Notes From Post Mini: I've seen things you wouldn't believe... in the raw footage.

Editing is an Art Form

HAPPY NEW YEAR - I’m re-releasing this post with audio for those were weren’t able to read it last year. Editing is an art form a technical art form, yeah you can tell AI to mimic a famous movie’s edit style but it will be like that gymnastics AI video where AI tries to recreate tru gymnasts, it’s all gibberish. As an editor we’re reacting and having emotional responses to the material and I don’t care how much someone studies human emotion that’s not something anyone, especially AI, can predict precisely. Most of the time when I tell people “I’m an editor” they stare at me with a polite face but I know, deep down, they have no clue what I do or what it takes to do what I do. It might be because even those who are in the industry don’t know what we do. I was just watching a The Duffer brothers Master class…where they not once mention Post Production or Editing… but that’s another post. Thanks for reading Notes From Post! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and learn more each week about what it takes to work in post. Editing IS a modern art form. It is one of the most modern art forms I can think of. Our “paintbrush” is constantly changing, we depend on technology, which we constantly have to learn new versions or techniques for. Being technical is only part of it though, I know some editors who don’t do the technical side instead they have an AE do that while they focus on the emotional side of the cut. But still, being able to be both technical and artistic is a talent. It’s not something that everyone is born with. For many of us, we can’t do anything else, and be as fulfilled as we are when we edit. I came across a clip that someone had generated using AI to try and mimic gymnastics and it just struck me, AI cannot feel. Something that will always and uniquely be our own thing is emotion. Something that can’t be programmed into AI. You can watch how horribly AI fails to try and mimic human movement in the video below. I’m not saying that eventually it won’t be able to mimic human movement but I do not think that it will not be able to emote. It can process, it can be fed data sets and extrapolate data at incredible rates of accuracy however when it comes to things like art, it can only mimic, not innovate. That comes from truly feeling what it is like to be alive and human. Editing is this unique ability to both be technical AND artful. To be able to extrapolate what the story is that you’re telling and FEEL each and every emotion artfully. Editing is putting images together in such a way that an entire group of people (the audience) watching it will feel those same things and walk away different or changed in some way. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that every thing that is edited is artful, there are a lot of editors out there who don’t excel with this aspect of the art form instead they know the technical side of things but cannot understand emotional pace. What I am saying, is that we the Editors, who choose this art form, dedicate our lives to knowing and understanding our craft. Down to the frames. Every frame counts. I got the opportunity to attend a live lecture from Walter Murch [https://www.amazon.com/Blink-Eye-Perspective-Film-Editing/dp/1879505622] back in 2018 and watching him cut live on stage, as he was explaining his method was like watching Jackson Pollack put paint to canvas in person. There was a charisma and energy about him, he has gotten so good in knowing when to cut, he doesn’t use music to cut to, it’s like watching a composer, but of pictures. He would watch the clip and pause on the same frame every time, this is how he knows it’s the right place to cut. He FEELS the cut but it’s seamless. Thelma Schoonmaker another incredible editor, talks about sometimes wanting the audience to feel the cuts [https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/visible-editing-thelma-schoonmaker/]. How editing doesn’t always have to be invisible, sometimes you need to use jarring cuts or jump cuts to make the audience feel uncomfortable. In an interview with BAFTA talking about her editing with Martin Scorsese she said she will often edit multiple versions of a scene to show him, and then they together will decide which version of the scene fits best emotionally within the larger picture of the tapestry of the film. This is something I do as well because there are so many possibilities when handed raw footage you can take a performance in so many different ways it’s important to understand what serves the overall story the most. This is something so many people don’t understand, for an editor, a film is never finished, we hold this material in our heads and our hearts for decades. Every feature I have ever edited I hold in my mind, I can remember the cuts, the decisions behind each one. Editing adds meaning to otherwise an infinite amount of possibility. Not everyone is able or capable of creating that. Which is why a truly gifted editor will be able to step in, collaborate closely with the entire creative team, and carry the project to the finish line. Everyone focuses on the director, but let me tell you, the editor is who makes the director what they are. Until next time, Shawna Carroll This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notesfrompost.substack.com [https://notesfrompost.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Why the New Sora/AI Toys "R" Us Ad Doesn't Have Me Scared

