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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

This "I'm a DIT"-nonsense has to stop

The new NextTo device shown at NAB will take a REDMag, copy it to a removable drive, copy it to a client USB and make viewable proxies all with one touch of a button. That's just one appliance. Oh yeah and all of that fits into something the size of a red brick. It's only going to get faster and easier.

We manage TBs and TBs of data at our studio and we have never lost a file, nor is our backup process managed by a human being, we have software at multiple layers running 24/7. We can generate hundreds of quicktimes of renders with Thinkbox's draft automatically. Everytime a render finishes Draft boots up and burns out a custom proxy with slates, luts and whatever we want.

Manual processes are vulnerable to human error. Scripted batch processes are ultimately more reliable, more consistent and cheaper. Humans are great at subjective creative decisions but terrible at repetitive consistency.
 
LOL

I was going to say "buy a Nexto and eliminate me", but Mark beat me to it. Also FYI, at least on the new model Nexto you can hook a second drive to it and enable to to copy one copy to the Nexto and one copy to the second drive with verification. So that way you have one copy on the Nexto internally PLUS a drive you can hand off. I recently used it on an F55 shoot...

As for the position disappearing, I guess if mags became cheap enough and you let an assistant editor transcode (if needed) then you can skirt by without them. On the non union level I don't see many media management positions nor DIT positions, cuz they just make people wear multiple hats. I still think its a foolish idea to not have someone competent checking your files.

Once upon a time I was shooting to a NAS, and we would have the assistant editor copy paste it to another NAS. We did this for like 150 or 200 shoot days (prior to getting a proper SNS Evo on hand). One time the editors finger slipped, she thinks she cut copy instead of copy pasted. She freaks out and brings the post super over, they fumble around. Moral of the story, 10k in lost shots (or so) and needed to reshoot a day. Little F ups like that really mess up a production.

I am all for taking human error out of the equation but you still need to ensure integrity. I have never had a human error cost me a shot, ever, just Avid bugs/crashing but I thought up an alternative. We shoot tethered to an Avid, but making the DP roll on the mag too would give us an overkill of a second copy, so I insisted he rolls too, and that basically phased out our issues there entirely from that point on.


Since you guys think the position will phase out relatively soon, do you think its even worth it to join Local 600 as a DIT? I just got my application and was thinking on the Union level maybe there would be more work to be had. My non union stuff has been really slow this year, mostly cuz the place I work at lost their clients. So I have been freelancing elsewhere and also finding myself doing more audio work lately to compensate. If the work is simply drying up everywhere, even on the Union level do you think the $8,500 at this point in time is worth it to join? If the answer is no, please advise me so I don't drop the cash needlessly... Maybe you guys are right and what I am seeing is an entire phase out and not just on the non union level and that is why I see fewer media management or DIT positions these days in general?

I think certain camera systems (not Red) still kind of need a tech, Phantom, F65, Arri Raw, BMC Raw come to mind....without wavelet compression like r3d files they eat up mags. Also Phantom in general is tough on production crews since its fairly different as far as workflow goes. Plus 20k mags kind of help keep the need in place (coupled with the fact rental houses insist on having a Phantom Tech to accompany the rentals). If that 150k at an IT company is accurate maybe its time I do move on.. Seems like the way to go, but I kind of doubt google or whoever would pay me that to just copy paste files and manage stuff for them. I thought IT jobs were getting worse rates too, and also had too many applicants? Technology is going to the masses, I have to wonder how much computer skills, even hard ones will be worth at all in the long run...
 
Gavin Greenwalt said:
The new NextTo device shown at NAB will take a REDMag, copy it to a removable drive, copy it to a client USB and make viewable proxies all with one touch of a button. That's just one appliance. Oh yeah and all of that fits into something the size of a red brick. It's only going to get faster and easier.
Click to expand...

On all the DIT jobs I'm on... the client gets at least two backup copies usually onto two USB 3.0 or eSATA GRAID drives and the production gets a third copy. I don't see how a NexTo device can handle that workflow automatically. Also I wonder how it would handle a multiple camera RED EPIC shoot with only a 1TB SSD built in for internal storage.

With only a MacBook Pro retina and a few i/o peripherals... I can connect three REDMag readers via 6 gigabit eSATA and backup 3 full REDMags at one time in less than 9 minutes. That's what it takes for me to wrap in less than 15 minutes after the production wraps. NexTo is cool if you are shooting by yourself with one camera. That's not the situations I get hired for.

