Creating Seamless Video Through Post-Production

Contrary to what some people believe, post-production isn’t limited to just the film industry, and it’s an essential part of video production of all kinds. From the simplest user acquisition videos to the most complex projects involving compositing effects and actors, the post-production phase is responsible for many of the compelling and eye-catching visual elements you see in video content.

At Magic Media, we’re firm believers in enacting thorough post-production processes, so much so that many of the Igloo Creative House team are cross-disciplined in post-production skills. Regardless of the project being complex, straightforward, animated, or live-action, post-production offers an opportunity to create the most seamless video content possible in an aesthetically pleasing package.

The Importance of Pre-Production

A well-planned pre-production phase saves time during the production and post-production processes and helps build a consistent reference to use throughout the entirety of the project’s lifecycle. Concerning post-production specifically, storyboards are invaluable for assembling the order of shots and clips correctly when creating rough cuts and editing. Similarly, a shot breakdown is indispensable. Creating a list of camera angles, locations, frame sizes, and more helps the editing phase immensely.

Even the smallest details, such as what camera lenses’ are used, can be vitally important to the post-production process. With this knowledge, we can input the camera lens into our editing software and inform how we can most effectively use effects such as light and shadow.

Preparing for Post-Production

Your project’s footage is shot and material is gathered during the production phase, making it the perfect opportunity to prepare for post-production. Throughout production, we at Igloo Creative House like to have a supervisor working with us. Ideally, this is someone intimately familiar with the project in a broad sense. They understand the storyboard, client’s video brief, shot list, and intricate details of the production on the whole.

Supervisors are advantageous not only because they can ensure shots are in line with the storyboard and the use of color and minor details are correct, acting as a director of sorts, but also because they can make a report of shots for post-production. By noting and describing the best shots from the production phase, the team working on post-production won’t have to painstakingly sift through every clip to find the best footage.

Rough Edits and Refinement

The post-production process is an exercise in refinement. We begin on a macro level by simply assembling footage in order before any edits are made. This provides us with a comprehensive understanding of the work carried out during the production phase before refining, editing, or adding anything to the footage. Before beginning any post-production work, it’s important to log every piece of material using understandable naming conventions. This helps ensure that nothing will be lost and everything will be easily accessible.

We view post-production as having two distinct stages. First, we take the raw footage we have and tidy it up, removing any extraneous frames, removing the green screen,  and ensuring that it’s good quality. The next step is to add elements to the footage. Working from our storyboard, we begin color grading to make on-screen objects visually pop, and add 3D environments where necessary after removing the green screen.

Compositing footage is a significant amount of work that takes place during post-production. This process means we blend two or more elements to make them appear as one. This is commonly done with actors working in front of a green screen, where you add the environment later during post-production to simulate the appearance of the actor being on location. Additionally, we add visual effects to make the footage more stimulating and to match the storyboard and mood we’re aiming for.

Ensuring a Smooth Flow

When we’re satisfied with our editing and addition of visual elements, we like to take as much time as we need to ensure that the footage flows smoothly and that each element works harmoniously. This includes double-checking RGB values, that the color grading is correct, that no objects look out of place, and that complex shots and interactions on camera appear flawless. This is particularly important for actors working with green screens, as even the most basic actions can be challenging to convincingly convey.

Whether a project is straightforward or filled with complex visuals, post-production work is always required to be thorough. Though it can be repetitive, it’s creatively satisfying to see a video project finished that has superb flow and irresistible and compelling visual effects.

Looking for a video partner you can trust with your project during every phase, including the all-important post-production stage? Take some to look at our reels and get in contact today! We’re happy to lend our expertize to your video projects and help get them from pre-production to post-production.

As part of the Magic Media group, we’re proud to be your one-stop solution for all your projects across gaming, entertainment, and tech. For world-class game development, game art services, incredible VFX, and more get in contact today, and let’s create magic.