Here’s some tips on making sure your film is ready for broadcast and streaming

How do you know your film will play back in the way you intended? And how do you prepare for the variables of multiple platforms and new technologies? When it comes to the post-production industry, your priority should be to build a well-rounded creative process where both the visual edit and sound can merge together seamlessly.

Let’s go over a few things you should take into account to make sure your film's ready for broadcast and streaming.

Prioritize Capturing good audio on set/location

The production stage of any content is often the most exciting. Lights, cameras, craft services, temperamental personalities. But even with a great script, a great director, awesome actors, and a solid crew, poorly captured audio can bring your project down. And you may not even know it until you get into post-production!

Audio is an aspect of production that is often neglected. Yes, we want to put on the best show possible, but when it comes to filming, audio tends to be overlooked. While certain things can’t be helped (passing cars, planes, unforeseen birds chirping), it’s essential to capture dialogue as cleanly as possible. We recommend at least a boom and lav mic on each subject to help give options in post. 

By prioritizing audio on the set, you are making sure that both the visual and auditory aspects of great performance are taken care of during the shoot, making things easier later during post-production. This ultimately saves money and will help prevent QC kickbacks when submitting to networks/festivals etc. 

Audio Specifications

Determining the correct audio format is an important step in any production. Ask yourself, where is this content being shown?

If you've ever watched a movie in a big theater, you're probably familiar with hearing the rumbling sound of the screen, or even commercials or trailers blasting from multiple speakers. But how do movies sound larger than life in theaters? That's because different platforms are calibrated to different audio specifications, and it's critical that your sound team masters the final deliverables accordingly. 

It doesn't matter how amazing your film is, if it's not properly mixed or mastered to the right specifications — it will not sound the way it should on each platform.

Find out what the audio deliverables are for the project and send them to your audio team, ideally before they begin their post-production audio process. Festivals often have a checklist of formats they need. Or if it’s being delivered for TV, each network has slightly different deliverables. Is this being delivered in 5.1, Dolby Atmos, or just a standard stereo mix? It’s important to know this information ideally before you bid for audio post for the project. These deliverables can affect how much studio time will be required so it’s great to have this information from the start. 

If the project is going online (web, social, etc.) AND being broadcast then there’s going to have to be two separate mixes made to optimize how the film sounds on each platform. 

This is why it’s crucial to get the right audio post team on board. To make sure your project sounds great on all platforms.

Wrapping up

There is no doubt that sound plays a pivotal role in filmmaking and can add a lot of production value when done correctly.

Top-notch sound is essential to have a great film. If you’re going into post-production on one of your projects, and you need professional help, let's chat.

We'd love to insert our sonic passion onto your creation and design the perfect audial partnership for any project you provide us.