Plus how does a NexTo device solve the camera department screw ups... like labeling the cameras wrong on a multiple camera shoot or not formatting the cards before recording therefore copying duplicate data. Not to mention visually checking the footage for problems like filter ghosting.
 
Yes they are fairly limited generally speaking...but hopefully they will get better.. I still would love to know if you guys think joining the Local 600 as a DIT now is too late to justify... I really hate to drop the 8,500 if it won't get me any work and I can use it on a trash can pro instead or something tangible that would help me work better.. Is the Union level phasing them out yet? AC dumping cards?
 
DIT or Data Wrangling positions are only growing. Trust me... that position won't be eliminated unless camera media cards are like $5. Even then that might extinct a Data Wrangler but not a DIT. I don't even think $5 media cards will eliminate a data wrangler... the data still would have to be backed up twice or more plus checked visually and organized files for the client.

Be sure being a DIT is what you want to do though... many people get bored of the position. I met another pro DIT on my lost job and he was selling his entire cart kit and getting out of it... even though it pays very well (equipment rental plus day rate is usually above $1000 per day). Most people feel more of a desire of being on the creative side of production. Being a DIT you are often stuck in a room away from the main production... that doesn't bother me at all... I love it... but some people psychologically/socially will have a problem with it. Many productions will also try to deliberately hide you so that the client doesn't see the footage or worse yet... sit down with you and want to go through all the clips before the production has seen it. It's a very political job. Especially when problems arise... a DIT has a lot of power and some DP's especially will try to manipulate you from informing the production of major problems.
 
I do enjoy it and have done over 200+ shoot days now (professionally). I just am looking for more consistency. I got cancer straight out of college so consistency kind of matters to me for a variety of family reasons I won't bother going into. My past two years were super busy but this year has sucked big time and I am just trying to turn it around if I can. I also feel that my skill sets are more adequate now generally speaking then say a year or 3 ago and I have worked with a lot more cameras and accessories so I felt more ready to join, but I don't want to blow the cash if it won't result in additional crew calls, then its just good money over bad.

From my understanding there is no East Coast industry experience roster, so all it really permits me to do is go on sets with my Union buddies now.. I just kind of hope the expense of joining results in actual crew calls, since it seems that many productions seem to be trying to phase us out as much as possible by making people wear multiple hats, big gigs of mine have been cancelled and postponed repeatedly at this point, just a bad year in general for me. I see lots of unpaid media management jobs on CL too lol... Plus hardly any DIT gigs on mandy at all. Its really kind of tough without the consistency and its so late in the year I know everything is about to slow up for the holidays anyway so I am just trying to figure out anyway I can to try and become a little more busy. Gear rentals and audio work get me by, but I have much more appreciation for DITing then being an audio guy. Plus my back has been shot for weeks at this point and nothing seems to help... Audio guys got it rough mannnn
 
Hey Brian,

I'm non union and get a few DIT jobs every month. In my situation I get referrals from just being part of the production world full time and running into the same people over and over again... what a small world. Unfortunately investing in DITing probably by itself won't do much to further your situation. Heck I have like six business functions including DITing and I can just manage to pay the bills and buy a few items each month to make progress. So don't look at it from a one position scenario... I grip, AC, DIT, color grade and rent out equipment and studio space. I stay humble, don't have any business cards but get referred a lot. It's better just to develop relations with local DPs and producers. Too bad most of those people will just look at your equipment list and that's how your relevant to them. Keep on investing. In my opinion in this industry... resources are greater than skill... when it comes to getting paid. If a person sees you with a big cart, RAID array, 10 bit video monitoring and a Mac Pro... they just assume you know what your doing and they are more likely to pay you. I keep telling younger people to just invest and not worry about going to school for video. This industry is all about logistics and resources.
 
Gavin Greenwalt said:
There will always be digital loaders. Someone has to take the mag to the machine, put it into the machine and push the button. It's called a 2nd AC. ;)
Click to expand...

:iagree:

And the 2nd is not more knowledgable of camera than an Operator. With capable turnkey data management systems becoming a commodity we should expect the DIT and 2nd positions to consolidate completely. Even if they don't, without the need for specialized skills or ownership of expensive gear rates will adjust accordingly.

