Post-Production Pain Points: #2 - Workflow

Pixabay 2023

INTRODUCTION

Businesses that produce video content – from corporate presentations to product sizzles to online learning created for employees, customers or investors – need to have confidence that whomever they entrust with their projects will get them done on time and on budget. This applies whether companies build in-house post-production teams or turn to outside vendors. In this series of articles, we're looking at the challenges companies face in making these critical decisions.

CHALLENGE #2: WORKFLOW

To the uninitiated, post-production can seem like a confusing jumble of systems, trackers, processes and technology. But a well-designed workflow ties these elements together and gives clarity to the corporate executive who oversees a video project. Whether post consists of one multi-talented editor or a team of specialized professionals, the planning that goes into a solid workflow often means the difference between success and failure. And, as with staffing, experienced consultants can guide organizations through this process.

 A workflow addresses the basics of a video project: What are the start and due dates? How many deliverables are required and what are their specifications? Who is supervising the project, who will review it, and who has final approval?  

A successful workflow also meshes with a company’s culture: How hands-on is management? How are decisions made? How collaborative is the environment? How strictly does a project need to adhere to a company’s design aesthetic?

Typically, a post supervisor establishes the workflow in consultation with team members and stakeholders. Then, a coordinator or project manager builds a detailed post calendar with dates assigned for each step in the process. This calendar is essential as both an internal tool, letting team members know how much time they have and the status of each phase of a project; and externally with stakeholders so that they know when they will need to review works-in-progress and provide sign-off.

In creating a workflow that serves the needs of a company and the requirements of a project, there are several parameters to keep in mind.  

 REPLICABLE

 Even though no two projects are identical, a company’s workflow should be generally replicable, so that the essential structure holds from one project to the next. This allows the post team to build expertise and efficiency, which translates into savings of both time and money. More broadly, a consistent workflow provides a basis for evaluating what works and what doesn’t, where more resources need to be applied with future projects, or what steps need to be modified to produce better results. For a business, it also means that, if a project needs to be revisited or revised years later, basic elements such as folder structure, file naming, asset storage, etc. will be as easy to understand as the most recently produced content. 

SCALEABLE

As a business grows, video needs will likely grow as well. An intelligently designed workflow will be able to expand along with the company. As we’ll discuss more when we look at technology, this doesn’t require over-investing in server capacity or over-spending on cloud access. There are decidedly low-tech solutions, including the use of hard drives and production assistants hand-delivering assets, which work well for small projects or new businesses.  

But scalability means that gradual growth – a second edit team, an additional coordinator, network-attached storage, localized versions for international markets, etc. – can be added without breaking the model. Forethought and consideration need to be part of the process for selecting staff, hardware and software in order to ensure that when growth comes, it can happen seamlessly.  

CHECKS & BALANCES

In a small company, the founder or CEO may be the only one who needs to approve a video project. In larger organizations, the list of stakeholders can expand rapidly, including departments such as product development, marketing, social media, technology and legal. This is in addition to the director and producer who created the project. Each team will review assets and provide feedback through the lens of their own perspective.  

 A good workflow will ensure that each team has an opportunity to review. But, in coordination with the key decision maker (usually whoever has P&L responsibility), it will also set limits on the number of reviews and define clearly which versions each team needs to approve.

 COMMUNICATION

 Good communication cannot ensure a smooth process. But a lack of good communication will invariably doom any project. As part of an effective workflow, communication is essential in three key phases:

 - Kick-off: Providing the post-production team a chance to hear directly from the content creators gives them a clear understanding of the scope and contours of a project. This allows the team to ask questions, assess the challenges and potentially modify the workload in response to a project’s unique features.

- Daily Check-ins: Often referred to as scrums or stand-ups, and loosely derived from Agile project management, a short morning meeting with the core post team is an ideal platform to share updates, discuss needs and address problems. More broadly, it ensures that everyone has the same information in what is typically a fast-moving environment.  

- Post-Mortems: As soon as a project wraps up, it’s important to review all aspects of the process with the core team to compile a list of what worked, what didn’t, and what can be improved.  

CONCLUSION

A well-built post-production workflow, designed to be replicable and scalable, geared to a company’s requirements and culture, and supported with solid communication, can provide the foundation for getting videos to an audience on time, on budget and on target. As mentioned previously, post-production is about so much more than just handing assets to an editor and waiting for the results. Achieving a company’s goals requires planning and organization, and benefits greatly from experience, managerial skill and expertise.

Want to learn more about the right way to tackle your business’s video needs? Have questions about your organization’s content plans and the best way to bring them to fruition? Let’s talk!