What Goes Behind The Camera?

“Cut! Now, that’s a wrap!”

 

Have you ever wondered how your favorite TV show, let’s say FRIENDS, has come to be? Have you also ever wondered how the people in the post-production come up with this one-of-a-kind masterpiece?

Once the camera flashes die down and all the spotlight starts to dim, that’s when the real magic happens. Editors, sound engineers, foley artists, colorists, and more work together to produce the magic that audiences from all ages have all come to enjoy and love.

During this stage is where the cutting of raw footage, adding of music and sound effects, refining of details, and addition of the final touches happen until the final version of your product arrives—just as the director has envisioned it (and, hopefully, just as the client wants it.)

If you ever dreamt of working in TV post-production someday, you might probably think, “Whew, that sounds like a lot of work!” Don’t worry; you will always get to work with many people to make the magic happen. You might also probably say to yourself, “I can’t become a part of an awesome TV post-production crew.” Take a deep breath–no need to panic just yet.

Also, don’t fret, as the TV industry usually considers your creativity and great editing skill your significant mileage against the other hopefuls. Plus, with so many roles to choose from, rest assured that there’s always a career waiting for you in the field of TV post-production.

But finding the proper role is a must. The appropriate position is the one that allows you to hone your talents further, develop other skills, and eventually expand your horizon. It can also help you prepare to take over the world someday — or the stage! *wink*

To help you decide, check out this comprehensive list of TV post-production roles we compiled just for you.

 

CORE ROLES

1. Post-Production Supervisor

Responsible for the overall post-production process. They manage the flow of information and communication among the producer, editors, the facilities companies, and the production accountant.

 

2. Editors

 With a good eye for detail, they are responsible for putting together all the elements that fit together to come up with a story. Their editing can make or break the finished product’s success and quality. 

   a. Online Editor

They add the visual effects and titles and apply color correction once the offline editing is completed. They are also in charge of ensuring that the finished product meets the client’s technical delivery specifications.

   b. Film Editor

Working hand-in-hand with the director, they obtain and arrange the daily rushes of the film chronologically to come up with a rough cut. They are also tasked to fine-tune the shots to develop a coherent film later.

   c. Assistant Editor

They play an integral role in the post-production as they are tasked to coordinate with the other departments and ensure the elements needed are complete and organized before the editor starts working. They ingest footage, manage the back-ups, monitor data storage, set up and maintain projects. Sometimes, they might be requested to cut and edit parts as necessary.

3. Colorists

Working hand-in-hand with the director, they are tasked to ensure that the color scheme matches the intended style or mood to ensure the finished product’s consistency. They are also in charge of correcting any color differences or technical color errors and ensuring the consistency of images used in the TV show.

 

VISUAL EFFECTS (VFX)

Visual effects make any moving media pop, ultimately enhancing the raw footage to become the finished product the director has envisioned it to be.

1. Matte Artist 

In the early stages of post-production, they are in charge of coming up with background or illusions of a particular place which can either be fictional or is impossible to go to for the shooting of the scenes. To be a matte artist, you must have a good background in fine art, animation, or similar fields.

2. Roto/Paint Artist 

They skillfully re-insert footage and integrate the desired special effect using CGI with their high degree of technical skills and artistic judgment. This usually requires high precision to ensure that the results match the client’s specifications. 

3. Compositor

Compositors are tasked to creatively combine and ensure all the elements of the finished product blend and harmonize well with one another. To be a compositor, one must know how 3D lighting works. 

4. VFX Supervisor 

They are responsible for the creative direction of the visual effects and ensuring that the director’s creative vision and standard of quality are met. Together with the VFX producer, they are also in charge of the budget and the schedule. 

5. VFX Producer

They are responsible for the business side of things, as they make sure that whatever the VFX team produces aligns with the director’s vision and satisfies the client’s requirements at the same time. They are also in charge of forming a VFX team to help achieve these goals.

 

SOUND / MUSIC 

Sound and music are essential as they help set the mood, engage the audience, and give more depth to the TV show. Sound design, sound effects, or voice-overs are processed and integrated during this stage.

A. Sound

   1. Foley Artist

They are tasked to create sounds intended to give the audience a more immersive experience. These sounds may include everyday sounds such as footsteps, opening or closing doors, and other ambient sounds.

   2. Re-Recording Mixers

  They balance the sounds captured during filmings such as background noise, dialogues, music, and sound effects. These sounds are usually processed by the dialogue, music, and effects editors before being passed on to re-recording mixers to create the final audio track.

   3. Sound Editor

They remove any background noise or unwanted sounds captured during filming. They also assemble, edit, and ensure that the audio effects are synchronized with the video production.

4. Sound Supervisor
They oversee all the sound mixing and editing conducted by members of the sound team. They are also often involved in pre-production as they establish the sound requirements with the producer and the director. Lastly, they check the sound recordings for potential problems for the intended audiences and adjust the sound levels as necessary.

B. Dialogue
1. ADR Editor
They managed and corrected the re-recorded dialogue and sound, which were problematic during the shooting. These processes improve the quality, eliminate unwanted background noises, or correct certain lines.
2. Dialogue Editors
They help ensure that the audio is clean and the dialogue is entirely in sync with the video production. They edit raw audio and make sure the transitions are correctly executed and flawlessly.

C. Music
1. Music Editor
In charge of the music used for the film, they work together with composers to develop soundtracks. They also revise and edit to ensure that the music used is appropriate with the scenes and the show itself.
2. Music Supervisor
They create and integrate the appropriate music used with composers, mixers, and editors. They are also in charge of licensing all rights necessary for all the music used during production.

Let your artistic juices flow through the use of editing software and storyboards.

Do you have what it takes to take on the next step? If your answer is YES, then this job’s right for you.