I don't think stating that is to shit on passionate DIT's. AC is a perfectly respectable job.
 
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So Brian, not being a union DIT myself I have to ask; Are AC dues less than DIT dues? ;-)
 
I guess I'll look into it, but I don't work much as an AC... mostly just workflow support, tech support, the nerdy side of things
 
Andrae Palmer said:
On all the DIT jobs I'm on... the client gets at least two backup copies usually onto two USB 3.0 or eSATA GRAID drives and the production gets a third copy. I don't see how a NexTo device can handle that workflow automatically. Also I wonder how it would handle a multiple camera RED EPIC shoot with only a 1TB SSD built in for internal storage.
Click to expand...

As I said, it has a USB port for backing up to an external drive. Adding USB ports to a future model would be trivial. Hell, adding 6 ports should be pretty easy. The point isn't that model NextTo ***** is going to replace DITs. My point is just that, there's already at least one product that can take care of basic media management and it's only going to get better from there.

Andrae Palmer said:
Plus how does a NexTo device solve the camera department screw ups... like labeling the cameras wrong on a multiple camera shoot.
Click to expand...
Folders are a bad way to track that anyway. You should already be relying on metadata.

Andrae Palmer said:
or not formatting the cards before recording therefore copying duplicate data. Not to mention visually checking the footage for problems like filter ghosting.
Click to expand...
Not copying duplicate data should take about 1 line of code. if !fileExists(PathToBackup) then {fileCopy(PathToRDC,PathToBackup);} You could even fancy it up by making sure that the file sizes are the same.

An AC should be perfectly capable of quickly reviewing a clip to see if there is ghosting.
 
Great thread. Lots of good opinions as usual on a common topic that tends to merit a thread every 6 months or so. I personally think this is a healthy subject to talk about.

For what it's worth, here are my opinions on the matter (which adapt and change with my evaluation of market shifts).

If you examine the amount of gear required to manage a data camera in 2004 against 2014, the difference is staggering. It would be a cool exercise to have DIT's who worked in 2004 upload pics of their carts from that time period. Remember: today is a very different world because until recently, cameras were just image devices, not workflow devices.

***AND THAT'S THE KEY POINT!***

The future of our industry is WORKFLOW. I know it seems obvious, but it's actually hard to detect unless you're keenly looking for it. If you have the best workflow, eventually, you'll have the best work. This is true with just about every IT-based technology in the world, which (frustratingly) has taken longer than it should to reach the motion picture market. And not just DITs are affected by a workflow-driven season of change! With the next iteration of workflow you'll begin to see:

- Script-supervior handwriting and electronic notations creating XML lists that reference o-neg and auto-edit an editor's roughcut
- Imbedded accelerometer's inside cameras that allow the camera to become a VFX miracle by imbedded GPS tracking of: movement, time, location, pitch, roll, yaw, sun/moon cycles, reflections, etc.
- GeoSync (satellite-fed) timecode broadcasting which eliminates all cable/analog jamming as well as separate system drifting between slate, cameras, and sound recorder
- InSlate replaces SmartSlate by flashing all slate data as the first frame of picture, then buries the slate in every frame. Editor doesn't scrub to a slate, rather can view slate contents at any frame
- XML databases from Wardrobe & Art Dept. that imbed creative & active metadata for use in editorial and ultimately web-based "AdTech"

So these are just a few examples that AREN'T going to directly affect the DIT. But the role of a DIT is, in fact, entering its twilight years. Mark my words. And just like most I.T. steamrollers, the replacement for this position is coming from an unlikely space. I'll get to that in a second. But first, you have to understand that post houses desperately need to maintain control of content as part of maintaining dailies relevance. Dailies facilities do not want control to fall to an ambiguous person that isn't employed (loyal) by them. That's why they prefer the DIT that does as little as possible. From my experience, DIT's who openly dismiss opportunities to expand their value through additional services, both creatively and technically, have made a poor choice on behalf of the overall position. It is my opinion that this mentality has perhaps irreversibly damaged the DIT role. But it's not all bad: the advantage initially favors the DIT because the speed of technological change is greater than the post house's ability to adapt. That's partially why DIT's got this job in the first place. But complacency is how DIT's will lose it. In footage: whoever controls the content, controls the direction, and can influence the costs. And at the post production management level, the dailies market of 2014 vs. 2004 is a financial calamity.

