thought, inc.

The Post-Production phase of video-making is where the real work begins. The lights are stored, the cameras aren’t rolling, and there is no new action to watch. Now it’s up to the editors to cut together all of the preceding work to create the final video production.

Picture Editing

Picture Editing is the process in film and video production of arranging snippets of footage in a way that logically makes sense and moves the audience along with the story. Video Editing is deciding how to best tell the story that the director wants told. Editors do this by first cutting takes apart then splicing them back together in a more logical order. The terms “cutting” and “splicing” are both derived from the film editing practice of physically cutting the negatives and splicing them into the desired order. Although we now use non-linier, non-destructive editing techniques, the concepts associated with those terms have stuck around. Video editors also handle the color corrections and balance for the video project.

Audio Editing

Audio editing is similar in many respects to picture editing, however it is limited by the fact that it must sync with the picture. That means if the video editor can chose any shot he feels best tells the story, and the audio editor has to work with the audio track from that specific take. Because of this, audio editors spend most of their time enhancing the quality of the audio they do have.

Effects Mastering

Once the sound effects are completed during Production, the audio editor can begin incorporating them into the audio tracks. Enhancing quality and achieving believability in the sound effects and foley effects is the ultimate goal of effects mastering.

Rough Cut

The Rough Cut is the first showing of the production after it has been assembled. It is much like a writer’s rough draft. Only a small number of people who are intimately involved in the creative direction of the project are invited (EG Director, Producer, Director of Photography, etc.). Because of the highly un-refined state of the video production at this point, clients are not invited. This is the opportunity to make major editing decisions that enhance the story telling aspect of the video project. It is also an opportunity for the individuals involved to determine if scenes should cut, kept, or reorganized to achieve maximum impact.

Sound Track

After the Rough Cut, the sound track can be incorporated. Depending on the scope of the video project, rights to use an existing musical score can either be licensed, or composed and recorded specifically for the project.

Client Review & Acceptance

After the video project is polished and ready to present, a showing is held for the client’s review. At this time the client may make suggestions and request non-production changes. Two review sessions are included in the cost of production, additional review sessions are billable as needed.

Package Artwork & Duplication

Finalization of the packaging artwork is the last major item of the video project. Typically this is created by our art department, but on limited-budget projects the client may supply their own. The packaging usually consists of the media surface itself, and the case which will hold the media. The most common forms of packaging are a DVD and a DVD case or jacket.

Delivery

Depending on the project’s needs, delivery is usually in the form of a DVD and files suitable for use on the web.