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POST PRODUCTION PROCESS and POSITIONS

PRODUCERS

Executive Producer - is usually an investor in the project or just a credit that the filmmaker gave to someone who paid for the credit. You can have as many executive producers as you want but generally keep it to a minimum.

Producer - A producer creates the conditions for making movies. The producer initiates, coordinates, supervises and controls matters such as raising funding, hiring key personnel, and arranging for distributors. The producer is involved throughout all phases of the process from development to completion of a project.

Associate Producer - Shares responsibility for creative and business issues.

DIRECTION

Director - The director is responsible for overseeing the creative aspects of a film, including controlling the content and flow of the film's plot, directing the of , organizing and selecting the locations in which the film will be , and managing technical details such as the positioning of cameras, the use of lighting, and the timing and content of the film's . Though the director wields a great deal of power, he or she is ultimately subordinate to the film's producer or producers. Some directors, especially more established ones, take on many of the roles of a producer, and the distinction between the two roles is sometimes blurred.

POST PRODUCTION SUPERVISION

Post Production Supervisors are responsible for the post production process, during which they maintain clarity of information and good channels of communication between the producer, editor, supervising sound editor, the facilities companies (such as film labs, CGI and negative cutters) and the production accountant. Although this is not a creative role, it is pivotal in ensuring that the film's post production budget is manageable and achievable, and that all deadlines are met. Because large amounts of money are involved, and most of a film's budget is spent during production, the post production period can often be difficult and challenging.

Post Production Supervisors are responsible for the post production process, during which they maintain clarity of information and good channels of communication between the producer, editor, supervising sound editor, the facilities companies (such as film labs, CGI studios and negative cutters) and the production accountant. Although this is not a creative role, it is pivotal in ensuring that the film's post production budget is manageable and achievable, and that all deadlines are met. Because large amounts of money are involved, and most of a film's budget is spent during production, the post production period can often be difficult and challenging.

The Post Production Supervisors' role can be stressful and requires ingenuity, empathy and the ability to make tough decisions under pressure, while working long hours, to tight deadlines. Some Post Production Supervisors may be involved on a number of at one time, but usually work on 3 or 4 films a year. They are employed on a freelance basis, by the producer, often also with approval from a completion bond guarantee company. They usually work alone, but on larger productions may employ an assistant.

The role of the Post Production Supervisor varies according to the type of film and the budget. On big budget films using complex CGI ( Generated Images), they start work during pre-production, liaising with the CGI Company and ensuring that the producer is aware of all the creative and budgetary considerations and how they may impact on the post production period. On smaller budget films they also advise about any limits that may need to be applied to the shoot, as well as providing an overall picture of what can be realistically achieved in post production. Most Post Production Supervisors also liaise with the editor and producer (and sometimes the director), about the hiring of post production personnel (sound editors, titles designers, mixers, etc).

Some Post Production Supervisors may be involved on a number of films at one time, but usually work on 3 or 4 films a year. They are employed on a freelance basis, by the producer, often also with approval from a completion bond guarantee company. They usually work alone, but on larger productions may employ an assistant.

During the post production process, they work closely with the production accountant, supplying accurate information for the cost reports, which are prepared every 3-4 weeks and show how actual expenditure compared to the original budget. Post Production Supervisors work with the editor, supervising sound editor, and re-recording sound mixer throughout post production, making sure that each different of the process is delivered on time and within budget. They usually continue to work on the production until all the elements needed for the completion of the film are delivered, including the and effects version which allows the dialogue track to be replaced with different .

Assistant Post Production Supervisor – see above

Music Supervisor - The works with the , mixers and editors to create and integrate the film's music. In Hollywood a music supervisor's primary responsibility is to act as liaison between the film production and the recording industry, negotiating the use rights for all source music used in a film.

The music supervisor, or "music director", works with the composer, mixers and editors to create and integrate the film's music. In Hollywood, a music supervisor's primary responsibility is to act as liaison between the film production and the recording industry, negotiating the use rights for all source music used in a film.

EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT

Lead Editor/Film Editor - The Film Editor is the person who assembles the various shots into a coherent film, with the help of the Director. There are usually several Assistant Editors. Negative Cutter

Assistant Editor - An assistant film editor maintains a balanced and structured environment in the editing room. The assistant editor is responsible for operating the editing technology as well as interacting with various people on the filmmaking staff, particularly the camera, film lab and sound department. An assistant is commonly one of the first to arrive on set and the last to leave, organizing the cutting room for that day and arranging it for the next. Depending on the scale of the production, an assistant film editor may supervise a team of assistants.

The role of an assistant editor is to allow the editor to work uninterrupted. An assistant typically receives and interprets paperwork from the staff and crew, relaying this information to the editor. Assistant editors may coordinate with the sound team to plan for sound effects and other music used in the film, and import unedited into the editing program to examine a scene for incomplete footage. Each scene is assembled in a computer system according to the editor's preference.

An assistant film editor may critique a scene for the editor, if the two have developed a relationship. They record notes during screening and aid in the integration of . An assistant film editor can also be asked to arrange the workspace, fix a technical issue or organize footage.

The Negative Cutter - Cuts and splices the negatives as directed by the Film Editor, and then provides the assembled negative reels to the lab in order for prints (positives for projection) to be made.

Colorist - A colorist, also known as Color Timer, adjusts the color of the film to find the right balance and intensity of color for each scene of the movie. With a photochemical process, the color timer adjusts the color of the film via printer lights for greater consistency in the film's colors. With a process, the Colorist can use digital tools in manipulating the image and has greater creative freedom in changing the aesthetic of a film.

Telecine Colorist - A Colorist is responsible for a grade - that is a look that has been created with a grading system, which adjusts brightness, contrast and color.

VISUAL EFFECTS DEPARTMENT

Visual Effects commonly refers to post-production alterations of the film's images. The on set VFX crew works to prepare shots and plates for future Visual Effects. This may include adding tracking markers, taking and asking for reference plates and helping the Director understand the limitations and ease of certain shots that will effect the future post production. A VFX crew can also work alongside the Special effects Department for any on- set optical effects that need physical representation during filming (on camera.)

Visual Effects Producer - The Visual Effects Producer works with the Visual Effects Supervisor to break down the script into , and advises the Director as to how s/he should approach the scenes. Together they determine which sequences are to be shot as live elements, which would work well in miniature, and which (if any) should be computer generated.

Visual Effects Creative Director - VFX Creative Directors are very much like Production Designers, except they direct and supervise the creative side of the film's visual effects. The position is particularly in demand for films with massive amounts of computer generated imagery and scenes.

Visual Effects Supervisor - The Visual Effects Supervisor is in charge of the VFX crew, working with production and the film's Director to achieve the desired in-camera optical effects of the film.

Visual Effects Editor - The Visual Effects Editor incorporates visual effects into the current cuts of sequences, producing multiple versions of each shot. Altered scenes are then evaluated by the Visual Effects Supervisor and Creative Director for aesthetic and technical direction, and by the Producers for review and final editing.

Compositor - A Compositor is a Visual Effects responsible for images from different sources such as , film, computer generated 3-D imagery, 2-D , , photographs, and text.

Rotoscope / Paint Artists - Rotoscope & Painters Artists may rotoscope the footage, manually creating mattes for use in compositing. They may also paint visual information into or out of a scene, such removing wires and rigs, logos, dust busting, scratch removal, etc.

Matte Painter - Matte Painters draw/paint entire sets or extend portions of an existing set.

SOUND DEPARTMENT

Sound is traditionally divided into three elements: dialog, music, and effects (any auditory information that isn't speech or music). Although much of the dialog can be recorded during principal , it needs fine tuning later. And almost all other sound is added during postproduction.

Sound in film and video can be thought of happening in a three phase process:

1. Recording/Acquisition – Recording Dialogue, ADR, , Sound Effects, RoomTone/Atmosphere 2. Editing – Editing and placing dialogue, music and effects 3. Mixing- Balancing the various audio elements to support/tell story.

Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer - The sound designer, or supervising sound editor, is in charge of the post-production sound of a movie. Sometimes this may involve great creative license, and other times it may simply mean working with the director and editor to balance the sound to their liking.

On the average A-picture the first postproduction sound person brought onto the film is the supervising sound editor, who not only directs and coordinates the creative contributions of the postproduction sound staff but also must handle all the related administrative duties like scheduling mixes.

The tendency is to bring the supervising editor on earlier and earlier. The main reason is the changing demands for sound in early screenings. (Scratch mixes). This practice has engendered the greatest changes in the logistics of postproduction sound in the last two decades.

Recording Phase

ADR Supervisor - Cues and organizes all the ADR recordings.

ADR Recording Mixer/Engineer (adr recordist, adr mixer) - As an ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement) Mixer, you correct sound problems related to the lines Actors speak. Sometimes, you remove background noise or smooth out rough edges in speech. Other times, you replace certain words or phrases with bits from alternate takes.

If you can’t correct the problems, you must schedule the to come into the and lip-synch replacement lines. These are stressful sessions for Actors, and you do your best to put the talent at ease through your enthusiasm and coaching.

You show them the piece, remind them how the line should be spoken, and then record as they speak the line in time with the film. The fewer takes you do, the less expensive the process is, so you work quickly and calmly to get the job done.

Actor – ( used for recording AUTOMATIC DIALOGUE REPLACEMENT)

Foley Supervisor - Cues and organizes all the foley recordings.

Foley Recording Mixer (foley recordist, foley mixer) - Foley Mixer involves a lot of collaboration. The Foley Mixer, works with Foley Artist and a Foley Editor. Works during post-production, after filming but before editing. Creates sheets, based on spotting sessions with Director/Producer. Add needed background or detail noise to make a completed scene feel real. Record the noises the Foley Artist makes. This means you need to know how many are required and where to set them up in order to catch the noise. Put a too far from a bucket of hand soap (it makes a great squishing noise) and no one will be able to tell what they’re listening to. Too close and they’ll just be grossed out.

Foley Artist - The Foley Artist is the person who creates the post- effects for a film. These sound effects are recorded in sync to picture and are mostly body movements, footsteps or object manipulations. The most common reason for recording these effects live to picture is the fact that such sounds are lost when the dialogue is removed to be replaced by a foreign version. Unsatisfactorily recorded sync sound effects can also be replaced with Foley effects. Foley artists are also known as Foley walkers. Foley is named after it's first known practitioner, an early Hollywood sound editor named Jack Foley.

Foley is the reproduction of everyday sounds for use in filmmaking. These reproduced sounds can be anything from the swishing of clothing and footsteps to squeaky doors and breaking glass. The best Foley is so well integrated into a film that it goes unnoticed by the . It helps to create a sense of reality within a scene. Without these crucial background noises, movies feel unnaturally quiet and uncomfortable.

Foley artists look to recreate the realistic ambient sounds that the film portrays. The props and sets of a film do not react the same way acoustically as their real-life counterparts. Foley sounds are used to enhance the auditory experience of the movie. Foley can also be used to cover up unwanted sounds captured on the set of a movie during filming that might take away from the scene at hand, such as overflying airplanes or passing traffic.

Sound Effect Recordist/ - A production sound mixer, location sound recordist, location sound engineer or simply sound mixer is the member of a or crew responsible for recording all sound recording on set during the filmmaking or television production using professional audio equipment, for later inclusion in the finished product, or for reference to be used by the sound designer, sound effects editors, or foley artists. This requires choice and deployment of microphones, choice of recording media, and mixing of audio signals in real time.

Editing Phase

Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer - The sound designer, or supervising sound editor, is in charge of the post-production sound of a movie. Sometimes this may involve great creative license, and other times it may simply mean working with the director and editor to balance the sound to their liking.

