A partner in SOUND DEPARTMENT LLC
A partner in SOUND DEPARTMENT LLC
This month’s StUn blog comes from Jaime Horrigan, Managing Partner and all-around good guy here at Studio Unknown.
It’s the age of Netflix and Keurig, we want things to happen at the touch of a button, and have been conditioned to expect just that.
It’s very common for time to get crunched towards the end of any creative process. The key is to not let that negatively impact the film, and the best way to accomplish that, is with a basic understanding of each step in your process.
Three components we see that are too often not factored in:
1 – File organization and transfer (to your post sound company, and then back to you once mixed).
2 – Creative development and communication
3 – Approval (this can be at the end, as well as during the process at necessary intervals)
File transfer can eat up a surprisingly large amount of time, especially if errors occur, which happens even to the best of us. How involved is your project? How long is it or how large are your files? How familiar are you or your editor with these steps? These are all questions you can ask yourself to help determine how much time may be needed for file transfer
Creative development and communication. Maybe there are sound design opportunities. Perhaps story arc or creative intent needs to be discussed or explored. If this time isn’t accounted for, opportunities could be missed, or intent could be misinterpreted causing backtracking later. Plan ahead and allow an appropriate amount of time for the creative process to breathe. Your picture edit wasn’t completed overnight. Neither should your sound. Allow time for all of the components that are important to you.
Final approval can take time. Most creatives can agree that calling it good and moving on is easier said than done. While being decisive is good, rushing and making hasty decisions can hurt the project, or even cost additional money when you decide to come back and fix something that could have been done right the first time.
Planning is key. Talk to your team. Ask questions, and rely on their expertise and experience.