Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/4585
18 Post • November 2009 www.postmagazine.com eration like we had on this show, and it makes a big difference in the end," con- cludes Smith. M I K E H AC H E Y Even if it's not in the budget, Egg Films will send someone to the set, because it ends up saving time and money in the long run. Mike Hachey, president/executive pro- ducer, at Halifax, Nova Scotia's Egg Films (www.eggfilm.ca), which specializes in com- mercial work, says as a ver tically integrated company doing both post and production, they know first-hand how hugely impor tant it is to involve your post team as soon as you can in a project, preferably from the concept. Just like in the US, budgets in Canada are shrinking, and "we have to make sure we aren't doing a lot of work in post to fix things that were done poorly to begin with. The process needs to be integrated," he says. He points to a recent :30 regional Bell Aliant spot, Change is Good, out of agency Ex- treme Group. "The camera was way too low, and if were weren't there we would have found out in post that the shots wouldn't have worked for the compositing and anima- tion. It was a ver y simple job, but if we weren't there to catch that it wouldn't have turned out the way it was supposed to." Egg Films used Flame for wire removal, NewTek LightWave for a 3D flip and After Effects for rotoscoping and compositing. But it's not just about fixing mistakes; it's also about helping to educate directors who might not be that familiar with the new file- based workflows that come with shooting digitally. Now the post process and produc- tion are tied even more closely than ever before. "Not ever y director has the same exper tise, so wouldn't it be easier to bring somebody in from a post perspective to make sure you are doing all you can to make the effects or the compositing work more seamlessly?" asks Hachey. Egg Films used to work with film all the time. "We had been shooting 35mm like it was going style."They formats. "We selves to work tal footage. we get the Hachey an example for a digital to make sure ics and 3D prior to the tors was on from the sure everything to our director the agency. took about would on a In addition Hachey sees home the vention: more porating greenscreen more post tional directors green/bluescreen doesn't have up with somebody get comfor guys stuff they are going to A recent was a shor of its animators; screen shoot. camera angle previs as well sentially just love story conscripted Ear th. They majority of Cinema 4D, Hachey offers Bring post "It's always involved in to be there the concept script stage. from post, could be better Consider "The editor job is hugely see ever ything takes. They story as the Early Intervention Conscript, a short from Egg Films, was completely planned out in previs. The Molecule's Luke DiTommaso: Making friends with make-up and wardrobe can save invaluable time on set.