On the average A-picture the first postproduction sound person brought onto the film is the supervising sound editor, who not only directs and coordinates the creative contributions of the postproduction sound staff but also must handle all the related administrative duties like scheduling mixes.

The tendency is to bring the supervising editor on earlier and earlier. The main reason is the changing demands for sound in early screenings. (Scratch mixes). This practice has engendered the greatest changes in the logistics of postproduction sound in the last two decades.

Co-Supervising Sound Editor - (see supervising sound editor)

Assistant Supervising Sound Editor - Assistant to supervising sound editor.

Sound Editor - A sound editor is a creative professional responsible for selecting and assembling sound recordings in preparation for the final sound mixing or mastering of a television program, motion picture, , or any production involving recorded or synthetic sound. Sound editing developed out of the need to fix the incomplete, undramatic, or technically inferior sound recordings of early talkies, and over the decades has become a respected filmmaking , with sound editors implementing the aesthetic goals of motion picture sound and supporting the narrative of the film's story.

The Academy of Motion Picture and Sciences recognizes the artistic contribution of exceptional sound editing with the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing.

There are primarily three divisions of sound that are combined to create a final mix — dialogue, effects, and music. In larger markets such as New York and Los Angeles, sound editors often specialize in only one of these areas; thus a show will have separate dialogue, effects, and music editors. In smaller markets, sound editors are expected to know how to handle it all, often crossing over into the mixing realm as well. Editing effects is likened to creating the sonic world from scratch, while dialogue editing is likened to taking the existing sonic world and fixing it. Dialogue editing is more accurately thought of as "production sound editing", where the editor takes the original sound recorded on the set, and using a variety of techniques, makes the dialogue more understandable, as well as smoother, so the listener doesn't hear the transitions from shot to shot (often the background sounds underneath the words change dramatically from take to take). Among the challenges that effects editors face are creatively blending various elements to create believable sounds for everything the audience sees on screen.

1st Assistant Sound Editor - Assistant to Sound Editor

Dialogue/ADR Editor - The is responsible for assembling and editing all the dialog in the soundtrack. The dialogue editor assembles, synchronises, and edits all the dialogue in a film or television production. Usually they will use the production tracks: the sound that was recorded on the set. They will smooth it out in terms of volume and equalisation. If any of the production tracks are unusable they can be replaced by either alternate production tracks recorded on set or by ADR, automated dialogue replacement, which is recorded after the shoot with the actors watching their performances in a sound studio and rerecording the lines. Large productions may have an ADR editor working under the dialogue editor, but the positions are often combined. The ADR editor or dialogue editor also work with the walla group in films which they are required, providing the background chatter noise in scenes with large crowds, such as parties or restaurants. Once the dialogue editor has completed the dialogue track, the re-recording mixer then mixes it with the music and sound effects tracks to produce the final soundtrack.

Sound Fx/Foley Editor - The sound editor is responsible for assembling and editing all the sound effects in the soundtrack. As the name implies, this position involves the creation and editing or piecing together sounds to make effects. The use of digital and digital compositing has increased dramatically in today's films. This trend has by default increased the need for Sound Effects Editors as well as Sound Designers. Although production audio is recorded during the filming of a movie, the real excitement of a film typically is created by additional sound effects and custom sounds that enhance the believability of the script.

Music Editor - The music editor is a type of sound editor in film or other multimedia productions (e.g. video or games) responsible for compiling, editing, and syncing music during the production of a soundtrack.

Among the music editor's roles is creating a "temp track", which is a "mock-up" of the film's soundtrack using pre-existing elements to use for editing, audience previews, and other purposes while the film's commissioned score is being composed.

Mixing Phase

Mixing Engineer (Dialogue, Music And Sfx – D, M & E) The function of the mixing engineer is identical to that of the musical mixing engineer. The difference is that instead of multiple instrument tracks, in film there are usually a mix engineer for each major section of audio: Music, Sound Effects, and Dialogue. Working together during the final mix, these 3 engineers create the flow of audio while watching the workprint.