Hi there, I'm Shawna! For more than a decade, I've been leading teams of Post Professionals through the wild ride of showbiz. Through the successful delivery of over 300 hours of television and numerous feature films, I've honed my craft. My goal is to share helpful insights that might make someone else's journey just bit smoother. First of all this whole ad wouldn’t have been possible without humans producing it…and fixing it. AI is not even close to perfect. It can’t predict nuance or understand, why something that looks like a human can immediately be tagged as ‘off’ or ‘weird’ to the viewer. After reading Fast Company’s article, linked here [https://www.fastcompany.com/91146911/you-cant-only-blame-ai-for-that-creepy-toys-r-us-ad], I was very happy to see their take on this ad. There were indeed humans who worked on the ad, but let’s talk about who all might have lost work from it. Thanks for reading Notes From Post! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and learn more each week about what it takes to work in post. Actors, crew members of all kinds, and some post crew. They didn’t need actors, set designers, costume designers, camera crew, lighting, crafty, and everyone else who works on set. They didn’t need a line producer or someone to schedule the shoot and prep everyone. To get this level of ad would have cost millions. Instead Kim Miller Olko who is current CMP of Toys “R” Us (TRU) and President of the newly established Toys “R” Us Studios decided to be the first to launch a highly controversial ad and pounce on all the media it would garner. Olko’s bio reads “she is a four-time Emmy Award winner with 20+ years as a transformational media leader and brand storyteller.” From what I can tell these Emmy’s were garnered while working on shows with Martha Stewart. Olko served as executive producer on the ad while it was directed by Native Foreign [https://www.nativeforeign.tv]’s CCO Nik Kleverov. Whose bio reads “Emmy Recognized” in a thinly veiled way to say he didn’t win the Emmy he was nominated for in contributing to the Narcos series title. That’s not a knock, it’s just a wink, I see what you did there 😉. All this to say the ad was helmed by some pretty big creative hitters in the AI industry. Kleverov spoke with Creativity Squared [https://creativitysquared.com/podcast/ep48-nik-kleverov-openais-sora-text-to-video-model/] about his experience getting to work with Sora on the TRU Ad. He feels Sora is a way to get out all the creative things he has in his head but without having to go through raising funds and pitching in order to get it created. Also allowing him to create things that seem like it would NEVER get funded. I think it can be used for story boarding or getting difficult sequences choreographed before shooting. I think there are lots of great creative ways to use the technology responsibly. It is this exact thinking that has me excited about AI and Sora and what they can do for the film and TV industry. It will help those of us who would never get a chance to get some of our creative dreams actually out of our heads. That said, we do need to talk about how far and how fast this technology will go and what impact it will have on real humans who will lose work from this technology. Kleverov says he doesn’t need it to be 100% done out of the engine, they’ll fix it in post. So who all did work on the project? Well a whole ton of Post Production Professionals! There were VFX artists who had to correct issues in the Sora generated imagery, colorists to get the color completely seamless among all the different generated images (which if you’ve spent any time at all generating with AI you’ll know is a very interesting quirk.) Editors, Assisted Editors, and Audio mixing, I know I’m missing some but that’s the overall gist. AI is far from perfect and it still takes real people to even get it to a semblance of “good.” Now I’ll delve into the ad itself, which was flat out creepy. The music was awful, the VO was eery, and the ‘human’ like figures represented in the ad, as well as the toys, were all just off. Kleverov mentions being criticized for these imperfections and says that life isn’t perfect, “there’s a smudge on the wall, a hair on the couch” so no matter what clean up work has to be done. I think the issue is that we’re learning about how humans process imagery in a way we’ve never explored before. We’ve taken for granted what is “real” and if there are enough real imagery in huge CGI films we believe it. Not to mention that a lot of large scale films actually take real life imagery of things then super impose it in post. With this ad though, 100% of it is fake, and that messes with our minds. He says in the future AI tools will be a tool in our tool chest. Just like non-linear editing programs were such a huge shift in the industry in the early 90’s AI is absolutely changing the way we do work. It’s all about how we ETHICALLY implement these tools. We all want to spend more time doing creative tasks vs menial tasks. No one wants to spend hours rotoscoping out in-ear monitors on actors. So how do we hold each other accountable, help those who are currently in the industry worried about losing work to see the benefit of these tools amongst all of the scary talk that is being pushed around this technology. Start with transparency, in that sense I’m glad TRU was honest with how the ad was created. The more we’re up front and honest with how we use tech the less taboo it will become. FUN FACT: The very first Adobe Premiere Pro I worked on looked like this 😂 Until next time, Shawna Carroll Thank you for reading Notes From Post. This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notesfrompost.substack.com [https://notesfrompost.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Notes From Post Mini: I've seen things you wouldn't believe... in the raw footage.

