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MillimeterPlanet 51's Postproduction Workflow
Mar 11, 2010 12:00 PM
Using the Avid DNxHD 36 codec, QuickTime files were generated according to the resolution required, enabling a quick import of files into the Media Composer system.
Two houses, one production
Avid installations were replicated in London and Madrid postproduction houses. Shots arriving in Madrid from different departments such as layout, animation, lighting, and compositing were imported daily, and each action was identified with a color. Once imported, the image files, bin with the MasterClips, and the sequence with the shots updated that day were sent to an FTP server in London. This allowed the two houses to quickly and efficiently synchronize the project every time a change was made.
Using the Avid DNxHD 36 codec, QuickTime files were generated according to the resolution required, enabling a quick import of files into the Media Composer system. Though an HD codec, the files consumed a relatively small amount of disk space and featured a data rate of 36Mbps. This made all files compatible with media in the Unity storage system, allowing the number of computers connected to a Unity to work simultaneously on the same piece of the project.
Despite the compressed signal, image quality was maintained as all the material from the different departments was converted to the Avid codec and imported. Through this process, the latest shot version being edited was always available.
Sound edits
On the sound front, Ilion employed a Digidesign ProTools LE system. Every time a dialogue change was made or there were new voices from the first sound edits in Madrid, the sound editor would prepare and edit the projects before passing them on to Editorial. Since Pro Tools was also connected to the Unity 5 shared storage system, it made for a quick and efficient file exchange.
An AAF file was sent to the Media Composer systems when the audio was ready, including cuts made and new audio arriving from the different recording sessions. If Editorial made any image-editing change, another AAF was returned to sound to make the relevant audio changes. The workflow was the same in the London sound department.
End-to-end success for everyone
The film's postproduction process delivered key advantages to the creative team at IIion Animation Studios, providing screen-ready quality material and unmatched time-management capabilities that together contributed to making Planet 51 an intergalactic success.
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