Post Production generally means everything that happens after the shoot is over.

Once all the footage is gathered together, along with anything else that may be needed such as graphics, music and voice-over recording, the editing process can start. Especially with the work that I do, communicating with the companies and directors involved is of paramount importance, to ensure that the film is the best that it can be. 

Because of this, the time it takes to complete the edit can vary greatly depending on the film. For instance, a simple piece to camera would be very straightforward to put together, simply editing the recording down to its salient points adding graphics and some cutaway shots. An edit of a big event may take longer. 

As a general rule of thumb (but as usual things are always different) one day of shooting will generally need two days worth of editing. However, with longer films and documentaries, editing will always be a longer and more ongoing process. For example, adding in new footage such as interviews means making sure the flow and structure of the film still works, and that the film’s continuity isn’t affected. Everything needs to be perfect, making sure that everything matches the original treatment, all graphics are correct, and people’s names are all spelt correctly. 

Once the film has been completed and signed off, it is now ready for delivery. In most cases the film will be uploaded to either YouTube or Vimeo for layout through an embedded link. But if you want to go ‘old school’ the film can either be authored to DVD.