A Simple guide to Post-Production Workflow

A concise and simple guide to Post-production Workflow. I won't be explaining the steps in detail. Consider this a To-Do list.

1. Make Proxy (Once the Data management is done). Make sure the proxy files have the following info: Source TC and Frame Number, Source Clip Name, Custom text (this is optional) mentioning the Film title (and even date of the shoot).

2. Organize and sync. Watch and Edit. Lock Edit.

3. Prepare the Timeline for Grading and Sound Designing by making sure the Audio and Video syncs in the later stages. In some places, for a feature film, these steps are followed for each separate reels(A feature film is often divided into 4 to 8 reels, depending on its duration, for more efficient workflow). For that : A two/five second beginning Slate/Card, also known WORKSLATE (that states the name of the film, Production house, duration etc.) followed by A BEEP (audio-visual beep) followed by 47 blank frames (for 24 fps) or 49 blank frame (for 25 fps). Then place the locked edit. At the end of Locked edit, again place the blank frames (47 or 49 frames, depending on frame rate), followed by the Audio-Video Beep, followed by a two sec Workslate. The purpose of the workslate in the beginning or end is to make sure the beep is not the first or last frame. They might miss it and make a mistake in syncing. The graded video and Audio would be synced using the beep. The blank frames are added so that the audio and video don't start immediately after the Beep, again making it difficult to hear or see. All these would be removed once the graded video and Mixed Audio is synced. This is a standard industry practice.

4. Export (In reels, for a feature film) : Video - XML/EDL (AAF for Media Composer). One could also consolidate at this stage. Audio - OMF/AAF Reference Video (You can take both unmasked and masked. The masked one specifically for sound designing so that your sound designer knows how much is actually visible and doesn't waste time creating Foley for an element actually out of the frame. However this is optional, one reference video is also enough).

5. Conform using XML/EDL/AAF. In sound department Final Mixing would be done. If one has to create a Lab disk for grading, then it should contain the following : Consolidated RAW Files, Uncompressed Multi Channel Audio Files, VFX + Titles (Either Conformed or directly sent to CC Lab), Subtitles, EDL/XML for CC

6. From CC Lab we get the graded files, in DPX format. It will now go for DCP. (If the final export is going to be just an MOV or MP4 out, then the graded video and mixed sound has to be synced and a Mov/Mp4 export has to be taken).

7. For DCP: We need DPX images sequence, Uncompressed Multi Channel Audio Files, Subtitles,

8. In DCP, we have : Audio - Video MXF (Encoder : JP2K and PCM), CPL, KPL, Asset Map, Volindex

This is not the only way to do it but this to-do list is followed in many places.

A short note on some of the words I have mentioned:

• AAF stands for Advanced Authoring Format. It is a professional file interchange format primarily used in the post-production and film industry for the exchange of digital media and metadata between different editing and authoring systems.

• XML (Extensive Markup Language) is a markup language used to store and transport data in a human-readable format. It uses tags to define the structure and meaning of the data, similar to HTML but with greater flexibility.

• EDL (Edit Decision List) is a file format used in video editing to describe the sequence of edits, transitions, and other changes made to a video project. It contains a list of timecodes or edit points that specify where each edit occurs in the timeline. EDLs are used to transfer edit information between different video editing software applications, allowing editors to work on projects across multiple platforms.

• OMF (Open Media Framework)  is a file format used in digital audio production to exchange media and project data between different software applications.