Embracing the Chaos: How to Handle Tech Challenges in Post Production

Avid crashes, backup failures, faulty cables, lost data—the list goes on. And when things go wrong (because they inevitably will), how you react can make all the difference, not just for your clients but for your colleagues too. So, what can we do when tech decides to throw a tantrum?

Avid Crashes: The Inevitable Annoyance

Avid crashes always seem to happen at the worst possible moment. It’s tempting to hit the panic button, but trust me, after the umpteenth time, panic just becomes exhausting. The best approach? Stay calm. Notify your Post Facilities engineering team immediately and keep checking for an ETA. Make sure your editors know you’re on top of it, and if the outage drags on, loop in your Production Manager as well—this could impact other teams and deadlines too. In the meantime, suggest an early lunch for your Editors or arrange a tea run. It’s all about keeping morale up while you wait for things to get back on track.

Ingest: The Rushes Roulette

Ingesting rushes can feel like playing roulette—you never quite know what you’re going to get. Corrupt cards, media not coming online—these issues are as common as they are frustrating. But they’re also completely normal and happen on every show. When complications arise, it’s crucial to collaborate with your facility and DIT to troubleshoot and find a solution. Investigate, track down the problem, and keep everyone updated. Transparency is key.

I once encountered a particularly peculiar issue where the rushes looked like they were sprinkled with gold glitter! After some detective work, we discovered the culprit: a loose cable in the camera causing data loss and those glittery artifacts. Thankfully, we caught it early and managed to fix it in the Online stage, though it was time-consuming. But because we spotted the issue ahead of the final post, we were able to correct it without impacting our delivery.

So, What Can We Do?
Under Promise and Overdeliver

One of the best ways to mitigate technical hiccups is through effective scheduling. If you’re organizing an export, always give yourself more time than you think you’ll need—double or even triple the show length and add an extra 30 minutes for good measure. For example, if you’re exporting a 30-minute show, allocate at least two hours. If the cut gets handed over at 2pm, suggest that the export will be viewable at 4:30pm. This buffer not only absorbs any delays but also makes you look like a hero when you deliver early.

Keep a Mental Log

You don’t need to be a tech wizard, but keeping a mental log of recurring issues can be incredibly helpful. Some tech problems crop up repeatedly, while others are one-offs. Learning from these common issues gives you a better sense of the time needed to address them and helps you avoid the pitfalls of overpromising. Plus, if you’re the hands-on type, you might even contribute to solving those problems more efficiently next time!

Technology is Amazing—But Be Prepared

Technology is incredible when it works, but it’s wise to always anticipate what could go wrong. Building enough contingency into your schedule allows you to absorb delays and keep the project moving smoothly, even when tech doesn’t play nice.