GE AR . POST-PRODUCTION AT HOME
“Arnold recommends Trello, a collaboration tool that organises your tasks into boards”
project/sanity management expert Zack Arnold, this is a step in the workflow that is most frequently missed. “Artists often think if they’ve got all their files in one place, they’ve got project management covered – but that’s media management. When working from home with remote teams who, in my case, are scattered across several different continents, it’s crucial that you have a central project management system.” There are many solutions to choose from, but Arnold recommends Trello – a collaboration tool that organises your tasks into boards and, in one glance, can tell you what’s been worked on, who is working on what, and where something is in the process. Imagine it as a whiteboard filled with sticky notes – and with each note is a task for you and your team. KEEPING BALANCED While working from home has been a godsend for many who feel they can finally exercise proper work-life balance, some people’s
internet connections; and IPs change from time to time, meaning artists may be unable to access the central assets system. But these problems are usually ironed out with good communication – which leads us to our next point. STAYING SANE If you’re used to working in a collaborative space, where water- cooler moments lead to big ideas, managing communication remotely can be daunting. This is especially true in creative roles – constructing an email can take up too much of your time. However, there are ways of corresponding remotely without it eating into your productivity. For internal communication, Microsoft Teams and Slack are the best solutions. Slack also integrates with Frame.io, so you can consolidate all your conversations and projects into one place. Similarly, project management should be moved to a digital platform, accessible by teams working both remotely and locally. According to editor and
boundaries between personal and professional life have dissolved entirely. Who else finds it tempting to wake up and log on to your computer from the comfort of your bed? Alas, a good homeworker maintains the division between the office and the living space – not only setting limits for themselves, but with their employer regarding what hours they can work. Arnold says: “The biggest thing people have lost sight of when working from home is setting clear boundaries. And the reason many of us feel like working from home has become more stressful is that there’s no separation between work and home. When you’re in an office, you show up and you’re available. Then, when you leave – ideally – you’re no longer on hand, and have a home life to focus on. A lot of us aren’t working from home, but living at work – and there’s a big difference between the two. You need to set clear boundaries with your employer and express when you can be contacted. That way, if you tell me you won’t be in past 7pm and I send a Slack message at 8pm, I know not to expect a reply until the following day. As long as everyone understands those expectations and agrees, it will feel less like living in the office.” There you have it – our rundown of the latest tech (and sanity) tips for making a collaborative post- production workflow remote. And if it all does get too much, refer back to this article for a solution. It could be just as simple as getting out of bed.
Did you know? A whopping 98% of artists have revealed that they would like to work remotely at least some of the time.
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