Post-Production

Josiah Cosgrove Do you have a link to your YouTube channel for us to view your previous work? Also, thank you for offering your service!

Cyrus Sales, here is the link to my channel: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC8xt6EkW2jNjEEspRnRrDZQ

Josiah Cosgrove Thank you!

Hey maybe we can talk I need some great trailers for the film market

Andrew Crutcher Two features ready for the market is a great milestone. A strong trailer can really help communicate the tone and potential of a film to the right audience. I’d love to hear more about the projects and the direction you’re aiming for with the trailers.

Do you also need posters?

This guy edits trailers https://www.stage32.com/lounge/post_production/Im-up-for-editing-movie-t...

Hi Andrew, congratulations on getting both features ready for the film market. A cinematic trailer can definitely make a strong difference when presenting a project, especially when it needs to create interest quickly. I’d suggest looking for an editor or trailer specialist who understands storytelling and can work within an indie budget. Best of luck with both features!

I’m pretty good with posters and trailers

But I want some one to do the trailers with more cinematic experience

Elijah J. Yang YES! The Pixar bloopers were such a brilliant little extra because, like you said, the animators had to actually create them. That somehow makes the joke even better.

Jackie, I LOVE that you brought up The Carol Burnett Show! Tim Conway getting Harvey Korman to break character always makes me CRY with laughter. I'm a HUGE fan of the show. It's one of my go-to watches when I'm having a bad day. My husband helped track down the biggest DVD boxset he could find for me as a Christmas present a few years ago.

Yes! Leonardo DiCaprio actually cut his hand during the dinner-table scene, but stayed in character and kept going, and Tarantino ultimately used the take. I love that because it shows how sometimes the unexpected things that happen on set are better than what was planned.

Oops, forgot to tag you in that comment above, Mikka Hope. Sorry about that!

LOL! I guess I just got way too excited about that scene from Django.

Saul Mahoney This is a really interesting approach. I’m still learning more about the theatrical distribution side of post-production, so I appreciate you sharing your experience and perspective.

I’m curious about a few things: when you talk about automated DCP mastering, what parts of the current process are you seeing as the biggest opportunities for automation? Is it mainly the technical packaging and QC process, or are there other areas where filmmakers tend to run into challenges?

For independent filmmakers completing their first feature, what are some of the most common mistakes or unexpected costs you see when preparing a film for theatrical release? Also, how much technical knowledge do filmmakers typically need to have versus relying on platforms like Cineport to handle those requirements?

It’s exciting to see solutions being developed that could make theatrical distribution more accessible for indie filmmakers.

Cyrus Sales One key area to be mindful of - DCP File size. If the DCP is 200GB, that 200GB has to be transferred to every location. This has an impact on cost, efficiency, reliability (and climate, we should not forget).

In early 2010's we set out this issue at Disney; in operations, we were dealing with huge files, each release suffered these challenges. We reached out to our studios (Marvel, Pixar, ILM, Disney Animation, Disney Live Action) and discussed how file sizes might be reduced - to lighten the load on the delivery operation - with both eDelivery and HDD options. File size is the last thing anyone thinks about when mastering, and the tools to reduce file size are there, but VBR -Variable Bit Rate compression is always worth considering. Applying VBR can return significantly smaller DCPs without any quality loss, than more common CBR (Constant Bit Rate) compression. This results in leaner and more reliable distribution from the get go. File size is an important decision often overlooked in the business, and there are tools to address this effectively, we just need to implement them. Cyrus Sales , As you are in Post Production, is this subject on your radar when considering theatrical releases?

Saul Mahoney Thanks for sharing your perspective, Saul. That's a really interesting point and, admittedly, not something I've had to consider yet.

Most of my work has been creating deliverables for social media and digital platforms, so I haven't had the opportunity to work through the DCP mastering or theatrical distribution process firsthand. My focus has primarily been on ensuring the audio and final deliverables meet the client's platform requirements.

It's interesting to learn how much file size optimization can impact theatrical distribution, especially at scale. There are clearly a lot of considerations beyond simply creating the final master.

I appreciate you sharing your experience. It's definitely an area I'd like to learn more about as I continue expanding into theatrical post-production.

At what stage is the VBR applied? When I make a JPEG 2000 sequence for use in a DCP, I’m not sure that’s an option.

Hi Mike, it is applied at the JPEG encode stage. I know it used to be a choice in Clipster, but it is possible some solutions no longer offer a choice but apply their compression automatically.

Krenda Alice I have been gathering best practices information for things like editorial handoffs to sound and color grading, which usually work well until someone ignores the best practices and screws everything up.

