We’ve all been to cinemas and watched an action-packed CGI feature film or an ingenious animation. But have you ever wondered how those impactful, cinematic masterpieces come to life?
From the expertly shot scenes to the songs and audio that make you laugh or cry – every step takes meticulous planning and attention to detail to make sure the final cut leaves a lasting impression.
It’s not just big-budget movies that need such a comprehensive production plan. Marketing videos for corporate profiles or product showcase videos also need a lot of planning and detailing for a final version that resonates with your audience and boosts your conversions.
Video production is split into three major parts – pre-production, production, and post-production – each involving several further steps that bring us closer to the version we see on screens.
For example, if you’re looking into how to make an intro video, you’re in the right place. In this blog, we’ll dive into the depths of post-production – from understanding what video post-production and its stages to the tools used and the people that make it all happen.
Ready to explore the behind-the-scenes of filmmaking? Let’s go!
What Is Video Post-Production?
So, what is video post-production? It is the last stage of the video production process where the final product begins to take shape.
Like every time and resource-intensive process, production begins with the planning phase – the pre-production stage. At this time, the writers, directors, producers, and other film staff work on script writing, storyboarding, casting, set building, location scouting, and other details that set the stage for how the video will turn out.
The next stage is when shooting begins: the production stage. Depending on the length of the film, some scenes may take days to shoot while others may take months. Voiceovers and sound is recorded as needed and the raw footage is sent to the post-production team.
Video post-production is where the magic happens. The raw clips are brought together, audios are recorded, sound and music are added or removed, scenes are color graded, and so much more happens to create the final product before marketing and release.
At this stage, the creative decisions take place. From editors to visual effect artists, animators, composers, sound mixers, and so many others, all work to transform raw footage into a compelling video. Without the video post-production process, there would be no finished product.
Whether it’s a feature film for the silver screen or a 2D character animation for social media, the filmmaking process is essentially the same. The length of the film often determines the time for the post-production phase, which contributes to a significant portion of the entire timeline.
Now that we have a grasp on what is video post-production process is, let’s explore the individual stages involved.
Main Stages Of Video Post-Production
A film or video post-production process is significantly longer than the production phase, because of the various intricate steps involved.
Each step has several people of different skills, collaborating to refine the raw footage. From basic editing and trimming to color grading, audio editing, adding visual effects and animations, and then finally formatting and optimizing for different platforms – let’s break down each stage to see how the video post-production process happens:
Video Editing
The post-production phase begins with logging footage that is when you label and save each piece of footage to make sure every scene is accounted for moving down the post-production process.
What is post-production video editing, you ask? It is the foundation that influences the quality and narrative of the entire film. Editors start by trimming unwanted scenes from the numerous takes, then assemble the footage in the desired order, making sure the final draft fits cohesively.
Depending on the length of the film, assembling footage can take months to complete. The first draft is called the ‘Rough Cut’ and ‘Answer Print’ is the final version. When the director is happy with the final cut, editors will ‘lock the picture’ to move on to the other steps in post-production video editing.
Software like Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro X are often recommended, but there are several other tools you can use.
Knowing how to write a marketing video script, for example, would be helpful here. But the final draft rarely, if ever, reflects the original script to the T. That’s why the editor needs to understand the tone and feel of the film you’re trying to create.
While it’s good for editors to add their creative flair, you would need to strike a balance for an excellent visual masterpiece.
Color Grading & Correction
If you’ve ever cooked a meal, then you would know how bland and tasteless food can be without proper seasoning. Consider color grading and correction as the spice that adds flavor to your videos.
The two are separate but similar; where color correction is about adjusting the white balance and exposure, for example, color grading is about saturating certain colors or adding filters to reflect the scene’s tone. They work together to enhance the visual appeal and add consistency across the scenes.
Coupled with the soundtracks, colors define the emotional ambiance of the scenes. For example, where a corporate whiteboard animation would have neutral colors for a professional look, a 3D character animation would be more vibrant and colorful, reflecting a fun personality.
Color grading and correction can be done at any time during post-production as long as the picture is locked. A colorist can alter the colors digitally, without affecting the established storyline.
Audio Editing, Sound Design & Mixing
Imagine a horror movie where instead of eerie music, you hear the cheerful setup of a musical – would you sit through to the end?
Audio editing in post-production, sound design, and mixing make sure the music and background sounds fit the scenes, and the dialogues are audible in a crowded theater or through smartphone speakers. It ensures consistency and keeps the audience engaged.
Sound designers add or enhance the audio elements, including music and dialogue. They remove unwanted background noises or add sound effects to enhance the overall impact of the scene.
Sometimes sounds need to be created for certain scenes. That’s where Foley artists come in – they recreate sounds from the real world like footsteps or gunfire. Foley artists create and record these sounds in the studio before they are added to the video as required.
Dialogues may also be re-recorded at this stage. This is called ADR or Automated Dialogue Replacement. This is needed when the audio recorded on set is difficult to hear or the recording contains background noise that you can’t remove.
Actors may come in to re-record the dialogues in a soundproof both, similar to what voiceover artists do for a 2D animation agency. These audio recordings then are added to the final edit and synced with the lip movement in the respective scenes.
The film soundtrack acts as another hook to reel in the audience and create an emotional resonance that leaves them feeling elated or drowning in tears. A music composer creates an original score exclusively for the film or buys the rights to use existing music which is then layered over the scenes where needed.
And finally, mixing – the art of blending the different sound elements for a seamless audio experience in the final cut. The sound mixer brings together the audio and music so they can be heard at a suitable volume, without one overshadowing the other.
Visual Effects (VFX) and Motion Graphics
Whether it’s feel-good Ghibli movies or spine-twisting thrillers, they wouldn’t be as impactful without their special effects.
Visual effects (VFX) including CGI creatures, animations, and motion graphics give you creative freedom to go beyond reality. From creating a fantasy land with fairies and wizards to enhancing the dramatic appeal of a car chase, the only limit is your imagination (and the script).
That said, big-budget special effects for feature films aren’t the only possibilities for a VFX team.
Corporate animated video services also apply visual effects during post-production editing to captivate their audience. Such special effects can range from creating backgrounds to animating characters, texts, and titles. Sometimes, they can be as simple as creative transitions, taking you from one scene to the next.
VFX artists can only step in after the picture is locked. It allows them to work frame by frame, without needing to start from scratch should a shot be swapped or removed. If you don’t have a VFX team or graphic design team, professional motion graphics services can help add animations to your video, making your message visually compelling.
Final Rendering and Export
Finally, the last step of post-production editing is rendering and exporting so that others can watch it. Whether it is a simple character animation or a cinematic masterpiece for the silver screen, you would need to export multiple versions of the videos, optimized for diverse platforms.
Each platform has different specifications and best practices to ensure the audience enjoys a superior viewing experience. For example, a detailed cartoon explainer animation for YouTube would require different specs than an Instagram Reel.
That wraps up our post-production process in filmmaking. Now, let’s have a look at the software a 3D animation company might use for professional finesse.
Tools and Software For Video Post-Production
The tools and software are different for post-production vs pre-production. Some of the essential ones for post-production are:
Video Editing Tools
Some of the better-known post-production video editing tools include Adobe Premier Pro, Final Cut Pro X, and DaVinci Resolve. With their diverse editing capabilities, they allow editors creative flexibility, setting new industry benchmarks.
Color Grading Software
DaVinci Resolve offers color grading features along with video editing. Alternatively, you can use Adobe After Effects to fix the colors and lighting.
Audio Editing Tools
For audio editing in post-production, a cartoon animation services agency, for example, might use Adobe Audition and Pro Tools. They allow precise control over sound design, allowing you to edit and mix sound elements as needed to captivate your audience.
Graphic Design, VFX, and Motion Graphics Tools
Software like Adobe After Effects and Autodesk Maya are popular among VFX artists. Alternatively, you can explore Adobe Animate Vs Character Animator for graphic design and animation.
Adobe Animate enables designers to create vector graphics and animations for diverse platforms, including games, websites, and videos. However, Character Animator brings your 2D characters to life through webcam acting, facial recognition, and sound recording.
That said, while Adobe Animate is ideal for animations for mobile and desktop, Character Animator may give you more creative freedom, allowing you to create and control complex characters without complex programming.
Collaboration In Post-Production
We mentioned before how several talented individuals are involved in post-production editing, collaborating to create a cinematic masterpiece. So, who exactly are these masterminds? Let’s have a look:
Video Editors
Video editors slice and dice through the raw footage to cut unwanted clips. Then they assemble the scenes to create a coherent storyline that best reflects the director’s vision.
Sound Designers, Music Editors, and Sound Mixers
Sound designers, editors, Foley artists, music composers, and sound mixers are responsible for the audio aspect of any filmmaking project.
From removing background noise and adding sound effects and music to blending it all, they elevate the viewing experience with perfectly timed audio effects.
VFX Artists
Character animation services wouldn’t exist without VFX artists. They are the creative minds behind Pixar’s title animation or the dragons in your favorite fantasy series.
FAQs
1. How Does Post-Production Video Editing Differ From Regular Editing?
Post-production video editing is the first step in the entire process where the film takes shape. Editors review the multiple takes captured during production, keeping the best ones for the final draft and removing the others.
2. How Long Does The Post Production Process Usually Take For A Video?
Length of the post-production process depends on the length of the video. An action-packed feature film, for example, could take anywhere from six months to a year, whereas explainer videos could take weeks to a month.
3. What Is The Difference Between Post-Production And Pre-Production?
Pre-production is when the directors, producers, writers, storyboard artists, and several other experts collaborate to write the script, cast actors, scout locations, and more. Conversely, post-production is when the scattered shots of the film come together to finish the puzzle.
4. What Techniques Are Used To Sync Audio And Video During Post-Production?
Three techniques ensure your audio and video are synced in the final version: slating, timecode, and scratch audio. Labeling and sorting all raw data before video editing helps account for every clip and audio, and assists in syncing the two to the relevant scene and time stamp.
5. Can Post-Production Editing Improve Poor-Quality Footage?
Yes, post-production video editing can improve footage quality. But the degree of improvement depends on the issues and tools available.
6. How Does Post Production Contribute To Storytelling In Films And Videos?
During post-production, editors will trim some scenes, rearrange others, and add transitions where needed which impacts the overall narrative. They add their creative flair, while maintaining the director’s and writer’s visions for a coherent storyline.
