiple. 

Naming Conventions!

A good way to lose track of files and to confuse people is to name something incorrectly. There isn't a universal correctness to naming files, but generally you'll want to include a shortened version of your name, the date, the version and a descriptive word about the work being done. 

Incase you misplace a file deep in your computer, having it named "Untitled Project ##" can create a lot of issues when finding it. I always rename the project first and designate the file storage and output. Fatigue can cause someone to forget or become lazy in this way, so it is very important to do that part first in my opinion. 

Quick Tip!

Renaming files can sometimes confuse a computer and you'll need to be careful while doing so. Most softwares like game engines and compositing do not store the actual files being used, but just tells the computer where to find them and what to do with them. I like to think of it like a fruit container versus a paper map. The container, like some animation softwares, holds all the fruit in the project. The map, like compositing softwares, just tells the computer where the fruit is. Typically because at grander scales, the files aren't able to be put in a container since they are too large. 

Know your Limitations!

Unfortunately, we aren't super human. Knowing how much you can handle is a big part of bringing the project home. It is always better to do less work well than to have an incomplete promise. Life will get in the way and that is something that you cannot help. Don't be the one who is behind because you chose to do too much. 

Also, know your hardware limitations. The computer you are using is fixed. It can only do as much as the hardware can handle. For example, do not ask a Mac to run a timeline of 6K footage, you're begging it to crash. Do also remember that storage is limited and prepare yourself for that necessary storage. To add to that, remember that cables and hardware can be slow when transferring large amounts of files and keep that in mind with deadlines. 

Conclusion:

Learning postproduction workflows can be difficult, especially since it varies between projects and there is not a universal system in place. I suggest looking up ones that best fit your project. AI is very helpful at this since it compiles various types of pipelines to cater to your project. I've seen tears, it can be devastating to watch a project fall apart because of basic things like misplaced files. These are the rules and warnings to follow and watch out for.