I am convinced that if all DIT's took advantage of the opportunity starting in 2007, the landscape of creative control today and tomorrow would be drastically different. But there is a formidable problem with the process going forward and that is THE CAMERA.

I am certain that by following the trends of microprocessing capabilities and the interests which will be governed by AdTech demand in 2020, today's DIT will be replaced by the camera. The camera will be the capture for picture and sound (sound wirelessly transmitted as data packs, not RF, similar to iTunes iCloud), wireless color (before, during, and even AFTER capture), and integration of XML databases from just about every department. The camera will have dailies, transcoding, window burns, watermarks, CDLs, streaming, etc. all internalized to a central computer that also happens to have a sensor in it. Control will be more like a military drone than an on-board EVF menu. And the power of the processor will allow for more than we can even think of.

It's gonna be amazing, but it's going to be a big change. But the most important thing is that what all of us choose to do in the meantime will probably govern what we'll all be doing once every camera becomes the workflow epicenter.

Michael
 
Metadata

Metadata

As one of the pioneering "modern" DITs I grasp what Michael's notes allude to in terms of the last 7 years. That said, had XML and other key technologies been more robust perhaps that would have provided the underpinnings necessary for shaping a DIT role that would be valuable enough to persist. I have argued for years that the post houses should have added DITs to their staffs (or at least trained and certified them like LightIRON did) rather than treating them as competition - if they had, perhaps both would have been able to retain viability longer.

I love the image dynamics portion of the prototypical DIT position, working collaboratively with the DP and colorist to bias capture metrics for best results at final color/mastering. That said, producers have more mundane goals than subtleties of image rendition. This led me to play up the "insurance" angle since producers are well aware of the financial repercussions of re-shoots and I essentially "threw in" the camera tech/image management to service the DP/camera department. If the DP thinks you can watch his/her back effectively, suggest viable strategies for getting the look they want, etc - AND - the producer sees you saving them more money than they're paying you… That was my recipe for getting a lot of calls.

It has taken far longer than I ever expected for the type of metadata leveraging that is inherent in the technology to start paying dividends. The production industry is miles behind most other ostensibly "high tech" fields in driving greater efficiency via smarter tools. FWIW I do see a key role for a person on set who makes sure that every part of the metadata sphere is running smoothly - scripty notes are attached to the right media assets, verifying that the GeoSync/TC count is identical at all stations, etc.

I've been saying it for 7 years - done properly, having someone on set to keep everything humming along and properly prepared for the next phase of the process (grading/ADR/editorial/etc) should be a net savings to production. Sure, as the tools evolve the key bits will be easy enough for experienced crews to manage themselves in most cases. Jeff, Michael and every bean counter in the biz sees what most people call DITs vanishing and their reasoning, IMO, is solid. So what's next?

I'm not sure what the best job title might be (always liked Geoff Boyle's "Digital Acquisition Supervisor"), but I see it as the equivalent of what a systems integrator might do setting up a post facility. During pre-production the "DAS" looks at the type/scope/budget of the production, the way the director/producer/client/DP likes to work, what the hero format is, etc. Within those parameters, they design an efficient/reliable pipeline suited to those particular demands. During prep they would consult with key crew members and work with them to ensure compliance with the master plan in terms of formatting, field definitions, etc. Create a cloud "server" to track the whole shooting match. Test and monitor everything.

I have worked on some indie features that couldn't afford my rate on an everyday basis, so I would work the first couple of days of shooting plus one day at the end of every week to confirm all was well. This allowed me to use my skill set to design a workflow appropriate to the project/personnel and make sure whomever was doing the day to day was doing it properly. An extrapolation of this approach seems like the right path to maintaining relevance. On a national TVC or other well budgeted short form project the DAS might be there at all times, but for long form it might be more like a post-super who only is on set for certain things like tricky VFX plates.

In any case, things like the Fool tools (very promising) need further development and support so the camera can fulfill it's promise as the primary metadata repository. Better XML or a whole new language for metadata needs widespread adoption within the usual toolsets. Some larger features essentially create their own custom versions of what one might call an "auto populating master reference database" that may include expenses like hiring coders that most projects couldn't bear. The Holy Grail for the rest of us likely resides in a widely adopted set of conventions that facilitates robust interactivity amongst the various tools we use. I've talked with folks in the industry that believe XML can be expanded to handle most of what we need. Based on how poorly it currently handles speed changes, reverses, re-frames, transitions beyond dissolves, etc I'll need quite a bit of convincing.

