Assemble and refine footage in post-production process.

Different filmmaking roles involved in the post-production process include the following:

• Filmmaker/director/producer. Transfers all footage to reliable storage.

• Editor. Edits pictures and raw footage.

• Cinematographer. Ensures the color and feel of all shots are true to the style of the film.

• Sound mixer, sound designer, sound editor, and Foley artist. Responsible for all sound from dialogue to sound effects.

• Composer/music supervisor. Scores or secures the music.

• VFX supervisor/engineer. Creates visual effects.

• Colorist. Color corrects files.

• Editor. Adds titles, credits, and graphics.

You can also use any post-production steps and techniques that apply to traditional filmmaking in a commercial. The main difference between the advertising and film industry workflows is that the editor in advertising wears more hats due to budget, often directing, filming, and editing.

1. Collect and organize footage.

Prior to the editing process, directors, cinematographers, producers, and other team members will review the dailies, otherwise known as the unedited footage. This is the first look at a day’s work, giving the production team an opportunity to evaluate the quality of the footage, performances, and progress of the film. Team members should tag or alternatively identify items that are needed in the post-production process. This means carefully reviewing the script. Make sure you have a reliable storage place for all the footage you spent many hours shooting. During the organization process, be sure to clearly label footage so everyone involved can easily find it.

2. Start the assembly and editing process.

The next step for an editor is typically working alone on the first pass of the film, called a rough cut. This part of the process is known as the assembly, where the editor roughly assembles all of the raw footage. At this point, the film runs too long, the shots are not precise, and the pacing is loose — but everything is in the correct order. This is when the director comes in to review your editing work.

The director suggests what is effective and what isn’t and brings in any great moments and additional ideas they have in mind. Then, the editor re-edits the film over and over. Usually, this process can take you up to 10 weeks or more for a feature film.

Finally, the assembly goes to fine cut — which has everything correctly timed, and each scene works precisely. When the edit is complete, you’ll have an Edit Decision List (EDL). This means you’re editing a copy of the original material — a low-resolution copy that takes up less space on the computer.

“The EDL is then plugged into the computer, goes back to your original large high-resolution files you shot on set, and replicates your edit on a timeline,” says Bernstein. “And now you have the high-quality stuff that then goes to a lab, studio, or effects place.”

After you have all the footage, your job as an editor is to sift through selects and every other clip to seek out gems that show character, complexity, and other key elements that enhance the overall storytelling. As soon as you have a good sense of the material you plan to use from the pile of raw footage, you can begin the editing process.

Beyond the techniques, editing video can be a very involved process because you’re working with so much content. This is why locking down content before color, sound, special effects, and more are added is important.

3. Picture lock.

Simply put, picture lock means there are more changes to the film at this stage. The film’s editor and director decide on the final cut, and once the picture is locked, the audio, special effects, and more are added to the film. This is a crucial stage in the post-production process, as making any changes to the visual content of the film could cause delays in the editing process. The stage often has a timecode, giving a reference point for the post-production team to ensure the film correctly syncs.

4. Add in visual or special effects.

For films that need visual effects (VFX) or computer-generated imagery (CGI), like those created in After Effects, the VFX team adds them once the editing is complete. Since visual effects can be costly, a production ensures they are finalizing only the renders on special effects for scenes and moments that will make the movie’s final cut.

5. Begin color correction and grading.

After the edits are complete, the colorization of the film — otherwise known as color correction or color timing — can begin.

The cinematographer comes in to see the cut of the film projected on a big screen and uses a variety of mechanisms and devices to color time or color correct the images. For example, color timing allows you to make the images darker or lighter, change the color balance, shade things out, and change the frame’s size.

The director then examines the color-time work the cinematographer and technician did together. This process takes place simultaneously with sound editing.

6. Send for sound editing and mixing.

When the director is satisfied with the cinematographer’s color grading work, the film goes into sound mixing, where the original recorded sound is added with various other sound styles to complement it.

Sound mixing, or editing, takes place when film editing is being finalized. This is when Foley artists come in to recreate sounds or actors come in to rerecord scenes. After removing any unwanted noise, the sound mixer adds background noise, voiceover, music, or sound effects. Then it goes to the sound designer to combine the music, dialogue, and Foley effects together and create audio tracks that go into the mix.

It can take up to three weeks to complete the sound design. But usually, this doesn’t happen until the edit is done. “Everything funnels back to the editor because the editor is going to hit the final export and send it,” says video editor Cody Liesinger. “It’s up to that editor in post-production to explore the web that’s created and bring everything to the center — whether it’s motion design, retouching, sound mixing, color grading, or music.”

7. Finish post-production with titles and closing credits.

Once you’ve mixed the finished sound design with the color-corrected image the cinematographers produced, you add the titles and closing credits. Your titles give viewers key information, such as the movie title or subtitles, and you can even make them more interesting by creating an animated title. The closing credits tie up the film and help celebrate the cast and crew who made it possible. Now, the film is ready for the big screen.

Make collaborative video editing easy.

Whether your team is large or small, Premiere Pro makes collaborative video editing a breeze. It provides all the video editing tools in one place for your team to create the film of your dreams, thanks to easy collaboration from anywhere on any device.

Add different types of cuts.

Add different types of cuts — beyond just the standard cut — in the post-production process to demonstrate changes in place, time, storylines, or tone. You may want to add a smash cut, match cut, or a jump cut to keep your audience engaged.

Bridge scenes with video transitions.

Use Premiere Pro to add different transitions, either cuts or stand-alone, in the post-production process to bridge scenes together. Try out different video transitions, such as dissolve, wipe, and fade in or fade out, to see what works best.

Choose video effects and filters.

Premiere Pro comes with a wide range of video effects. Add blur or grain to enhance your film’s aesthetic and impact on the audience.

Enhance visuals with video filters and presets.

You’ll have access to various video filters and presets with the option to create, save, and apply your own.

Influence tone with color editing tools.

Whether you’re going for a natural or more creative choice, Premiere Pro has color correction and color grading tools that will transform your film. These tools will make your film shine when adding tint, saturation, or adjusting contrast.

Perfect sound with pro audio editing tools.

With Premiere Pro, all the audio editing, effects, mixing, and monitoring features are in one place.