Editing plays a crucial role in the production of any movie. Without clean edits, your film will look unprofessional, choppy, and may not make any narrative sense. However, editing is also a time-intensive process that requires multiple rounds of work to produce a finalized product.
Rather than forcing yourself or your employees to edit on-site, you should embrace remote editing. Remote editing allows you to connect with collaborators from all over the world and can improve collaboration. This is particularly important if you’re bringing in different people to take care of the different stages of editing like assembling and want to make your first cut as good as possible.
Technology like cloud-based tools can improve your ability to produce a polished final cut. Folks who work from home will be able to color grade and add visual effects quicker than their studio-bound peers and may benefit from improved focus when working remotely.
Cloud-Based Programs
Utilizing the cloud is crucial if you want to put together a remote workforce to edit your film. Cloud storage means that anyone can access your documents, files, and directions from anywhere in the world at any time. This is key if you want to encourage your editors to work from home and are expecting folks to work synchronously on projects.
Fortunately, many modern editing software programs now support cloud integration. A shortlist of your top online video editing options should include:
- The Adobe Suite (namely, Adobe Premier);
- Avid;
- Davinci Resolve.
You may need to buy additional cloud storage to save and upload your film during various stages of the editing process. However, this investment is still sure to save you money when compared to the cost of renting and maintaining a physical office. Some of these programs even include AI-powered tools that improve your editing capabilities. This approach will speed up your ability to request and complete edits as you’ll all be working from the same set of files in real time.
You’ll also need a reliable internet service for remote work on the cloud.. This will ensure you have the bandwidth to stay up to date with changes in real-time and will ensure that your upload speeds are fast enough to share the changes you’re making. If possible, opt for fiber-optic installation, as this is generally the fastest available service today. If you cannot get fiber-optic, consider cable internet until fiber is available in your area.
Creating a Remote Workplace
Hiring remote editors is a great way to expand your talent pool and give folks greater freedom. However, if you want to make the most of remote editing and the tech available today, you’ll need to invest in your own remote workspace. This is key, as you can’t expect to sit down and edit for hours at a time if you are working from a kitchen table or shared family PC.
Rather than trying to edit your entire film from coffee shops or the couch, consider converting a portion of your house into a workspace. For example, you can easily convert a garage into a home office by:
- Decluttering the space and cleaning up any debris that could interfere with PCs and devices;
- Install necessities like power strips, HVAC, and insulation;
- Set up calming lighting to improve your focus;
- Choose appropriate furniture and create a space for breaks.
Installing these features will support your focus and help you get more from your decision to edit remotely. Converting an existing space into a home studio can help you save money, too, as you won’t be commuting to work every day.
Just be sure to invest in necessary tech tools like high-end PCs and a monitor that is appropriate for your role. For example, if you’re responsible for color grading, you’ll need a reference display with a video signal so you can feed your monitor a 10-bit, 4:2:2 color signal.
Workflow Management
Working from home can be freeing. However, if you want to keep everyone on the same page you’ll need to invest in some workflow management software. These programs will help folks understand their responsibilities and will ensure that your editing process stays on track.
If you don’t currently use workflow management tools, consider installing programs like Asana or Trello. This ensures everyone is on the same page when it comes to responsibilities and will highlight any potential bottlenecks in the editing process. Making these tech-based changes is crucial if you’re a new director and want your team to believe in you. An organized approach to workflow management shows that you know how to manage a team and are ready to meet deadlines.
Conclusion
Technology has empowered the rise of remote editing and makes it possible to hire a fleet of editors from around the world. This can be a real boon if you want to speed up the editing process but don’t want to compromise on quality. However, you’ll need to invest in high-speed internet, role-appropriate monitors, and workflow management software to make your dream of remote-editing your next masterpiece a reality.
Amanda Winstead is a writer from the Portland area with a background in communications and a passion for telling stories. Along with writing she enjoys traveling, reading, working out, and going to concerts. If you want to follow her writing journey, or even just say hi you can find her on Twitter.
