Navigating the Complex World of Post Production at Paramount Pictures with Victoria C. Jordan
Victoria C. Jordan, senior manager of post production at Paramount Pictures, oversees work on numerous feature film and TV series including the upcoming Walter Hamada produced horror feature Primate, director Gina Prince-Bythewood fantasy film Children of Blood and Bone and the action comedy The Naked Gun starring Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson. Previously a dailies supervisor, her work included Smile, Significant Other, Mean Girls, A Quiet Place: Day One, Bob Marley: One Love; IF; Sonic the Hedgehog 3andKnuckles.
As you can imagine there is a mountain of complexity involved in each – and Jordan gets to juggle multiple projects every day. She joined the studio four years ago on the back of a storied editorial career as assistant editor on shows including CSI: Cyber (CBS), Station 19 (ABC/Disney),Proven Innocent (Fox) and Hightown (Starz).
Sohonet are grateful to Victoria for sharing time with us to chat about her day to day.
Q> Thanks Victoria. Will you share more about your core responsibilities are?
Victoria> As a senior manager, I manage several of our shows at once. I’m currently on three films where I'm working closely with editorial through post. One of the key roles for me is that I oversee dailies. I help across editorial and with archiving as well. Any issue that our editors have in their suites here will pass my desk. If they need stock music, for example, I’ll handle clearance for that. Anything that will make the cut better, I am there to help.
Q> To what extent do you get involved in hiring the post-production team?
Victoria> That starts as soon as the movie is greenlit. If the director doesn’t yet have an editor in mind, we start the process by contacting agencies and talent who we know to find the best fit. One of the shows we're doing is The Naked Gun directed by Akiva Schaffer who already had his established team including editor and first assistant but needed a second assistant editor and post PA to fill out the crew.
Principal photography for that show was in Atlanta last spring and I oversaw dailies, approving dailies budgets and was in constant communication with the lab at FotoKem. It’s all about making sure that everything goes to where it needs to go whether that’s the studio, our editorial team or the production team. I’ll check the footage for any colour issues or resolve any sound issues. If I can head any issues off at the pass and keep everything running smoothly then, as far as my editorial team is concerned, they stay creative because they have everything they need.
I’m there for our editorial teams emotionally as well. Whatever the hurdles that we go through perhaps with last minute schedule changes or shifting dates around of friends and family screenings or if we need to go on a hiatus and people needs reassuring that our release date is saying the same, I’m there to explain how we're going to work.
Q> Does this supervision role work upwards too with your director?
Victoria> Yes. It’s all a matter of building empathy and trust. I like to establish a strong working rapport with my director and to video chat as frequently with them as they wish to make sure that their project stays on track and so that they can create spectacular films.
There's always a grayscale in this business between professional and personal. Professionally, we do everything in our power to ensure things go smoothly. That could be making sure that the director has everything that they need from scheduling ADR time with actors to seeking out motion graphics companies for titles.
Like the rest of us, a director may also at times be cranky or sad or upset about something so I feel it’s part of my job to navigate those waters together so we have a great outcome.
Q> To what extent are your teams enabled for remote work?
Victoria> Typically, we like our editorial teams to work in office with us which is nice because my department is on the same floor as our editorial teams so we are always accessible. That’s something that wasn’t possible during the pandemic period. My director is often in the office too and sometimes our producers will visit to look over cuts, have screenings or just to catch-up.
Everyone is busy and remote workflows facilitate a better use of everyone’s time. Someone could be in another country or juggling another project or understandably doesn’t want to waste time fighting the LA traffic so we rely on ClearView Flex Glow to connect them to our editors.
If a director wants to see a certain scene or check how the cut is going or switch things up and they don’t have time between meetings they simply jump onto ClearView Flex Glow and pop-in remotely. It’s a simple, instant and straightforward communications device with rock solid frame rate, colour and audio accuracy including HDR.
Q> What does normal look like when it comes to work flowing through the facility?
Victoria> I feel like normal is now hybrid. Our facilities have the capability to send out a ClearView link in order to review colour if needed. And wherever my producers or director are we can schedule time to connect them for reviews at their convenience. It's a hybrid situation where we give them the option to review remotely or coming in to sit with the team. Over the course of a theatrical project, it is highly likely that our director and producers will avail themselves of both options.
Q> It strikes me that you really thrive on the pressure of all these different demands on your time, but what excites you about your job?
Victoria> I come from editorial where I used to be an assistant editor, and then I went over to the studio side with post management. What I enjoy now is that I can be an advocate for my editorial teams. I really enjoyed the freedom of freelance life because I was jumping from show to show but in the post management side I'm still working with different teams on different shows, and so I enjoy that change every nine months or two years or so.
What I really enjoy about my job is trying to make it as easy as possible to do what we need to do and have fun doing it. To be creative and to create the stories that we want to tell. I get to connect with different people and be in the trenches with my team to create something awesome that’s both innovative and entertaining.