@Shadow You're pretty much saying that you don't belong here. If there is no interest in learning how to not make a mess of post-production, then there is no future for independent film. While it's true that there is no single pipline that works for all films, there are definitely best practices as well as standards that every established film production uses when building their pipelines. Otherwise no major film would ever be completed.

@Cyrus this is where we need to go as indie filmmakers. The whole point behind learning to take advantage of best practices and standards is to avoid the need for custom tools since indie productions can't afford custom tools in most cases. The whole point is to streamline production in order to avoid predictable problems and make it easier for the team members to do their jobs.

Rakesh Malik Yeah, for indie filmmakers, sticking to proven industry standards just makes sense. It helps keep things streamlined, avoids problems we already know are coming, and makes handoffs easier for everyone.

That’s a real challenge for independent productions. I think having a clear handoff workflow and agreed technical standards early can prevent many of these issues. What workflow are you currently using, and where do you find the biggest breakdown usually happens?

Rakesh Malik To respond to you - I have 30+ years in film, every year of which takes me into post, and am the COO of a quantum VFX company - possibly one of us doesn't belong here, but if so it's not me. I asked what community... you made no reply. I gave examples of two very different projects which require entirely different pipelines, you made no response. The truth is that each and every film has different tech, different artists, different support and different concerns. The "best practices" are in clear data retention, record keeping and clear communication. It's really that basic. Every well managed production I have worked with follows that and has no issues. Every poorly managed production fails at that.

Rakesh Malik One thing I’ve learned is that a lot of post-production problems are actually communication problems that start much earlier.

On an independent production, you may not have separate departments dedicated to workflow, so I think the best solution is to establish the pipeline before the edit gets too far along. Everyone should know what the master format is, how VFX shots will be handled, what gets sent to color, what gets conformed, and who is responsible for each handoff.

I also think directors can help by getting involved in those decisions early rather than treating post as something that begins after picture lock. Even a simple shared document outlining naming conventions, frame rates, resolution, color space, VFX turnover requirements, and versioning can prevent a lot of expensive confusion later.

The challenge for indie productions isn't necessarily recreating a studio-sized post team. It's removing ambiguity from the handoffs.

A little planning before the first problem appears is usually much cheaper than fixing the pipeline after everything has already been built on top of it.

Cyrus Sales yes I would be open to that social media idea. I would also like to see topics covered like

1. The different post-production roles

2. Color Grading Tips

3. VFX software comparisons

4. What you need to know when shooting to ensure a seamless post-production process

5. Sound Design tips

6. Audio Mixing process

7. Color Science latest news

8. Color Science: How to use it in your process

9. Transitions

10. Dialogue editing

Kevin Jackson Thank you so much for this. I really appreciate you taking the time to put together such a detailed list of topics. This gives me a much clearer idea of the areas that would be most valuable to cover.

Ok, thanks, Cyrus Sales. Hope you have a great week!

IMO the post production category is much too big for a single lounge. There's a huge variety of skills involved, like CG lighting, digital matte painting, compositing, CFX, and that's in the VFX alone. You're not going to find a lot of sound designers who understand lighting, and even fewer lighters who understand how to implement even the most basic sound mix.

Even though we do a lot of color grading when compositing, the colorist's workflow is very different from a compositor's.

So I think we could benefit from lounges dedicated to aspects of post, like sound mixing and foley, color grading, compositing, editing, and VFX, plus a lounge for common shared aspects like color science and workflow.

Rakesh Malik I definitely understand where you’re coming from. Post-production is incredibly broad, and I agree there’s value in having deeper, discipline-specific conversations.

That said, I only have so much control over how the lounge is structured, and I think it’s important to remember that Stage 32 is ultimately about bringing people together. If we divide every specialty into its own space, we risk losing some of the cross-disciplinary connections that make the community valuable.

I’m an audio engineer but my work overlaps with editing, picture, sound, and other areas of post. Being part of a broader post-production community allows me to connect with people I might not otherwise interact with.

I’d be curious to hear your thoughts, though. What kinds of conversations or topics would make you want to jump into a broader post-production lounge, even when the subject isn’t directly within your specialty?

I love the BTS. Keep it coming please.

Kevin Jackson Thank you for the feedback. I wasn't too sure if anyone was getting value from these post. I'll be sure to keep posting and add the sound design version here.

Autograph, iClone, and Omniverse are initially the ones that interest me the most.

Autograph for mograph that doesn't require the full power of Houdini.

iClone for basic character work, since I'm not a character animator nor a CFX artist.

