End Of The Assembly Line

Ari Krupnik
Sep 5, 2018 · 4 min read

In 1913, a Ford Model T rolled off the assembly line. The assembly line was an innovation that lowered costs, improved quality and predictability. Many industries implemented similar methodologies with great success, including the film industry.

Model T assembly line, 1913

Much of the improvement came from specialization. As the technological complexity of a product increases, so do the necessary skills. It is easier to train one employee in applying paint to metal parts and another in stamping these parts out of metal than train both in multiple skills. A painter can move the assembly forward without knowing the purpose of the part he or she is painting. Indeed such knowledge — while harmless — is useless to the painter.

Film production is a complex industrial process. It benefits from division of labor as much as the auto industry. A film visits many stations as it progresses through preproduction, principal photography and post. Artists and technicians on this assembly line have highly specialized skills. They touch the project when it’s ready for them, and rarely see it before or after. Few of them need knowledge of the larger project to move production along. A Foley artist, for example, can add sounds to many different scenes without knowledge of the scenes’ purpose. Indeed such knowledge — while harmless — is useless to the artist.

Advancing technology drives specialization. Specialization drives linear sequencing of operations.

Ironically, benefits of the assembly-line process may be peaking even as we introduce more technology into the pipeline. Increasingly, new technology is software that runs on general-purpose computers. Software automates tasks that require steep learning curves and therefore specialization. Reducing specialization reduces the need for linear sequencing of operations.

A 35mm Optical Printer, now a trivial feature in NLEs

One example is displacement of 35mm workflow by digital. 35mm requires lab processing and flatbed editors and optical printers — and relevant specialized skills. Digital does more than eliminate lab processing. Digital workflow collapses multiple industrial steps into a single software package. What takes a specialized machine and hours of skilled labor in 35mm is a menu item in an NLE. Similar automation is transforming all aspects of production.

Counter-intuitively, advancing software technology decreases the need for training and specialization. Decreasing the need for specialization allows non-linear workflows.

One approach, widely successful in software development, is an iterative workflow. In this model, development progresses from the center outward. Each aspect of the film develops concurrently, with input from relevant departments and stakeholders. Iterative workflow breaks up a marathon project into a series of one- or two-week sprints or iterations. Each iteration sets achievable goals and reviews progress. Each sprint is an opportunity to reevaluate assumptions and course-correct if necessary. With this approach, a project can never go more than two weeks over budget or over schedule. A key aspect of this approach is a stable cadence: a checkpoint every two weeks. We don’t wait to finish the screenplay, editing, sound or any particular milestone. Every week we are ready to present the complete project in its current state.

A project may start with a 25-word logline. The goal of the first sprint may be to develop a 2-page treatment. The next sprint may break down the treatment into scenes and enumerate key locations, props, equipment and effects — and a rough budget for each. Key individuals are involved from the start — director, writer, lead actors. As the project develops, additional departments join: camera, sound, stunts, licensing, finance, etc. The sooner they can point out problems and opportunities in the project, the easier it is to address them.

Flatbed Film Editor with Splicer

An iterative workflow drastically shortens feedback loops. It keeps management up to date on progress and challenges. It keeps employees up to date on requirements as they evolve. As automation continues to erode barriers to entry, lean and agile methodologies become more important. The less work goes into the technical aspects of producing a film, the more important communication between stakeholders becomes.

The tech industry has faced a similar transformation during the dot-com boom in the 1990s. Some companies adapted and thrive to this day — Microsoft, Oracle, Apple, Intel. Many of the old tech giants died off — Sun, Silicon Graphics, Digital, AOL, Palm. Many of the companies that dominate the tech industry are less than 20 years old — Google, Facebook, Amazon, Uber.

The companies that thrive today have either started with agile methodologies or adopted them. It would be interesting to see if the film industry evolves along a similar path.

Ari Krupnik

Written by

Ari Krupnik is VP of Development at Iterative Features.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade