You shoot we edit - how it works

Job brief meeting - 30 minutes

The process begins with a remote job brief meeting using Google Meet, where you’ll meet your dedicated project manager, confirm the details of the project and generate a job brief.

Contract and assets

After the meeting, we’ll send an email containing a checklist of required assets: your branding, names of participants as they should appear on screen, and participant contact details.

In the email, there will be a link to your secure cloud storage folder on our Google Drive which will act as the long term archive of project materials and central exchange of supporting files / information. The email will provide direct links to the subfolders where you can upload branding, review your contract and job brief. You can also access final cuts and raw footage for future use:

You’ll also receive an invitation to your training session, along with companion guides for reference.

In a separate email, we’ll attach the contract of engagement and initial invoice for approval.

Your project manager will connect with you on WhatsApp to answer any urgent questions throughout the process.

Smartphone training - 30 mins

When it fits your schedule, we’ll hop in a virtual 1-on-1 training session to check your tech and plan your filming. The session will take place in your own dedicated remote studio, which will remain accessible for the duration of production.

During the training we’ll optimise your smartphone for filming, familiarise you with your remote studio and discuss the workflow particular to the stories you want to tell.

This training is specific to the films we’ll be producing together. For a comprehensive training session aimed at broader smartphone production upskilling, see our Smartphone training page.

Planning

• Automated: Before recording, you’ll need to decide what questions / themes the films will address. Then you’ll need to plan when, where and how the filming will take place.

• Co-production - 30 minutes: Your project manager will be available for an additional 30 minute virtual meeting to discuss creative development. They will help you create a shoot plan, messaging points and shotlist to guide your filming.

• Fully-managed - 1 hour: Your project manager will be available for an additional 60 minutes virtual meeting to discuss creative development. They will help create a shoot plan, messaging points and shotlist to guide your filming. You’ll also have an opportunity to discuss distribution, long term strategy and overall concept, as informed by our communication research.

Self-filming (interviews)

• Automated: We’ll send individual links to each of your 5 recording sessions. These links aren’t time sensitive, you can click on them at any point and begin recording immediately. When finished recording, the video file will upload to our servers automatically. After their video clip has uploaded, you’ll have the opportunity to re-record if you’re not happy with it.

• Co-production: Alongside the automated process outlined above, you also have the option of filming directly from your phone, then uploading the clips to your secure cloud storage using the Google Drive app, or through a direct link provided by us. Further details are outlined in the Remote studio guide. The second option provides more flexibility and higher-res video files.

• Fully managed: Your project manager will arrange 5x 45 minute recording sessions. To join a session, simply click on the link provided. Your project manager will be waiting in the remote studio to help find the best lighting and framing, check sound and direct recording. If there are any technical issues or you’d like to do multiple takes, we’ll be on hand to assist. If anyone else from your team wishes to join the recording as well, we’ll provide additional links. After the session is finished, the recording(s) will upload automatically to our servers, up to 4k quality.

If you anticipate being outside of internet coverage or prefer to film with more flexibility, your project manager will develop a production workflow with you for filming directly with your smartphone and uploading when internet coverage is resumed.

B-roll filming and upload (Co-production and Fully managed)

If you choose Co-production or Fully managed, you have the option of filming additional background footage to enhance your videos. You can film this footage on your phone directly, rather than in the remote studio. Then you can upload it to your secure cloud storage using the Google Drive app, or through a direct link provided by us. Further details are outlined in the Remote studio guide.

Once the footage has uploaded, let your project manager know via email or WhatsApp and they’ll pass it along to the editors.

Post-production

• Automated: Once each recording session has finished, we’ll get to work processing the video through our built-in remote studio AI, which automates the process of selecting and editing short clips.

• Co-production: Once each recording session has finished, your project manager will send the files to our team of editors. They’ll enhance the audio, grade the image and make the first cuts, using your branding and any b-roll you’ve shot on site.

• Fully managed: Once each recording session has finished, your project manager will send the files to our team of editors. They’ll enhance the audio, grade the image and make the first cuts, using your branding and any additional content, such as any b-roll you’ve filmed. If you prefer, they can also output transcripts of the recording for your team to make selects from to guide the narrative (see below).

Transcript review (Fully managed only)

If your team would like full editorial control, we can provide transcripts and a guide to making selects efficiently for our editors to work from. Once transcript selects are complete, our editors will be waiting to begin the first cut.

Proofing (Co-production and Fully managed)

Once the rough cut of each film is complete, we’ll send a link to review it in Frame.io. There, all stakeholders can play the films, add their own comments and review the rest of the team’s directly on the video timeline.

• Co-production: 1 round of changes

• Fully-managed: up to 2 rounds of changes

Our editors will be scheduled and waiting to make any changes as soon as the notes are signed off, so we can deliver final cuts as quickly as possible.

Distribution

Once the final films are complete, we’ll upload distributable .mp4 master files to the deliverables folder of your secure cloud storage, where they will remain indefinitely, ready for you to distribute, along with the full-resolution master recordings for your archive.

• Automated and Co-production: 2 delivery formats

• Fully-managed: up to 4 delivery formats