New Tools, New Era: The Opportunity Of the Gig Economy In Post-Production.

(Part Two)
(Part One: https://medium.com/@hroyo/)

Every day a new tool, in this case, a new piece of the post-production puzzle, is improving, being redesigned, rethought, and made accessible and easy to learn.

The tools are finally the hands of the makers.

Post-production equipment has become affordable. Some are free, other’s are subscription-based, and even better some services are pay-per-use; meaning that we don’t need to rely on expensive yearly subscription services.

In the post-production world, the most significant breakthrough is all-inclusive BlackMagicDesign’s software DaVinci Resolve 15. (https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products)

BMD is taking the industry by storm and raising the bar for developers. With the latest update, BDM has done what neither Adobe nor Media Composer has been able to do: an all-in-one software that is both easy to learn and covers the entire post-production workflow.

From editing to sound design to compositing to color grading, and finishing, allowing us to deliver our project to pretty much every possible exhibitor, all while giving it away for free (or $299 for the Studio version).

DaVinci Resolve 15 is leading the revolution for solo-entrepreneurs and any creative artist ready to make the jump.

I predict that Resolve will be an industry disruption, and leader, just like Avid Media Composer was thirty years ago (see article part one).

You might not be a DaVinci Resolve enthusiast. That’s ok. But it is essential to recognize that, its latest update reveals another example of a broader trend: creating all-encompassing software that revolutionizes the learning curve and breaks the walls between traditionally separated areas of expertise.

If one tool can do editing, sound design, motion graphic, and color grading, how long will it take you to learn all four of them?

“We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us.”

If you think this evolution won’t change anything you are wrong. What is happening in the post-production is just the tip of the iceberg; it is happening everywhere.

It is happening in communication, accounting, business management, marketing, client management, cloud services, data transfer services, IT services, etc. This (r)evolution isn’t specific to the film industry.

A study by Intuit predicted that by 2020, 40 percent of American workers would be independent contractors.

It has never been cheaper and simpler to run a business.

You do not need a hefty Bank loan, nor a Series A investment to get started.
Hell, you do not even need an accountant and a lawyer to run a small shop.

If this evolution exasperates you, if it scares you or if you don’t care for it; it is fine; the gig economy is not for you. Those tools are not for you, and that’s ok!

My guess is you have a steady job, a steady income, health insurance, and benefits from a job where you have worked your **** off for years before finally enjoying your lifestyle. Great for you!

But for everyone else looking to get started in 2019; for anyone who wants to start their business, work on their own terms, choose projects that are meaningful to them, live multiple lives, have various careers, now is your time!

Who says you can’t be a colorist and an editor and a sound designer and a motion graphic designer?

I hear experienced creatives, react and comment: jack of all trades but master of none. I was one of those people…

First-of-all, maybe good is good enough in our economy.

Second of all for having used all the different NLE from FCP7, Premiere, Avid Media Composer, FCPX and Resolve today, and for being a student and a teacher and from witnessing the progress of online education, I realize that learning in 2019 is not the same as learning ten years ago. It is has become exponentially easier.

– You no longer need to work in a facility to have access to professional tools.
– You no longer need to work your way up and be an assistant for years.
– You no longer have to go to film school because you can buy classes online.
– You can also find your mentors online.

Having said that, if you are ready to be solo-practitioner, be ready to take some serious hits. But if you hang on long enough, it is my conviction that together, we solo-entrepreneurs have an opportunity (duty?) to change the culture of creative work in the post-production.

Round Two: A Post-House That Rewards Creativity.

Round Two is a Creative Post-Production shop with a completely different model. We embrace the latest technology and we operate remotely across the entire post-production. We rely on a community of solo-entrepreneurs with the same vision and we bring all our skills under one roof to make post-production simpler, faster, safer, much more creative and efficient.

We only have a physical space when we need one. We scale for each project and we create tailor-made workflows that are optimized and aligned with our client’s goals. We practice value-based pricing and we use a framework that empowers creative talents and encourages them to produce their best work while feeling valued and respected. We believe the relationship between the client and the talent is key to guarantee and systematize true creative chemistry. And relationship goes both ways.

Our goal is to provide filmmakers with the best creative experience. Which implies that we are creatively responsible together.

How? We arm creative talent with specific, measurable and attainable directions. Our clients invest in creative solutions!

We help our clients lead with a framework that allows clear, thoughtful, and confident decisions to take place.

How Does It Work?

Without going too deep in our IP, not because it is a secret but because we are continually rearranging it and readapting with each of our clients. Here are some basic principles:

Onboarding Session

Every project starts with an onboarding session with our client. It is a collaborative meeting during which we identify the vision and the distribution goals of the project. We surface as accurately as possible the successes and the challenges encountered during the shoot and the execution of the script.

It is important to estimate as precisely as possible how long the post-production process will take.
If we are to be involved in the editing process, here are some questions we ask ourselves :

– Will there be a necessary period of « research » to find the film?
– Are there any scenes or sequences for which we don’t have a clear idea yet?
– What is the desired outcome of the editing process and did anything happen during the shoot that is an obstacle to us achieving those goals? — — — Who are the decision makers? Should we plan for test screenings? And how do we measure success?

If we are to be involved in the editing process, it is essential for us to go over all those questions in order to estimate the size and scope of the project.

We determine if the scope of the project is in-line with the expected outcome and if Round Two is a good fit.
If not we happily refer our clients to someone else.
In other words, when you hire us we exercise all our creative expertise and experience up front in order to sustain and grow the project from the get-go.

The Proposal

Once we have the creative guidelines, we constitute a seamless team with a tailor-made workflow for the needs of the project. We believe in collaboration and open and shared creative responsibility; therefore we make sure our clients are part of this process.

We submit one or several proposals that encompass the entire process, including how we intend to execute and create the solutions that are needed to achieve the client’s goals.

Once all the creative members and collaborators are finally engaged in a shared outcome and understanding of what the collective goals are, the power of creativity can reach its full potential in order to meet and surpass our client’s expectation.

Round Two is designed by filmmakers with a holistic view of filmmaking and a visceral understanding of each stage of post-production.

Round Two is the only creative post-production company focused on providing the best creative experience for our client’s investment.

Each member of our team is a specialized artist and is incited and invested in giving their best creative work.

(if you find this article valuable, please give it a thumb up to help others find it)

Originally published at round2.xyz on February 12, 2019.