How to Prepare Your Footage for a Smooth Post-Production Workflow

Good preparation in production and ingest makes the difference between a calm, predictable post schedule and a constant firefight.

By the time footage reaches a post-production facility, a significant amount of time and money has already been invested. Poorly organised media can cause delays, additional costs, and technical compromises. Clear file structures, consistent metadata, and well-documented shooting decisions help editors, colourists, and sound teams focus on the creative work instead of troubleshooting basic issues.

Organising Media from the Start

Effective post-production organisation begins on set. Camera cards should be backed up to multiple locations using a consistent folder structure before they are reused. Rather than renaming clips arbitrarily, productions can group media by shoot day, unit, or location, while retaining camera-generated filenames for conform. A simple, documented structure saves time for everyone who touches the project later.

It is also useful to separate production sound, music references, stills, and documents into their own clearly labelled folders. When editors know exactly where to find script notes, line-up sheets, and slate information, they spend less time searching and more time cutting. Small decisions about structure at the ingest stage scale dramatically on multi-day or multi-camera shoots.

Respecting Metadata and Timecode

Modern cameras and recorders embed a great deal of metadata that can be used downstream. Timecode, reel names, camera IDs, and lens information all help with syncing, conforming, and grading. Avoid workflows that strip or overwrite this information unnecessarily. Where multiple frame rates or formats are required, make sure they are clearly documented so post-production teams can plan the appropriate pipelines.

For dialogue-heavy projects, ensuring that production sound recordists maintain slate and track naming discipline pays dividends later. Simple conventions such as “Boom”, “LAV A”, “LAV B” and scene/take labelling help dialogue editors quickly identify the best material. If secondary audio devices are used, confirm that they share timecode with the cameras or that a reliable sync reference exists.

Agreeing Deliverables with Post Early

Before the first day of shooting, it is helpful to discuss technical expectations with the post-production team. Preferred codecs, resolutions, colour spaces, and proxy workflows can be agreed in advance. This avoids surprises when media arrives for ingest and reduces the need for emergency transcoding later. For projects aiming at broadcast or specific streaming platforms, delivery specifications should be shared early so everyone is working towards the same target.

When editorial is handled by one facility and finishing by another, it is particularly important to coordinate offline and online requirements. Decisions about LUT usage, frame handles, and VFX shot numbering can prevent confusion and minimise reconform work. A short technical conversation at the outset can save many hours during the final weeks of post.

If you would like support planning a workflow for your next project, explore our post-production services or get in touch to discuss your schedule and deliverables.

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