Right now it feels like we have a great vehicle, we've filled the tank with gas, but we still need lubrication and cooling to get very far. The open question is who stands to make a buck from sorting out the interoperability issues - so far the established players seem more focused on getting you into their proprietary universe and bolting the door...

Cheers - #19
 
Blair S. Paulsen said:
The open question is who stands to make a buck from sorting out the interoperability issues - so far the established players seem more focused on getting you into their proprietary universe and bolting the door...

Cheers - #19
Click to expand...

The "established players" are mostly doomed. Buy some popcorn and watch all the M&A deals in both POST and CAMERA RENTAL companies over the next 24 months.

The whole game is about to be turned on it's head.
 
Andrae Palmer said:
Unfortunately there's no solution for this problem.... take the Nexto DI... that's a device to backup media to.... but it doesn't have the ability to automatically offload to a clients hard drive.... unless you plan to make the Nexto DI the client drive... that would be one very expensive client drive.

I'll say it again.... even a Data Wrangler supersedes a focus puller in technical skill. Perhaps even many more people on the camera crew... most of the time even including the DP or even the entire production crew. I know on most sets that I'm on... very few people could do my job just Data Wrangling even without DITing. They just don't understand computers enough... that's what I get paid for.
Click to expand...

Basically a data wrangler (or a DIT in a varied way) is human insurance. Nothing more or less. They are or have been hired due to their ability to not mess up and lose data through human error or camera error, first and foremost. Next, is technical, geekery and saavy. It is not a difficult job and one that is very technical, but it is a job where the person needs to be diligent, studious and able to function for extended periods of time. And in situations where there are emergencies, experience, booksmarts and good old google are all friends.

Knowing how to fix an overheated card, to keep the shoot flowing is... human insurance. Lets get used to that term folks :)

Most people get cameras now. Even producers and directors are starting to "get it". Most DPs have worked long enough with their cameras, know how to expose, to know the camera limitations... I think it is quite ostentatious to consider that most DPs are effectively technological idiots who cannot keep up with technology trends (which is quite often the "between the lines" undercurrent of discussion here I have noticed). No, sometimes there is info overload, but in general people will find something they like and stick with it. If it ain't broke... you know how the saying goes.

The DIT role at this point of history is most definitely a stop-gap role, and DITs will need to up-skill in short order if they want to exist in a few years. And yes, full on set colouring is one way. Ful end to end production on location for tight turnarounds. Especially if all this can be bundled into a cost effective package. In essence, these "DITs" coud earn even more than now, but will have to accept a massive role change. Another is to be the technical side of a "post production manager". The DIT is the only position to exist both in production and post, and it will stay in this realm, but clearly as the original poster said... the more technology advances the more redundant the concept of an "offline" will be. We are entering an online world. I can edit dragon 6K footage on my macbookpro. What does this indicate for a million dollar editing suite that still needs an "offline" transcode to function?

I am doing 3 feature films this year. 2 I am DITing, the 3rd I am DP (it is my first large budget movie as DP, and not 2nd unit... so a big deal for me). I will be hiring a DIT for my feature. And what do I want my DIT to do? Tell me if the images are not corrupted. And let me AC know when he messes up focus. And to make sure there are 3 redundant copies before he recycles media. I don't actually need a DIT on this feature, but I need the insurance that we actually have what we shot. It is worth it. Especially on my first feature as DP.

edit: and fwiw, I think any good DIT worth his weight in budgetary gold needs to have actually used the camera. Actually physically shot with it himself. That is why owner operators add value to productions - they know their gear.
 
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Mark L. Pederson said:
The "established players" are mostly doomed. Buy some popcorn and watch all the M&A deals in both POST and CAMERA RENTAL companies over the next 24 months.
The whole game is about to be turned on it's head.
Click to expand...

I think you're right for several reasons, starting with the various profit opportunities built into the M&A process and the lure of LBO cash.

Perhaps I'm just too close to be rational, but it sure seems like our industry has so many doomed business models in various sectors on the precipice of either re-invention or failure in short order. Obviously distribution gets the lion's share of attention as technology changes how people interact with information/entertainment. Since the distributors are the first gatekeeper in terms of extracting revenue from content they are perhaps the first domino in the "retrofitting" of our industry and we are all just riding the ripples.

