I thought I’d share with you four reasons why you should find a VFX studio for your TV production as early as possible.
Every TV production is a collaborative process. It needs to be a well-oiled machine where every party – the creative lead, the director, the producer, the writer, the Director of Photography, the Production Designer , and all the other HOD’s- pull together for the greater good.
This will often include an outside party. If your production needs any CGI, you will need the expertise of a visual effects studio. On the list of things you need to do, finding someone to handle this aspect might fall somewhere near the bottom. But partnering with someone early will pay dividends later on. Here’s why you need it can pay dividends to find a VFX studio to work with sooner rather than later.
It can help you plan effectively
There are very few areas of your production where you will want to take a ‘fly by the seat of your pants’ approach. You plan your shooting schedules and every department has some element of prep time to plan for the production. You work towards an official air date. Why would your approach to your visual effects be any different?
Locking down a VFX partner early on will allow you to plan your CGI and 2D visual effects in greater detail. This will have a knock-on effect with your overall schedule and your eventual shoot.
It can also help you come up with ideas for environments or characters early on. You can also find out what is and isn’t possible technically and use previs and tech vis to help plan where and how the VFX will fit into scenes and sequences.
Another crucial benefit of working with a VFX company early on in development is that you can develop a more realistic idea of what your VFX budget is likely to be. The more developed the ideas become for VFX, the more accurate the budget estimates are likely. VFX studios can also work with clients to help reduce VFX costs at an early stage. Cheaper VFX methodologies can be suggested or sequences can be storyboarded and Previsualised to help get a more definite idea of shot count. If the shot count can ‘locked off’ before production starts for a set piece or sequence that can help to contain VFX budget overages later on.
It can increase your productivity and efficiency
If you’re the producer, you’ll have a lot on your plate throughout the entire production process. It’s an act of spinning plates and if one plate falls, the rest will too. You need to find a way to run the production efficiently while being the most productive you can be.
Finding a VFX partner can help with this in two ways. For one, handing off that work to someone else gives you one less thing to worry about. You can turn your attention elsewhere safe in the knowledge that the VFX is in hand. Second, it’s another thing crossed off your list. If that isn’t productive then what is?
It can help with any creative blocks
Running a production is like completing a puzzle. It requires a lot of creative, out-of-the-box thinking and last-minute problem-solving. And, if you’re like any other person in the world, sometimes you can reach a bit of a block.
Creative block is something we’re all familiar with. If you find the perfect VFX studio early on, you’ll have a second, outside party who you can bounce ideas off.. They will have a different insight into production that might give them an alternative perspective you had never considered. Don’t forget they’re creatives too; they’ll be as familiar with problem-solving as you are.
It will make the final product better
No doubt some of the world’s greatest creative accomplishments were the result of a last-minute burst of brilliance. But the vast majority will be the labour of long-term dedication, hard work, and planning.
Your TV production is no different. Organising your CGI early on will mean it has more time in production, leading to a better final result. While it is possible to come up with VFX solutions in a short space of time, it isn’t preferable. Giving the studio plenty of notice will allow them to give the CGI the time it needs.
And, in the end, you’ll have a production you will love, critics will love, and audiences will love! Organising your VFX might seem like a hassle now, but the sooner you sort it out, the better your final product will be.
At REALTIME, we have the skills and expertise to give your production that extra special something it needs. We have a history of successful collaboration and would love to hear about your next project. Feel free to get in touch with me at [email protected].
