Post Production Workflow

It takes many hours of footage to make a typical two-hour movie. Many scenes will be eliminated, or cut, in order to get the very best shots possible. Sound is recorded in various locations and using different formats before, during, and after the filming and special effects are added after filming, too.

The post production workflow revolves around combining, or mixing, all these pieces into one polished, beautifully executed picture. The post production workflow may take longer than the actual filming process did.

Other motion picture productions – television shows and commercials, corporate and music videos – follow the same basic post production workflow although on a smaller scale.

It is during the post production workflow that the film editor works with the director to pick and choose the best scenes possible or when to reshoot if necessary. Special effects are added during the post production workflow.

The audio aspects of post production workflow become mixed with the video imagery during this time. Sound and image are linked and reviewed to make sure the timing is appropriate and that sound quality and volume are compatible with the filmed sequences.

The music director may have been at work on the score during the entire time of filming but it's during the post production workflow that the score and the story come together. Three aspects of sound are combined at this stage of production – the dialog, score, and special sound (or foley) effects. The precise timing required to mix the sound of these three tracks into the visual imagery is a meticulous and time-consuming process but it is vital to get this mixed as flawlessly as possible.

Once a final cut has been developed, the post production workflow turns to a larger audience for feedback. The production will be screened by a targeted audience and further shooting or editing will be made based upon feedback given by the target audience.

Distribution and marketing are the final stages in the post production workflow involved with making a motion picture. In the case of a movie, a premiere showing and party is often a major publicity event accompanied by fanfare, press kits, posters, TV advertising, reviews, and usually a website.

The very last stage in the post production workflow is the release of the production in the form of DVD for sale to the general public. The DVD release often comes several months after the movie's cinematic release.