Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1334761
DIRECTOR'S CHAIR www.postmagazine.com 17 POST JAN/FEB 2021 the Avids set up in the editors' homes and so on, but we were able to adapt and I'm awed by what we did in post and how fast we were able to set it all up remote — every cutting, every spotting session and so on." Jake Braver: "Post was really interesting because as we all prepared ourselves to suddenly start doing all this stuff from home, we all told ourselves, 'This is going to take a lot more time and we really need to prep to move far slower.' And it was the same with all the VFX vendors. No one quite knew what to expect. But the most remarkable thing is, it just didn't happen. It actually wasn't slower. Yes, there was the frustration at times of not all being in the same room, but it was the most effortless, magical process. And due to all the hard work we did setting up the remote post infrastructure, we were then able to flip a switch and everyone's work- ing from home fairly effortlessly. "Westwind Media handled all the sound remotely and we mixed playback at home using Sohonet's ClearView, which is this fantastic realtime remote tool. We all had the same very expensive headphones for playback. Picture-wise, Company 3 did all our finishing, and Jill Bogdanowicz was our colorist, and we used a combination of different things, especially Streambox. We used that in two different ways. We colored for a long time on iPads that Company 3 calibrated, and then Ben and I switched over to Sony X300 monitors installed at our homes. So basically we were seeing exactly what Company 3 was seeing, and we'd be on the phone work- ing and coloring, and it was just like usual except we were at home. And that was a first for both of us." Cavell: "It was also definitely the most challenging part of doing the remote post, as color sessions are so detailed and layered, and it took a while for us to get dialed in and feel comfortable. But once we got the X300s and Streamboxed on them in realtime with the colorist, it was truly amazing. We worked hard to give Boulder and Vegas their own looks, and also a much warmer look to the world before Captain Trips hits." You had several editors – Matthew Rundell, Robb Sullivan and Rob Bonz. How did you all work together? Cavell: "Having three editors is pretty standard on all the shows I've done, and the three of them have worked together before over the years and have a short- hand, so they'd kind of jump in on each other's work. In my experience, every post department and the way the editors work is slightly different, and the big challenge on this was the sheer distance between us all. Usually I'm in editorial quite a bit and giving notes and suggestions and advice, and getting their reactions." Braver: "But when you're remote, you don't see the person's face — whether they're smiling or disagreeing. So you end up having to verbalize very complex emo- tional, creative ideas the best way you can, and that took a while to figure out." There are a lot of VFX and they play a key role. Who did them and what was entailed? Braver: "We had about 2,800 shots total — a huge amount, and when you add in previz and so on, my team was tracking over 4,800 assets. It took 14 vendors, including ILM, Spin VFX, Lola, Zoic, Phosphene, Exceptional Minds, Important Looking Pirates, Folks, Cinesite, Pixomondo, Wylie Visual Effects and Industrial Pixel, who did our 3D scanning and environment capture. The challenge of it all was that you're starting with this very intimate, human-scale story, and then ending with this huge climactic finish, and you're trying to find the right tone for all the VFX that matched the tone of the show. ILM did all the shots related to Las Vegas, Captain Trips, all of Flagg's powers and all the CG animals and creatures. Important Looking Pirates handled all the Boulder shots, including everything that happens at Abagail's house, the missile silo and Trashcan Man. Spin did all the dream sequences and all the fun environments, and Phosphene, who came in last, created some very interesting puzzle-heady sequences. It took over a year to final some of the shots, and COVID actually gave us more time to finish some of the more complex and difficult shots." Finishing took place at Company 3. Visual effects were split between several vendors. Three editors cut the series.