Description of Film Post-Production

In film making, post-production jobs refer to activities that take place after the movie has been shot. At this point, the director must shape thousands of hours of footage into a logically sequenced movie with sound effects, music, title graphics and all of the other elements moviegoers expect. Post-production crew members learn their craft at film schools or through apprenticeships. First jobs are often without pay, but any role on a post production crew offers valuable contacts and work experience.

Film Editor

It’s the editor’s job to help the director make sense of the thousands of hours of footage shot on location, as explained by Film Reference. Scenes are almost always shot out of sequence, so the story must be edited to fit the director’s idea of chronology. Decisions must be made as to which of each scene’s multiple takes and camera angles will be used, and what must be scrapped. The film editor completes a rough cut, which is basically the film’s first draft edit, but much more work will be done. In the past, film was physically cut and spliced, which is how actors and scenes could end up “on the cutting room floor.” But today most editors digitize the footage and use movie editing software in post production work in film.

Sound Editor

In film, post production jobs include sound editors who are responsible for all audio that must be added after filming wraps. For example, the automatic dialogue replacement (ADR) recordist works with the film’s actors to replace unusable dialogue. No matter how sensitive or well-placed the microphones are during shooting, some dialogue ends up garbled; or the scene is shot from such a distance that microphones prove useless, explains the No Film School. In other cases, “looping” is used to replace certain words with milder dialogue when edited for television. The foley artist works with the sound effects editor to create effects as mundane as the slamming of doors or as inventive as the snarl of an alien. All sound editors work under the direction of the supervising sound editor.

Music Composer

One of the final steps in production is the scoring of the film. The composer receives a rough cut and writes original music that fits the plot, each scene’s mood and the director’s intentions. John Williams’ score for the Star Wars saga is a prime example of a music composer adding an important dimension to film production. Composer Rob Jaret suggests that the music composer should play a role throughout the creative process, which reduces post-production time and results in a more cohesive quality product.

Post-Production Supervisor

The head of post production jobs is known as the post-production supervisor. This individual acts as a liaison between the director and the various post-production crews. In some cases, the post-production supervisor might also help the director select staff to help with editing, sound effects and musical scoring. This job also involves being the primary contact with the film lab and other vendors during the later stages of film production. Other duties include monitoring the post-production budget and keeping the process moving on schedule.

Pre-Production

During pre-production, filmmakers coordinate with all the other relevant parties to make sure that everything is in order for shooting. Shooting locations are selected, rehearsals are held, props are purchased, and the shooting schedule is established. The purpose of this stage is to prepare as thoroughly as possible for the actual shooting of the movie.

Production

The production phase is when the film is actually shot. Filmmakers closely oversee this process, coaching the actors and the crew and making sure that everything is done according to budget, schedule and the intended style of the film. During production, filmmakers actively manage the set, ensuring that the shots are taken properly.

Post-Production

In post-production, filmmakers oversee the process of editing the raw footage into a coherent whole. The film gets touched up here in many ways, such as visual editing and the addition of music and other effects. The filmmakers essentially manage the technical crew during this stage and work with them to create the desired finished product.

2016 Salary Information for Producers and Directors

Producers and directors earned a median annual salary of $70,950 in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On the low end, producers and directors earned a 25th percentile salary of $46,660, meaning 75 percent earned more than this amount. The 75th percentile salary is $112,820, meaning 25 percent earn more. In 2016, 134,700 people were employed in the U.S. as producers and directors.

Facilities

Our post production sound and colour grading suites include:

• Canon (1019C003AA) DP-V2410 - 24 inch 4k reference display.

• Tangent Element (Tk Mf Kb Bt) control surface.

• Black Magic Design UltraStudio 4K thunderbolt capture and playback.

• LG 55inch EF950V OLED Wide Gamut (director's monitor).

• Colour balanced D65 lighting and grey walls.

• DaVinci Resolve with easy DCP export.

• Avid Media Composer with baselight grading software.

You'll also have access to our 3D Digital Cinema with Dolby Atmos sound, over 80 edit workstations and a range of high-end cameras and ancillary equipment – all in HD or 4K.

• This course is recognised by ScreenSkills, the industry-led skills body for the UK's screen-based industries, and carries the ScreenSkills quality mark which indicates courses best suited to prepare students for a career in the screen industries.