Omniverse because it's an extremely powerful platform that makes moving data and assets between applications easier, such as moving sims and environments from Houdini to Unreal.

Ashley Renée Smith Thanks for sharing! I’m excited to watch this. There’s still so much I don’t know when it comes to the latest post-production tools and developments, so resources like this are really helpful. I’m always looking to learn more and stay open to new tools and workflows.

Thanks for sharing this with the community Ashley Renée Smith! I'm currently working with Adobe, Canva, and Figma, and I'm getting into Unreal Engine as well, so I'm definitely interested in exploring some of these free alternatives like Autograph and Cavalry for motion graphics work. When I learn new software, I watch videos and save the best ones in a playlist, then subscribe to channels with the best overall teaching for my specific goals and art style. I group up all the shorts I'll need to create, and after a few days or weeks, depending on the software's complexity, I start hands-on training and practice for hours at a time, treating it like my favorite game, bingeing the first uses to learn fast.

Vital Butinar That's awesome to hear. It sounds like you genuinely enjoy the entire filmmaking process, even with the extra work. I'm curious though, what was it about pre-production that you didn't enjoy? Was it the planning and logistics, or was it more about having to wear so many hats?

And yeah, I've heard the same thing. Getting a film made is a huge accomplishment, but festivals and distribution can be a whole different challenge. Hopefully all the work you've put into this project opens some doors. I'd love to hear how that journey goes.

Cyrus Sales well it's not the entire pre-production process. I actually enjoy the part of making the shot lists and storyboard, breaking down the screenplay. Even if some parts of it are bit time consuming, but figuring the shots and how to shoot something is generally exciting. But the parts I enjoyed the least was having to coordinate everything and then arranging the locations along with everything. Scheduling was a nightmare for me, because I tend to overthink things and it takes a long time, but over the years I've learned that I always have to account for extra time and then things go smoothly.

So yeah probably being overloaded with too many tasks.

Yes festivals seem to be challenging, we've already been rejected by one festival just because they seem to prioritize "independent films" that are film fund funded and because we're a comedy and this year the theme was a slow burning drama. So naturally we didn't make the cut.

Vital Butinar I completely get that. Honestly, it sounds like the creative side of production is where you really shine, and the coordination side is where things start getting a little more challenging when there are too many moving parts.

Funny enough, I tend to thrive in those areas that you mentioned being more difficult. I actually enjoy the organization, planning, and figuring out how to make all the pieces come together. If you ever need an extra hand or someone to help take some of those things off your plate, feel free to reach out. I’ll always do my best to help depending on my workload.

I can definitely relate to the scheduling part though. Even with a solid plan, production always finds a way to throw something unexpected at you. Learning to build in extra time is huge because it gives you room to adjust instead of feeling like everything is falling behind.

And yeah, festivals can be tough. It’s frustrating when a project doesn’t get selected because it doesn’t align with what they’re looking for that year rather than the quality of the film itself. A comedy going up against a festival leaning heavily toward slow-burn dramas is definitely a tough position.

Either way, getting the project finished and putting it out there is still a big accomplishment. The festival process can be unpredictable, but every submission is another opportunity to learn, build connections, and get the work in front of more people.

Hey Cyrus Sales thank you for the words of encouragement and the offer. I might take you up on that some time.

Like I said most of it was fine, but some of it was a bit tedious. Like I said shortlists and schedules, especially schedules can be tedious sometimes. But I always look at things like if I can't do it nobody else will want to. But if I can do it so can someone else.

Yeah of course, we'll find something sooner or later as far as the festivals go.

Vital Butinar Of course, anytime! I completely understand. The behind-the-scenes tasks like schedules and shortlists can definitely get tedious, but they’re also the things that keep everything organized and moving forward.

I like that mindset though, if you can figure it out, someone else can too. I’m sure the right festival opportunity will come along sooner or later. Wishing you the best with it, and feel free to reach out anytime!

Shadow Dragu-Mihai This is a fascinating topic. I haven’t had a chance to read the article yet, but I’m looking forward to diving into it and learning more about how quantum computing could influence imaging, VFX, and post-production workflows.

The possibilities around faster rendering, more accurate light simulation, and new approaches to visual creation are really exciting. I’m interested to see how this technology develops and how it could eventually impact the tools filmmakers use every day.

That's an interesting point. To blend all this with Music often has to support exactly that invisible rhythm, sometimes by doing less rather than more.

Cyrus Sales Thanks. We've just accomplished ray tracing with quantum processes in-house! Now moving on to color representation.

Shadow Dragu-Mihai Congrats on the milestone!

Cyrus Sales We're moving very fast on this!