Overview of the role
The post-production coordinator (PPC) works within the post-production (post) team, providing operational support to the post-production supervisor (PPS) and editorial team. The PPC assists the PPS in the management of the post schedule throughout the life of the production. The PPC understands the required sequence, and duration of, activities in the different stages of the workflow process. They manage the administration of the department and organise documents, storage of final video and audio masters and offline editorial materials. They maintain good communication between the production and post-production facilities and make bookings for the editorial team.
Core responsibilities
These core responsibilities are provided as a guide and are not exhaustive. The exact responsibilities in a particular job will vary depending on the scale, budget, genre of the production and whether the project is a series or a feature documentary.
- Breakdown the delivery requirements list into a tracker document
- Distribute delivery requirements and specifications to all departments
- Maintain online versions of the post schedule for the PPS
- Ensure all departments have the relevant key dates, deadlines and pertinent information to be able to complete their own tasks
- Create file naming conventions for departments to use, ensuring consistency across the shoot and from archive team
- Implement a system for storing paperwork
- Schedule meetings with post vendors, production and editorial teams when required in a timely manner, sourcing and collating information from various parties due to attend
- Communicate any changes to all key team members and departments
- Take notes in all meetings, understanding what pertinent information is and how to effectively summarise this in a timely manner
- Distribute notes to relevant parties after the event
- Follow up any action points, understanding the impact of these on post, and the required timescales
- Manage day-to-day interactions with facilities, considering the technical, financial and logistical elements of your production
- Act as the main point of contact for all offline edit information, making sure to effectively disseminate relevant information to relevant parties in a timely manner
- Support the PPS in collaborating with production, editorial and other departments to determine the main elements required to meet creative and technical briefs
- Organise transcripts from interview rushes and ensure they have been completed without errors and are kept in the designated area for production files and distributed to the correct team members; arrange for converted copies to be made for assistant editors
- Organise cut transcripts to be made for each network cut and ensure they have been completed without errors and are kept in the designated area for production files and distributed to the correct team members
- Ensure all departments are working to correct versions of transcripts and cuts of the edit
- Manage viewing platform for production and network (FrameIO, PIX, MediaSilo, Vimeo) ensuring cuts are kept securely and ensuring the correct team members have access
- Create distribution lists and distribute exports, assemblies and cuts to relevant parties
- Book studio space for editorial, voiceover (VO), offices
- Book couriers and track parcels, both logistically and financially
- Monitor expenditure, making the PPS aware if concerned about any overspend relating to offline ingest or exports, motion graphics, VO, couriers and cars, overtime, grade days and any edit meals
- Generate and log purchase orders
- Obtain production contract templates from production company or lawyer and liaise with them on any changes, queries, or issues
- Check information required for line producer to create contracts and that it includes full and accurate details of an individual’s or supplier’s contribution
- Distribute contracts and confirm they are accurately signed by relevant parties and file in the appropriate location
- Source missing contracts from production
- Onboard crew, sending out non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), starter forms, timesheets and distribute deal memos, in liaison with the PPS and line producer
- Comply with health and safety requirements, including the relevant working time regulations
- Ensure the legal, archive and compliance teams see cuts at an appropriate time
- Track for any clearance or editorial policy issues which may need to be flagged to legal for approval
- Create an online tracking document to ensure everyone can track all the outstanding legal and compliance issues
- In conjunction with production team, draft all credits and coordinate approvals to ensure compliance
- Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information in line with organisational procedures
- In conjunction with the production team, draft and proof opening credits and end credits
- Manage drive logistics, track footage, back-ups and their associated drives ensuring OCM and archive drives are stored in line with network specifications and are logged and tracked so can be located at any time
- Maintain the rushes log, checking digital imaging technician (DIT) information is being logged and then for what footage is being stored on drives and linear tape-open (LTO) tapes, and the locations of these copies
- Work with the archive producer to create and maintain archive footage tracking document and ensure all relevant team members and post facility have access and can track clips location, any issues flagged, whether material is screener or master and where they have been ingested in the editor's project
- Work with the various post, edit, motion graphics (GFX) and archive teams to coordinate the movement of media on drives
- Keep accurate logs of all drives and their location, fulfilling any logistical requirements
- Cross-reference shoot paperwork and digital imaging technician (DIT) paperwork with the rushes
- Create VO tracker, ensuring any required pickups are communicated for sessions
- Work closely with editorial and production teams as well as the PPS to draw up schedule for VO
- Liaise with voiceover agents or voiceover artists directly to schedule VO sessions
- Pencil and confirm VO studios in the UK and internationally
- Work closely with the editorial team and post facility to send correct exports to the VO studios
- Attend VO sessions
- Prep final delivery paperwork during the offline edit
- Assist the PPS in delivering press and marketing, including final press file, final promo and final marketing assets
Skills
Check out role specific skills, transferable skills and attributes for the role of post-production coordinator (unscripted TV).
- Organise and assist the PPS manage post-production crew, contributors and supplies
- Compile resourcing and progress reports, drawing on information from all relevant departments in line with delivery requirements
- Liaise with other departments, acting as first point of contact for post-production
- Provide PPS and post personnel with up-to-date information on post-production activities
- Communication: interpreting other’s requirements and communicating requirements to departments and colleagues
- Teamworking: collaboration within own and with other departments, liaising with data wranglers, visual effects (VFX), additional dialogue recording (ADR), edit and production
- Networking: investing time in networking activities, building a network of business contacts and establishing rapport with others quickly and effectively
- Planning: planning practical requirements for transport, resources and crew to meet post-production needs
- Problem-solving: contingency planning and resolving issues so that post-production remains on schedule
- Resilience and enthusiasm: adapts positively to changing work priorities and patterns, ensuring deadlines continue to be met
- Proactive and explores new ideas and non-standard ways of working which will enhance and deliver the best results for production
- Productivity: organises work effectively and achieves required results within deadlines
- Demonstrates the drive and energy to get things done in pressurised situations and escalates appropriately when necessary
- Ethics and integrity: honest and principled in all their actions and interactions
- Respectful and inclusive of others and meets the ethical requirements of their profession
- Flexibility: willing to both listen and learn and to accept changing priorities and working requirements and has the flexibility to maintain high standards in a changing production environment
- Professional development: develop an ethos to learn and seek out learning and networking opportunities, identifying those that will be most beneficial