Core Modules

Year one

• Introduction to Single Camera Production
  Explore the theory and practice of single camera production, a vital component of documentary and fiction. Learn to tell effective visual stories, and develop professional standards of working using modern, industry-standard equipment.

• Introduction to Studio Production
  Explore everything that goes on behind the scenes of a TV studio. Learn where to put a camera, sound capture, how shots are sequenced, how to light, scripting and running shows to time.

• Introduction to Post Production
  Learn how an editor uses pictures and sound to tell a story. Develop a keen eye for detail, enhance your visual awareness, and learn the fundamentals of film grammar and how to apply them.

• Introduction to Sound
  Get to grips with sound. Understand how it moves, how we hear, how sound can be manipulated and distorted. Learn industry standard equipment in recording, playback and editing, and how sound tells a story.

• Screenwriting
  Learn the professional practices of the screenwriter’s trade. Learn to write, develop and pitch scripts for drama, documentary, studio programmes and more, and discover your own unique and distinctive voice.

• Research and Development for TV
  Dive into the role of a production researcher – a fantastic way to learn how the television industry works, from commissioning to production, and develop the professionalism, communication and collaborative skills to impress potential employers.

Year two

Core modules

• Live Brief and Professional Practice 1
  Get to know the business and professional practice of production, including how to take a client brief and deliver on it, how to respond to feedback; and creating new business opportunities.

• Live Brief and Professional Practice 2
  Develop your professional production skills still further. Learn to manage a budget, adapt to changing briefs, and work within the industry’s legal and ethical frameworks, including media law, copyright and contributor consent.

• Fiction Production
  Explore the many roles within fiction film, from production to visual effects, and discover your speciality – all while developing your own fiction film through scripting, story- and mood-boards, and production, resulting in a broadcast-ready short.

• Documentary Production
  Explore the applied practices of documentary and factual production. From initial research through preproduction, managing contributors and building trust, you will shape your ideas, explore style and form, and deliver your own documentary film.

• Intermediate Editing
  Expand on your existing skills and dive deeper into the language of editing. Develop essential professional habits in logging footage and organising your project. Learn to interrogate raw footage and craft a coherent whole.

Options

• Motion Graphics
  Work with the latest professional software to create distinctive, creative motion graphics for opening titles, lower thirds, animated graphs, advertisements, idents and more – and learn the editing workflow for integrating your work with footage.

• Sound of the Story
  Explore sound design and how it works with the edit to create emotion. Get hands-on with voiceover, ADR and Foley, explore advanced field recording techniques, and learn to enhance, distort and optimise sound.

Please note: Not all optional modules are guaranteed to run each year.

Year three

Core modules

• Working in the Creative Industries
  Reflect on the skills and experiences you have gained, and create an individual learning plan that will help you identify a career path – whether freelancing, setting up your own business or working within an established organisation.

• Creative Editing: Documentary
  Learn advanced editing grammar and toolsets, visual effects and audio techniques, using advanced software such as Avid Media Composer, Pro Tools and Baselight, and develop your craft and creative problem-solving on a long-form documentary.

• Creative Editing: Fiction
  Develop your editing experience and creative problem-solving on a long-form fiction project. Learn to prepare a script for the edit, review rushes and compare performances. Explore advanced software such as Avid Media Composer, Pro Tools and Baselight.

• Final Major Project
  Put everything you’ve learned into practice. Work in teams to develop, research, plan, shoot and edit your own video project – drama, documentary, entertainment, web-based or studio-based multi-camera project – and demonstrate your professionalism and creativity.

Options

• Colour Correction and Grading
  Get hands-on with the latest colour correction software, and explore how colour can affect audience understanding and reaction. Learn colour theory and professional workflows, and work with different formats and codecs such as RAW and 4K.

• Collaborative Drama
  Enhance your teamwork and professional skills in this collaborative industry. Work with a pre-written script and an experienced director to create a short film with the collaboration of actors from Solent’s performance courses.

Please note: Not all optional modules are guaranteed to run each year.

English Language Requirements

Applicants who do not have English as their first language will be required to demonstrate an approved level of proficiency in the use of the English language. The agreed minimum requirements for this course are:

• IELTS minimum 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each individual component

• TOEFL IBT minimum 80 with a minimum of 20 in each individual component

• Duolingo English Language Test - 100 overall with minimum of 90 in each component

• or equivalent.

Qualifications are checked before enrolment, and international students must bring their original certificates or certified copies when coming to study at the University.