16 Technical Checks

It is really important that your film sounds and looks like you planned and want it to. Check off these things in your Non Linear Editing solution (NLE):

Check your final Color Correction and Grading. Did you:

• Use color correction tools within the NLE or dedicated grading software to adjust the overall color balance and correct any inconsistencies between shots? 
• Enhance specific visual elements such as skin tones, landscapes, or specific motifs to achieve the desired look?
• Apply color grading techniques to establish the desired mood and atmosphere, ensuring a consistent and cohesive visual aesthetic throughout the film?

Check your final Sound Design and Mixing. Make sure you:

• Clean up any unwanted background noise or disturbances in the audio tracks.
• Enhance the film’s sonic landscape by adding atmospheric elements, Foley effects, and other audio enhancements to heighten immersion.
• Mix the audio elements, carefully balancing dialogue, music, and sound effects to achieve a harmonious and engaging sound experience

Check your Sound Mastering. Make sure you:

• Utilize audio mastering tools or plugins to refine the overall sound quality and ensure a consistent audio level throughout the film. 
• Optimize the dynamic range, ensuring that loud sounds are not distorted and quiet sounds remain audible.
• Verify the clarity and intelligibility of dialogue, making necessary adjustments to improve comprehension, and ensure a balanced mix.

Checking on Different Screens (Small and Big): Also make sure you:

• View the film on a good quality larger monitor, paying attention to the visual details, color accuracy, and overall picture quality. 
• Assess the film’s readability and visual impact on smaller screens such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
• Confirm that important visual elements, text, or subtitles are legible and clearly visible across various screen sizes.

Quality Control. Time to get nitty gritty! Make sure you:

• Conduct a thorough review of the film, examining it for any technical issues, visual anomalies, or potential errors. 
• Look out for artifacts, glitches, or continuity errors that may have been missed during the editing process.
• Address any identified issues by making necessary corrections and adjustments to maintain a polished and professional presentation

Export Settings for test viewing: Make sure that you have a version of the film that is sufficiently high quality to show your test audience. If you are editing in proxy mode, you will likely need to turn off proxies and render a high-quality viewing version.

A good overview of some of these processes can be found here:

http://20questionsfilm.com/understanding-post-workflow-offline-vs-online-editing/