Workflow for Short Film

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

There are several ways to approach a project like this. I currently work on a film with a friend in the US and I just finish all fx, render them and then use Dropbox to transfer them. E-mail and Skype are essential in communication. In your situation I would mirror all material and update the edit as many times as it is adjusted by the editor. This way you are up to date and can use Dynamic link to work on the fx. Depending on what you use for color grade, this may be the best way also for grading.

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

[Sareesh Sudhakaran]

You can pass project files if you’re using the same version, and link whatever files you are working on. The rest can lie empty, no problem.

However, since your file sizes are large, and if you have a hands-on editor, then you might want to look into Adobe Creative Cloud, which is specially designed for scenarios such as yours.

Hope this helps.

https://www.wolfcrow.com – Workflow information and support for filmmakers, photographers, audiographers and videographers.

[Angelo Lorenzo]

1. Get updated project files from him when you can through email, dropbox, whatever.
2. Use these projects as a basis for your AE comps, ignore the huge amounts of media offline warnings I’m sure you’ll get.
3. Work on your effects.
4. Render out and send over the internet low resolution copies of just the shots (not sequences) that have VFX for him to place into his edits as place holders. He can also review the effect and give notes.
5. Set up meeting times to exchange/copy full res versions of your effects so you can deliver as the project goes along, or do the exchange near the end of the project.

Color correct to match elements in the composites, but do not add a “look”. The color grading workflow should be handled after your work unless you are on an insane schedule.

Don’t try to do dynamic link or any fanciness… it will balloon the project file if both of you are working on it hand over fist, and it will generally complicate what is a pretty easy workflow.

——————–
Angelo Lorenzo

Need to encode ProRes on your Windows PC?
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Fallen Empire Digital Production Services – Los Angeles
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A blog dedicated to filmmaking, the RED workflow, and DIT tips and tricks

[Angelo Lorenzo]

As a note, Creative Cloud doesn’t have many tools for collaboration yet. The best it would have in this scenario is if they took advantage of some of the cloud storage and even then it’s only one-way sharing unless they both sign up for creative cloud teams.

Dropbox would be far more robust for this, I believe.

——————–
Angelo Lorenzo

Need to encode ProRes on your Windows PC?
Introducing ProRes Helper, an awesome little app that makes it possible
Fallen Empire Digital Production Services – Los Angeles
RED transcoding, on-set DIT, and RED Epic rental services
Fallen Empire – The Blog
A blog dedicated to filmmaking, the RED workflow, and DIT tips and tricks

[Chris Warren]

Thanks guys this confirms what I had planned to do, so at least I know my thinking was along the right lines. He happens to live fairly close so I can pop by when I need to.

“You are the universe experiencing itself”
ChrisW
http://www.azprovideo.com