Projects

Whilst end-to-end video production (primarily for the corporate market) is the bread and butter of Dominic Witherow Productions, I am increasingly becoming involved in pure post-production and in consulting in the overall film-making process and workflows.

Budgets on independent productions are getting tighter and tighter, so it is crucial that a realistic approach is taken from end to end if a production is to be successful.  So often an independent film producer will find themselves in the position where they have some wonderful footage, but no way of getting it turned into a final product, solely because they did not have the right advice from the start as to how the project should flow after principal photography.  This is where I come in.  I specialise in knowing the technology and tools that can most easily make that footage into a film.  I can help independent film makers to realise their projects by showing them the cheapest and most efficient ways to turn around the whole project, ie not just getting it in the can.  It’s not just the post production, but the entire project that must be planned as a whole.  What camera and capture format is used has ramifications right down the line, in the same way as locations and catering budgets do too.

The starting point must be the script.  The script defines everything else that happens and how it is done.  Producers need to be open minded and ruthless in their decision-making if the film is to be made, but those tough decisions should only be taken with a full understanding of the realistic options.  Then, get it right from the start and you won’t need to compromise later.

I have a wealth of experience that can assist producers in:

• Adapting the script to meet realistic location/set options
• Identifying what tricky elements can be efficiently added in post production
• Choosing the appropriate camera/stock/format/video codec for the ongoing post production workflow
• Determining essential crew rather than wasting funds on staff who end up doing very little
• Understanding how the full post production workflow should be most effectively executed
• What software can make a real difference and what elements are simply wasteful
• What files etc are needed by editors, colourists, sound designers, sfx artists and compositors