Blog
Articles on filmmaking technique, production planning, and industry knowledge.
Showing 12 of 29 posts (Page 2 of 3)
How Many SSDs Do You Need for a Feature Film? A Pre-Production Calculation Guide
A step-by-step pre-production calculation guide for determining exactly how many SSDs or hard drives a feature film production needs, covering acquisition volume, backup redundancy, proxy storage, and the timing of drive purchases versus rentals.
RAW vs. ProRes vs. H.265: The Storage Cost of Each Codec in Real Numbers
A line-item storage cost comparison for RAW, ProRes, and H.265 acquisition across a full feature film production, with real bitrate figures, drive counts, hardware costs, and the workflow implications that make cheaper codecs not always cheaper in total.
How Much Data Does a Documentary Actually Generate? A Real-World Breakdown by Shoot Day
A data-driven breakdown of how much storage a documentary generates per shoot day, organized by camera format and shooting style - from solo BMPCC to multicam observational with Sony FX9 - covering raw acquisition, proxy, and backup overhead.
Building a Data Management Workflow for a Small Crew: Who Backs Up What and When
A practical data management framework for productions without a dedicated DIT - covering card offload sequences, checksumming, drive labelling, proxy creation, and how to structure responsibilities across a 2-3 person crew so nothing gets missed.
Music Licensing vs. Hiring a Composer: The Real Cost Comparison for Indie Films
A direct cost comparison between sync licensing existing music and hiring an original composer for indie film, covering upfront fees, rights ownership, cue sheet obligations, E&O insurance implications, and which approach makes financial sense at different budget levels.
Dropbox vs. Frame.io vs. Google Drive for Film Production: What Each Is Actually Good For
A direct comparison of Dropbox, Frame.io, and Google Drive for film production workflows, covering remote review and approval, file delivery, collaborative editing, and the specific use cases where each platform outperforms the others.
ProRes vs. BRAW vs. ARRIRAW: Which Acquisition Format Is Right for Your Production?
A technical and practical comparison of ProRes, Blackmagic RAW, and ARRIRAW acquisition formats covering data rates, storage requirements, color grading latitude, NLE compatibility, and the real workflow implications for different production scales.
LUFS vs. RMS: What's the Difference and Which Number Should You Hand to a Mixer?
RMS measures average signal power in a time window. LUFS measures perceptual loudness per ITU-R BS.1770 weighting. Broadcast and streaming platforms specify LUFS targets, not RMS. Here is how to read both numbers and which one to put in your handoff document.
Sample Rates in Film Production: 48kHz vs. 96kHz and When Higher Actually Matters
Covers the Nyquist theorem in plain language, why broadcast requires 48kHz, when 96kHz or 192kHz actually matters and when it is workflow overhead, and the storage implications of each choice for film and television audio.
Closed Captions and Subtitles for Film Delivery: Formats, Standards, and Mistakes to Avoid
Covers SRT vs. VTT vs. SBV vs. TTML - which platforms require which format, how to convert without losing timing accuracy, and the compliance requirements for Netflix, Amazon, and broadcast delivery.
Film Reel vs. Digital: What the Footage-to-Runtime Math Tells Us About the End of Celluloid
Uses the film reel calculator to ground the economics of shooting on celluloid - cost per foot, runtime, processing, scanning - compared to equivalent digital workflows. An educational post with strong historical authority.
Timecode in Film Production: How It Works and Why It Matters for Your Edit
Explains drop-frame vs. non-drop-frame timecode, LTC vs. MTC, jam sync, and why incorrect timecode causes expensive problems in post. Includes a frame rate and timecode compatibility reference table.