An Introduction to Post Production
Post Production for any animated movie is a linear process wherein every minute change is done with concentration and perfection. As the term itself says “Post” meaning that it will perform after the first two phases have done their job accurately with finesse.
Widening the term, it focuses on:
Editing, Sound Design, Visual Effects, Audio Mixing, Colour Correction/Grading.
Editing
The frames created for an animated film is then passed to the editor room where the frames of the video are bifurcated. Unwanted frames are cut down and the remaining frames are properly organised in a sequence which is known as rough cut or block editing.
While editing, the sound is considered the most important because the charm that the music creates with each frame. When frames are cut down, the flow of sound should not be affected rather it should be in flow.
During the frames editing, frames which you need or not needed become the most important segment of discussion. Sometimes, the frames which are not in perfect resolution may be reframed. From start to end, each and every frame is a point of anticipation. May be the beginning is not alluring or the end does not attract the movie lovers, all these points are considered. Lastly, all these frames are organised in sequence which completes the process.
Sound Design
The sound design includes background scores and voice hovers which act as a pacemaker in any animated film. To keep holding the audience where story plays a crucial role, sounds creates an impact on them.
Editing sound leads to recheck with the dialogue line. They make a note of lines which requires a re-take. Sometimes, the words get overlapped with the background score and needs to be clean using the sound editor. This process is known as ADR.
After the sound editing is up to the mark, the suitable music is bought online or free tracks from premium packs are downloaded that flows with the story line.
The foremost point is budget and for any business, creating an original track flowing with the story line can be expensive and time consuming to produce which may not be considered as fruitful.
Visual Effects
For the most part, Visual Effects encompasses everything from painting out cables, rig removal, digital replacing signage, blending two takes together, and generally anything that, if done properly, is completely invisible, yet very important. Only when the budget is more, many creative things can take place and more detailed visual effects can be added.
The time it takes and the cost of the software to produce VFX can mean it is a shelved to ponder for most people looking to make attractive video.
Audio Mixing
Once the sound has been edited, the dialogue more clear and the music vibrating the wires, it’s the job of the sound designer to bring all these sound elements into harmony with each other. Sound mixing can be tangle. You might be doing a 7.1 theatrical mix (that’s seven speakers and a subwoofer), but in the main, business video or web videos will be mixed down for stereo.
Dynamic range, or the difference between the quietest parts and the loudest parts, is another issue when mixing audio. Theatrical mixes often have gamut because they can rely on a controlled listening environment (i.e. a movie theatre). However, with mixes for TV advertisements or online video the range has to be low.
Once the sound is mixed, the sound part of a video is completely done.
Colour Correction/ Grading
To start with the process, colour grading includes the blending of white with the different colour shades. This sort of blending creates a balance between frames making the resolution of gif image clear and beautiful.
Applying an appropriate colour grade to the video that has the potential to leverage its viewpoint. The look could be everything from the sickly green of The Matrix, to the bleach bypassed desaturated look of Saving Private Ryan.
At the highest level, a very expensive monitor is needed to properly judge the colour and the looks. However, without the world’s best monitor, the best course of action is to colour correct the video and then watch it on as many TVs and monitors as possible and then use that information to apply any further tweaks.
Once that’s done, you combine the final sound mix and the final colour correction / grade and the video is finished.
Here comes an end to post production of an animated movie and game.
