Life Post Covid-19: What Audio Post-Production Should Look Like

As we emerge from isolation and start adapting ourselves to the new reality of how COVID-19 changed the way we live, our days are starting to feel a bit more normal. After the initial shock of the lockdown, we, as an industry, are regularly looking into ways of continuing to work safely, and now that official entities have given the go-ahead for filming to resume in the UK, it is likely that this trend will expand to other countries as well.

For Audio Post-Production, and post-production in general, COVID-19 will definitely alter the way we work and operate for the foreseeable future. From the way we meet and greet our clients, to the way we give the last touches and deliver our product. Locations will be less critical, as sessions are normally monitored remotely. In that sense, cloud solutions will become even more pivotal for our work.

As a whole, it is also likely that the creative workflow will get a revamped and quick makeover. We, as a business, have been quickly coming up with ways to adapt our procedures to comply with the Government’s regulations on handling the risk of COVID-19. It is also an opportunity to look into new ways of carrying out our processes —remote ADR sessions, for instance, would allow us to work without getting in contact with the actors.

As an industry, definitely our resilience will help us find new ways to reach stability. It will certainly take time for everyone under the post-production overarching umbrella to find this comfort with the new workflows, but we will get there. COVID-19 has shown how unstable the way our industry operates is. The high risk normally associated with TV and film prevents production companies from having a full-time workforce. Freelancers, on the other hand, are able to reduce this risk and it is much easier for them to adapt to any upcoming eventuality.

Nobody could have foreseen such difficult aftermath as the one COVID-19 has brought worldwide. Every single industry is struggling, but the creative ones seem amongst the ones that got hit the worst. There are some companies that have been able to keep their full-time employees, but the largest part of the world’s workforce remains exposed. Without any doubt, the outcome of this new juncture is unparalleled in a negative sense.

The music industry, for instance, has seen their revenue disappear overnight with the closure of venues: multi-million dollar concerts have been postponed, and essentially any event of this nature had to be either canceled or rescheduled. This situation has exposed a sheer array of issues in the way the industry operates, and will certainly take a lot of time not only to find new stability but to rebuild a much healthier and tighter version of itself.

In film and TV, the situation is not quite as negative, but COVID-19 has also exposed a myriad of serious situations. Essentially, we, as an industry, went from being solid to the point of questioning whether we could continue to operate within just a few weeks. And although larger production companies have a lot more stability, it goes without saying that having independent production is key to deliver richer and more diverse content.

Be that as it may, we cannot stop wondering: how did we get to this point? The use of more powerful technology has certainly allowed us to cut some costs, but the level of skill necessary to produce high-quality content remains high. Our workforce still needs years of experience, and that, sometimes, doesn’t seem to be as valued as other elements through company budgets.

It is undeniable that every company that pertains to the post-production side of things is trying their best to do their work simply because we are passionate about what we do; however, the model has affected those companies who are constantly awaiting the next contract. The anxiety of losing a recurring revenue stream or not being able to keep their employees definitely puts a damper on creativity levels. 

The industry will likely remain the same —it will continue to attract and retain the same profile of people; however, this lack of diversity is damaging not only the workforce but also the creative outcome. A more stable and diverse industry will inject the much-yearned life and new ways of carrying out things.

Nonetheless, there is light at the end of the pandemic. Netflix already proved that there is a more diverse and dynamic way of creating quality content. They challenged the status quo and invested in projects that are now iconic. This pandemic has demonstrated the value of content. Consumption of broadcast TV and online streaming is at an all-time high.

COVID-19 could be the wake-up call we needed to finally address and adapt the way we work and the way we treat our workforce. Companies in the UK are already doing great work setting rates for production and post-production, but that’s just the start. We need to keep going and make sure we don’t trip over the progress we make and forget what this crisis has taught us.

*The images used on this post are taken from Pexels.com