Free market mechanics are typically good at finding more efficient ways to service needs. Like in a lot of established industries, the big players typically use their position to maintain the status quo that put them on top. If, as in our biz, they play that strategy too long, it eventually creates an opportunity for new players and wholesale changes. One could argue that RED essentially exploited market inefficiencies that ARRI and others had been happily taking advantage of for years. As many have noted on RU, without RED we might have seen the F65 come out in 2017 for $300K instead of late 2012 for under $100K.

I'm happy to grab a bag of popcorn and watch it all unfold with you Mark. While the changes in post and camera rental may be especially cogent for us, I see shifting sands in every direction. While that observation may seem facile and obvious, one of the repercussions of too much change too fast is the negative impact on securing funding for the formation of game changing business models. Wall Street loves predictability, so when your business plan is dependent on accurately forecasting the behavior of customers and vendors who are themselves in transition the lenders tend to back away. The Madman believed in his vision and had the capital to back it up or RED might have gone the way of the Kinetta.

Bottom line, its likely to be messy and until some of the fundamentals stabilize any revenue forecasts created to make a M&A business case are highly speculative.

Cheers - #19
 
Blair S. Paulsen said:
I'm happy to grab a bag of popcorn and watch it all unfold with you Mark. While the changes in post and camera rental may be especially cogent for us, I see shifting sands in every direction. While that observation may seem facile and obvious, one of the repercussions of too much change too fast is the negative impact on securing funding for the formation of game changing business models. Wall Street loves predictability, so when your business plan is dependent on accurately forecasting the behavior of customers and vendors who are themselves in transition the lenders tend to back away. The Madman believed in his vision and had the capital to back it up or RED might have gone the way of the Kinetta.

Bottom line, its likely to be messy and until some of the fundamentals stabilize any revenue forecasts created to make a M&A business case are highly speculative.

Cheers - #19
Click to expand...

Blair,

It is in any period of flux and change that offers those with a head on their shoulders an opportunity to flourish. It is in periods of great stability in which on can find themselves wallowing and trying to distinguish yourself from another
 
Blair S. Paulsen said:
I have argued for years that the post houses should have added DITs to their staffs rather than treating them as competition - if they had, perhaps both would have been able to retain viability longer.

Cheers - #19
Click to expand...

This is a fantastic post but places blame at the wrong feet IMO. VFX has been pushing for rich meta data capture and logging for a long time. It's a large part of a VFX supe's job to oversee metadata. And by metadata I mean not just statistics and settings but also reference photography, prop lists and all of the things that Cioni would like to see by the year 2020. ;)

The challenge has been to convince producers to pay for it but they don't because of the distorted budgeting process. Producers have generally crafted a system in which they are guaranteed to produce an inefficient and competitive system. Instead of tackling the budget as a holistic collaboration--every group is split out into competing budgets trying to extract as much of the budget as possible. Take the VFX Supervisor. Let's say you hire a VFX Supervisor at $1,200 a day. Now let's say that the VFX supe being on set saves you $5,000 a day in post expenses. That's a slam dunk for budget savings. You would be a fool to not hire a VFX supervisor. Instead what happens over and over again is that when you try to include someone on-set it's the first item to get killed in the budget because the production company is the only group involved in preproduction. Same with post house DITs. The producers pit everyone against each other so that a DIT would have to come out of the Production Company's budget. Saving hundreds of hours in post doesn't save the Production Company any money so the Production Company has no incentive to save post hours. The post and VFX houses might want someone on set representing their interests but convincing Producers that a Digital Acquisition Supervisor or VFX Supervisor will save them tons of money inevitably falls on deaf ears if you can even be involved early enough to make a difference. Often even the producer's hands are tied since they're allotted specific amounts for production and production separately. Often they're completely different producers! So convincing the production producer that they should pay for a VFX supervisor to save the post producer money is stepping on political toes.

We tell producers every chance we get that they will save money if they get us involved early. Instead more often than not they procrastinate often right up until delivery instead of involving VFX or post early. Often they still have VFX companies bidding during production. So by the time a VFX supe is involved it's too late to save them any money. I imagine it's similar with DIT and the post house. There is no question that good rich meta data acquisition and workflow on set will translate in to huge savings in post. But that means that producers have to get ahead of the ball and involve post during preproduction more regularly.
 
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