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Seminar

Workshop: Mythbusting Post (How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Post-Production)

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PT

  • Black and white photo of a white woman with dark hair wearing glasses and a patterned scarf
    Maya E. Rudolph
Maya E. Rudolph

Post-production is an essential phase for your film. This is where you make the big, lasting decisions that will shape and reshape your storytelling, further develop and refine the look and sound for your film, and determine how your film will make its debut in the world. Yet, many filmmakers talk about being intimidated by post. Some say post is too technical, others claim that post lacks the sense of community and urgency that creates camaraderie and momentum in production, while others are just not totally sure what a successful path through post to a finished film should look like. The purpose of this workshop is to clarify assumptions  about post that can make this phase feel confusing or unapproachable — and show how post can be as creatively engaging and fulfilling as any other phase of the filmmaking process. 

Post is a phase that contains so many departments, processes, talents, and details — it would be impossible to summarize them all in one workshop. By looking at some common myths and misperceptions around post-production and nonfiction filmmaking, this 90-minute workshop will discuss the major personnel and processes that make up post so that you learn how to create a workflow and culture in post that serves the creative process, the filmmakers, and the goals of your particular film. Led by producer Maya E. Rudolph of Louverture Films, whose experience ranges from Netflix docuseries (The Andy Warhol Diaries) to more experimental festival fare (The Tuba Thieves, Sundance ‘23; Cablestreet, Sundance ‘19) and post-supervising independent features (The Lovers), this session will start with a presentation and include a 30-minute audience Q&A. Workshop participants are encouraged to submit their own post myths, anxieties, and questions to be debunked and discussed! For nonfiction filmmakers, post is where a lot of the magic happens — it’s essential we have the tools and mindset to approach post with clarity and creativity.

This workshop will cover: 

  • When and how in your project to start planning for post 
  • Best practices for structuring and budgeting your post production teams and workflows 
  • A breakdown of the different departments or artists you may engage on the road to finishing your film and how they work together 
  • How to make technical post work for you, your film, and your technical comfort level
  • Building a post team to support the specific creative needs of your film - and making sure your post teams have the resources, information, and collaboration they need and deserve to get the job done 
  • Creating a sense of teamwork and clear communication in post 
  • Ideas for bringing creativity, spontaneity, and collaboration through the post process 

Event Participants

    Black and white photo of a white woman with dark hair wearing glasses and a patterned scarf

    Maya E. Rudolph

    Maya E. Rudolph is a producer of nonfiction with Louverture Films. She is a producer of nonfiction films and series such as The Tuba Thieves, Shirkers, and The Andy Warhol Diaries; and has over a decade of experience as a post-production supervisor.