Avid Technology > Case Studies > Streamlining Post-Production Workflow in Filmmaking: A Case Study on Christian Siebenherz

Streamlining Post-Production Workflow in Filmmaking: A Case Study on Christian Siebenherz

Technology Category

Sensors - Camera / Video Systems
Sensors - Utility Meters

Applicable Industries

Buildings
Cement

Applicable Functions

Procurement

Use Cases

Leakage & Flood Monitoring
Time Sensitive Networking

Services

Testing & Certification

About The Customer

Christian Siebenherz is a renowned film editor from Norway, known for his work on films such as 'The Wave' and 'The Quake', and the series 'Thieves'. He also contributed to the editing of the 2018 film 'Tomb Raider'. Siebenherz started his career in the Norwegian film industry as an intern at a production company in Oslo. He soon realized his passion for editing and storytelling, and worked as an assistant for some of the best editors in Scandinavia. He also edited commercials and trailers, and studied theatre, literature, and film at the University of Oslo. His first job as a lead editor was on a low-budget action movie called 'Escape', which led to opportunities to edit 'The Wave' and 'The Quake'. Siebenherz's work is characterized by his ability to build tension and create realistic special effects, particularly in disaster scenes.

The Challenge

The case study revolves around the challenges faced by film editor Christian Siebenherz and his post-production team in creating high-quality films with special effects, particularly disaster movies. The team had to deal with a limited budget and a small team size, which made the process of video editing, special effects, and color correction complex and time-consuming. The challenge was to streamline and simplify the post-production workflow to ensure the efficient creation of high-quality films. The team also had to deal with the complexities of editing action sequences, maintaining continuity, and creating realistic special effects, particularly in disaster scenes. The challenge was further compounded by the need to manage large projects and multiple users, and to quickly move scenes around and splice together different structures.

The Solution

The team used Avid Media Composer, a comprehensive video editing software, to handle video editing, special effects, and color correction. The software was chosen for its ability to handle large projects and multiple users effectively. It also allowed the team to quickly move scenes around and splice together different structures, which was crucial in building tension in the films. The team set up three Avids at the production office and used external hard drives and Dropbox for storage and sharing. They edited in DNxHD36 to ensure fast delivery of rushes. For scenes with green screen, they used ProRes4444 for higher quality and easier temp effects. The team also used After Effects for more advanced effects. For sound effects and mixing, Siebenherz did most of the work himself, using Avid to keep the timelines organized with designated channels. For challenging scenes, they used timewarp and FluidMotion to match up different speeds, and used split screens, dynamic zooms, and rotation to enhance the action.

Operational Impact

The use of Avid Media Composer significantly improved the post-production workflow for Siebenherz and his team. It allowed them to handle video editing, special effects, and color correction in a streamlined and efficient manner, despite the complexities of their projects. The software's capabilities enabled the team to build tension in their films through effective scene arrangement and structure splicing. It also facilitated the creation of realistic special effects, particularly in disaster scenes, through features like timewarp, FluidMotion, split screens, dynamic zooms, and rotation. The team was able to manage large projects and multiple users effectively, and to quickly move scenes around and splice together different structures. The use of Avid also made it easier for Siebenherz to handle sound effects and mixing, contributing to the overall quality of the films. Overall, the use of Avid Media Composer significantly enhanced the team's post-production capabilities and efficiency.

Quantitative Benefit

The use of Avid Media Composer allowed the team to handle large projects and multiple users effectively.
The software enabled the team to quickly move scenes around and splice together different structures, speeding up the editing process.
The team was able to create high-quality films with special effects on a limited budget.