Today, I'd like to share a story about one of the most unforgettable on-set moments I experienced from the comfort of the edit bay. In post-production, we watch every single frame. At least two or three people scrutinize every shot. This process is incredibly tedious and mind-numbing. The editor relies heavily on the Assistant Editor (AE) as a second set of eyes to ensure nothing is overlooked. The AE meticulously categorizes and adds metadata to everything. Each editor has their own unique organizational style, which can become challenging when working on a series with multiple editors sharing the same AE’s. To maintain consistency, I always create a post handbook for each show I work on. I meet with the entire editing team, discuss their preferences, and we collectively decide on a central organization method that works for everyone. Thanks for reading Notes From Post! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Once the footage is all organized, the editing work begins. By this point, the AE has already watched everything once, setting aside any potential outtakes in a separate bin. This is where the fun starts. The type of project often dictates how amusing or awkward these outtakes can be. In the middle of a really intense scene, any mistake can elicit palpable emotional reactions from the crew on set. In post, often while waiting for renders, we gather to watch these entertaining outtakes together, however funny or awkward. Which brings me to the story I’m sharing today. One memorable instance occurred while I was working on a feature film. During a particularly intense scene, a crew member's phone went off. The PHONE started to RING. Imagine, on an otherwise silent set, this was like the moment in The Lord of the Rings when Frodo and the hobbits are hiding from a Ringwraith under a tree root, waiting in suspense to find out if they’re about to be dead. Now, imagine one of the hobbits’ having a phone that suddenly starts to ring. To say the tension was palpable is an understatement. The scene involved a highly emotional conversation between two characters, one of whom was played by the director. When the phone went off, the director’s irritation was immediately apparent all over his face. The pause, the waiting… the agonizing waiting… No one wanted to admit it was their phone. No one reached for it. The ringing continued for what felt like an eternity but was in actuality only a minute. When it did finally stop, the director took a deep breath, stood up, and yelled. He needed to release his initial frustration. The entire set fell silent, uncertain about what would happen next. Were we about to witness a meltdown reminiscent of Tom Cruise’s famous outburst? Fortunately, the director was adept at handling the situation and quickly turned it around. He asked whose phone it was and then requested that the crew member come sit in the scene and say the lines in front of the camera. The crew member didn’t know what to do at first, so the director started to chuckle, repeated the request, and stepped aside to make room for the crew member to walk into the scene. Luckily, the director had built enough rapport with the crew at this point, to instantly break the tension. The crew member came forward, said the line, and the director started laughing, signaling to the rest of the crew that it was okay to laugh. The tension had been broken and it turned out fine. They took a pause made sure all phones were on silent and then restarted the scene and got a fantastic take. New phone rules were implemented on set after this 🤪. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of stories like this. Things go wrong on set all the time. The camera crew might think they’re just talking crap amongst themselves, not realizing the audio is rolling, and WE CAN HEAR EVERYTHING. Needless to say, be nice to your post-production team. We keep all the secrets you didn’t know needed keeping. Due to NDAs, I can’t reveal which film this was or any further detail, but we sure talked about this incident a lot in post. So, just remember, like Roz from Monsters, Inc., we’re always watching 👀. Until next time, Shawna Carroll Thank you for reading Notes From Post. This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notesfrompost.substack.com [https://notesfrompost.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Notes From Post Mini: Navigating the Freelance Rollercoaster

Hi there, I'm Shawna! For more than a decade, I've been leading teams of Post Professionals through the wild ride of showbiz. Through the successful delivery of over 300 hours of television and numerous feature films, I've honed my craft. My goal is to share helpful insights that might make someone else's journey just bit smoother. It’s been a couple weeks here at Notes From Post since I was able to sit and actually write. I let my anxious thoughts ran away with me as I find myself without work once again. I’m thinking about all the freelancers in my industry that have been struggling for the past year. With the strikes from last year and additional potential strikes this year we are all in a very tough holding pattern. Freelancing has been a huge part of the film and TV industry, in fact freelancers make up the majority of the workforce in the industry. Now it has grown to become a significant part of the U.S. workforce too, steadily expanding over the past few years in large part due to the pandemic. Prompting a surge in freelancing fueled by a growing desire for flexibility and autonomy in work arrangements. This phenomenon, often dubbed "The Great Resignation," has resulted in a substantial increase in freelancers nationwide. Parents were being told they had to be their kids at home teacher, adhere to a full time school schedule, plus keep bills paid and food on plates. Going freelance was often the best option available. However, beneath the surface of that decision lies a complex reality that many freelancers grapple with daily: the uncertainty of when