Post-production and Editing Fundamentals
Post-production questions test workflow order and editing grammar. You must know what happens before the cut, during the cut and after picture lock.
Workflow
- Ingest and verify – copy cards, verify with checksums, back up using the 3-2-1 rule (three copies, two media types, one off-site). Never format a card until the backup is verified.
- Organise – consistent bin structure and file naming; create proxies if the footage is heavy.
- Sequence settings must match the footage: resolution (1920×1080), frame rate (25 fps for Indian broadcast), aspect ratio 16:9.
- Sync – align audio using the clap, timecode or auto-sync.
- Assembly → rough cut → fine cut → picture lock. After lock, no more structural changes.
- Sound design and mix → colour grade → titles and graphics → QC → export and deliver.
Editing grammar
Cut on action, match cut, cutaway, insert, J-cut (sound arrives before the picture) and L-cut (sound continues after the picture). A jump cut breaks continuity; a montage compresses time. Respect the 180-degree and 30-degree rules. Pacing should follow emotion, not the clock.
Technical delivery
Master in a high-quality codec (ProRes, DNxHD); deliver H.264 MP4 at a sensible bitrate; export at the sequence frame rate. Broadcast audio loudness is typically around −23 LUFS (EBU R128) but always confirm the client's delivery specification.
Worked example
A dialogue scene feels flat and stilted. Reasoning: add a J-cut so the incoming speaker's line starts over the outgoing character's face; insert reaction cutaways to hide the edit points; lay room tone under the cut to remove the audio "hole"; raise the pace by trimming the heads and tails of lines; then add music sparingly under, not over, the dialogue.
Traps that cost marks
- Exporting before picture lock.
- Mismatching the sequence frame rate to the footage, causing drift.
- Music louder than dialogue.
- Deleting card contents before verifying the backup.