Documentary Voice & Vision

Chapter 17Postproduction Workflow and the Process of Digital Editing

Your shooting is done. Your digital media is “in the can.” What’s next? This is the first of a series of chapters about the postproduction phase of documentary production. In this chapter, we will look at the technical, organizational, and craft aspects of postproduction. In Chapter 18, we will consider the role that writing plays in creating a finished documentary. In Chapter 19, we will look at the conceptual and aesthetic issues involved in editing.

■ Postproduction Overview

Postproduction encompasses all of those creative and technical processes that go on after the shooting stops—but it’s never quite that neat. While the goal is to complete shooting before you start editing, ...