the next job will come, how to have adequate healthcare without the benefits from a full-time job, and how to keep progressing in your career. This unpredictability not only poses financial challenges but also takes a toll on mental well-being, leading to anxiety and stress. With someone who already struggles with the runaway thought train, this isn’t the best combination. But honestly I’ve realized that I’ll find something to stress myself out about no matter where I work, if I have benefits or not, so I can’t let that get in the way of having the career I want. In this article I’m going to share some of the things I’ve been thinking about the past couple of weeks as I’m in the “in between” zone of jobs. NAVIGATING THE FREELANCE ROLLERCOASTER: THE UNCERTAINTY OF WHEN THE NEXT JOB WILL COME Let me just start by sharing something I recently learned. The term freelance comes from the Sir Walter Scott book, Ivanhoe. Scott wrote about a lord who referred to his paid army as 'free lances'. In those days the term was used in referring to a mercenary who would fight for whoever paid them the most. I think this leads to a common misconception. Where the majority of people think we could choose to work for corporations or companies, but instead we go freelance because often we are greedy and want to get paid more. Truthfully, in the Film and Television industry the majority of us have always been freelance because the work is so sporadic, shows have seasons where they come and go and the majority of production companies do not hire full-time. We don’t have many other options. As a freelancer I often find myself in a constant cycle of hustling for the next gig. Unlike traditional employees with a more stable salary with benefits, and even then the jobs-here in general is not really stable anymore. Anyone can lose their job at any time. As a freelancer contracts can end abruptly, leaving me scrambling to secure the next gig. Not much work is actually happening right now in the industry and the work that is happening is being filled before the majority of us know it’s even available. In an industry where who you know is money, the struggle to “break in” to get your next gig over and over, is overwhelming. Thank you for reading Notes From Post. This post is public so feel free to share it. Shows can be canceled or put on hiatus unexpectedly, leaving freelancers without income. I’m not even going to bring up what retirement looks like since there’s little dependability of when the next stable gig will come and savings goes into a fund for when I’m out of work again. Not to mention just getting payment. If you speak to anyone who has worked freelance I’d bet a majority of them would say at one time or another they have had issues getting paid. Or a delay in pay, making it really hard to plan financially. Not only do we have the weight of trying to line up our next gig, when we are working we also have to worry about if we’ll get paid on time if at all, and have to be our own advocates. This can be especially hard for introverts, or people like me who hate conflict. The first tip to survive is plan for being out of work. I usually take a percentage of my paycheck and save it for the months when I don’t have income. Most people will tell you to save anywhere from 3-6 months. This helps to not be desperate which never helps in finding a gig, it also allows you time to say no to gigs that you’d rather not do, and gives you the opportunity to look for a role you can grow in. DOWNTIME The industry is BRUTAL, in order to survive many people take downtime to recoup. During my downtime I’m working on this newsletter and my podcast, which I am excited about. I’m working on some personal projects I haven’t had time to touch for a while and I’m planning some projects on my house that have been on hold. Like painting my living room. But honestly, the downtime is used to rebuild relationships that went neglected, focus on self care and get back into a good mental state. Working on series television can be rough, this past job I was lucky enough to build into the post schedule a down week for Christmas but this was the first job I was able to do that. Even with that though there were some weeks where I mentally was pushed to complete exhaustion. Having to balance multiple episodes at difference stages of the process and putting out multiple fires as we get closer to delivery and the need to get all of the things wrapped up and done by looming deadlines. Because of this taking time between jobs can be necessary, even if it’s difficult financially. Second tip to surviving freelance is to use your downtime wisely. Plan for it and be your own manager. Outline what you want to or would like to get done during your time off and plan time to do it. Then let yourself off the hook, don’t worry about getting it all done but you’ll feel much more productive and less depressed at the end of it if you were able to focus on some things that make your personal relationships or your space a priority. HOW TO KEEP PROGRESSING IN YOUR CAREER Another very difficult thing with freelancing is there is no clear progression. I talk about the way into Post Production Supervising in this episode of my podcast and the non traditional ways to get into the role. But to take the conversation further once you’re in a role and you’ve proven yourself, the industry has a hard time seeing you as anything else. When you wrap, you’re starting from square one. Reaching out to people you’ve worked with in the past, who’ve only known you in a certain role so they only feel comfortable recommending you as one thing. Which makes progressing tough. Credits are everything no matter how unfair that seems. Many people do not fully understand everyone’s role in the industry and rely on what credits people have received on shows. The bigger the show the better. So it doesn’t actually matter if you’ve done a good job or not, but if you have a credit on a major series or film that’s taken as