Re-Recording Mixer - The Re-recording Mixer balances all of the sounds prepared by the dialogue, music and effects editors, and finalizes the films audio track.

A Re-Recording mixer is involved with all areas of the original production sound. They must assemble all elements of recorded sound to specific work prints or "stems." Often there are so many recorded elements during production that the re-recording mixer will "sub-mix" these elements making them easier to handle and keep track of. They will, as well, re- record additional elements if necessary prior to the final film mix.

A re-recording mixer in , also known as a mixer in , is a person who mixes recorded dialogue, sound effects, song lyrics, and/or music to create the final version of a music record single or a soundtrack for a film, television program, or . The final mix must achieve a desired sonic balance between its various elements, and must match the director's or sound designer's original vision for the project. For material intended for broadcast, the final mix must also comply with all applicable laws governing sound mixing (e.g., the CALM Act in the United States and the EBU R128 loudness protocol in Europe).

MUSIC DEPARTMENT

Music Supervisor - The music supervisor works with the composer, mixers and editors to create and integrate the film's music. In Hollywood a music supervisor's primary responsibility is to act as liaison between the film production and the recording industry, negotiating the use rights for all source music used in a film.

The music supervisor, or "music director", works with the composer, mixers and editors to create and integrate the film's music. In Hollywood, a music supervisor's primary responsibility is to act as liaison between the film production and the recording industry, negotiating the use rights for all source music used in a film.

Composer - The composer is responsible for writing the musical score for a film. Works with Director, Musicians, Music Supervisor.

Musician - A musician.

Music Editor - The music editor is a type of sound editor in film or other multimedia productions (e.g. video or games) responsible for compiling, editing, and syncing music during the production of a soundtrack.

Among the music editor's roles is creating a "temp track", which is a "mock-up" of the film's soundtrack using pre-existing elements to use for editing, audience previews, and other purposes while the film's commissioned score is being composed.

Music Editors' responsibilities vary according to each film's musical content and budget. They are usually responsible for all the music featured on film , including: performed music (e.g., a band or singer who performs within the narrative of the film), all sourced music (e.g., bought-in pop, jazz, classical music), and the score, written by the composer specifically for the film.

Music Editors attend a "spotting session" with the director, picture editor, music supervisor, producer and composer, during which they note all music cues (providing the composer with a written template that is used to produce the score and the music supervisor with vital notes concerning all copyright clearances and budgetary issues).

FILM TITLE DESIGN

Film Title Designer - is a term describing the craft and design of motion picture title sequences. Since the beginning of the film form, it has been an essential part of any motion picture. Originally a motionless piece of artwork called title art, it slowly evolved into an art form of its own.

Title Designer – The titles designer is the artist whose responsibility it is to create the opening titles sequence, as well as intertitles or title cards in the film or . He or she also creates the end credits. This artist is typically hired toward the conclusion of and begins work by meeting with the director and editor to discuss the show’s style, period, and themes.

Motion Graphic Designer/Artist - is a subset of in that it uses graphic design principles in a filmmaking or video production context (or other temporally evolving visual medium) through the use of animation or filmic techniques. Examples include the kinetic typography and graphics used in film and television opening sequences, and the spinning, three- dimensional station identification logos of some television channels. The art form has been around for decades, and has advanced in technical sophistication over time.

Also see Visual Effects Department

DISTRIBUTION (festivals)

Film/TV Distributor/Coordinator - film/tv distributor/coordinator is responsible for the marketing of a film/tv series. The distribution company is usually different from the . Distribution deals are an important part of financing a film.

The distributor may set the release date of a film and the method by which a film is to be exhibited or made available for viewing; for example, directly to the public either theatrically, film festivals or for home viewing (DVD, video-on-demand, download, television programs through broadcast syndication etc.). A distributor may do this directly, if the distributor owns the theaters or networks, or through theatrical exhibitors and other sub-distributors. A limited distributor may deal only with particular products, such as or Blu-ray, or may act in a particular country or market. The primary distributor will often receive credit in the film's credits, one sheet or other marketing material.