gold. Combined with how many of us work from home now means it’s so much harder to connect with people and build those connections that will recommend us for the next thing or be willing to help us be pushed into the next step upwards. First, just do your best, be good at solving conflict and learn to communicate clearly. Even if you’re not on what is considered A list shows being the best at what you do will get you noticed. I love the book Creativity Inc., by Ed Catmull. He speaks widely on his experience of leading upwards as well as being a good leader for those under him. If you have the time to read it this summer I highly recommend. My biggest takeaway was, be a “safe” person. Don’t be quick to judge, allow people who’ve made mistakes the space to come and admit to the mistakes, then focus on the solve, not who made the mistake. This is an issue I see over and over, too many business leaders are focused on the mistake and who caused it vs a solution oriented approach. This alone will help you be seen as someone who can be easily spoken to and people will be much more honest about what it takes to do their jobs and you in turn will be a much more effective leader. Thanks for reading Notes From Post! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and learn more about what it takes to work in Post Production. Another communication tool I use a lot as a WFH freelancer is Slack. While yes it can also be torturous, and some people have PTSD from hearing the little “bling” sound. However the ability to quickly chat with something and check in helps to build meaningful connection. When I talk about “connections” this is what I mean, not what you can get from someone else but what you can provide. For me that’s a sounding board, I work hard to be a safe place for people to vent and workout frustrations then we move on together. They know I have their back. Last tip for surviving freelance work, is to never stop having conversations. Attend the mixers, the monthly meetups and return the calls you’ve not had time too. Add 1 day a month where you reach out to friends, family, past co-workers who you haven’t talked to in a while. I truly care about human connection, that transcends just what I can get out of it. For me it’s always genuine, I care to hear about what is going on in other people’s lives, I like to send birthday cards to colleagues and friends. Even just a hand written thank you note is a fantastic way to stand out. Everybody hates email, so when you can if you’re able to write people notes it’s really appreciated. Of course asking people for their address can be less awkward but if you’ve built a good professional relationship with people it’s less so. I’ll usually ask for an address while working with someone and then store it in my phone, at some point if I notice it’s someone’s birthday or they’ve just completed a big project I’ll send them a handwritten note. Sometimes you’ll even find some incredible friends all the way. BOTTOM LINE Freelancing offers a lot benefits, but it also comes with its fair share of challenges. It’s really just a different form of working. I’ve done both a full-time with benefits and freelance roles during my career and I’ve noticed that there’s plenty to worry about in both. So if you’re tired of one try giving the other a chance. Freelance is’t that scary once you’re able to set aside some of the “unknowns” about it.  The uncertainty of when the next job will come can take a toll on freelancers' mental health, but by acknowledging these difficulties and implementing strategies to cope with uncertainty, freelancers can navigate the ups and downs of the freelance rollercoaster more effectively. Until next time, Shawna Carroll This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notesfrompost.substack.com [https://notesfrompost.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Notes From Post ep 103: Creativity Under Pressure

In this episode of 'Notes from Post,' I invite Booker T. Mattison, an accomplished author, filmmaker, and professor, to discuss the demands and nuances of being creative on command in film production. I open with a reflection on the challenges faced by post-production teams, often unsung heroes behind successful projects. Mattison shares his journey from studying at Tidewater Community College to his experiences in post-production, emphasizing the constructed nature of films and the magic of post-production as a final creative layer. Discussing his transition from independent projects to network films like 'The Sound of Christmas' for BET+, Mattison highlights the different pressures and adjustments required when working within network constraints versus independent filmmaking. The conversation also covers the impact of scheduling and budget constraints on creative processes and the importance of adaptation and collaboration in achieving project completion despite idealistic discrepancies between vision and reality. Booker and I shed light on the complex balance between creative aspirations and the practicalities of film production, offering insights for both industry veterans and aspiring filmmakers. Thanks for listening if you want to help amplify the voices of post please subscribe to my newsletter at notesfrompost.substack.com and get notified every time I upload another episode. Have a topic you’d like to hear me chat about email me at notesfrompost@gmail.com. 00:44 Introducing Booker T. Mattison 01:17 The Journey from Radio to Film 02:42 The Magic of Post-Production: Crafting Emotions and Stories 05:18 Navigating the Challenges of Network Projects 06:43 The Director's Cut: Balancing Vision and Constraints 13:41 Adapting to Different Formats: Streamers vs. Linear TV 16:24 The Writing Process 23:29 From Outline to Screen 28:25 Final Thoughts: The Essence of Getting to the Finish Line This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notesfrompost.substack.com [https://notesfrompost.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]