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Getting Realtime Feedback on Raising Dion and Anne Rice’s Interview with A Vampire

21/11/2022
Asset Management, distribution and software
London, UK
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Assistant editor Andy Crosby talks about the Netflix superhero drama and how ClearView Flex changed everything

“When you’re working with an editor remotely and especially for creative reviews you need the right tools to make it work effectively,” says Andy Crosby, assistant editor to Danielle Statuto on Netflix superhero drama Raising Dion. “It’s one thing outputting a cut for someone to review offline, and quite another to get that immediate feedback as if you were together in person.”


Handling Interruptions

His experience on the show’s second season during the height of the pandemic is familiar. Production began in January 2021 with editorial working from their Avids at home connected to shared Nexis storage in Burbank.

“The problem was that the video connectivity solution we were using was not good enough for the daily routine we required in order to do our work.”

The schedule for Raising Dion was particularly tight, partly because Covid interruptions disrupted filming.

Crosby found himself working 12 hours a day, often up to 16 hours, on eight episodes across the series. “Every single second counts, so you need a workflow that is as efficient as possible. That’s where ClearView Flex was a real bonus and we used it a lot.”

One of the core responsibilities of the assistant editor is to verify footage from the daily house and then organise clips into one bin, scene by scene, in such a way for the editor to quickly and intuitively begin to cut. 


Shifting to ClearView Flex

“Initially we would output a cut and send it to the director for them to review and then we’d take in notes,” says Crosby. “Increasingly we used ClearView Flex as a shortcut. We’d all hop on a Google Meets call with a separate link to ClearView. In real-time, we would see what we were doing and adjust, then review different takes to get it to where we needed it as quickly as possible. I would say ClearView was invaluable in this process.

Crosby remained with Raising Dion for the duration of production, long after picture lock, from January to December 2021, assisting VFX Supervisor Mark Kolpack and his team.

Bringing the visuals to life

“This was a VFX-heavy show, and we used ClearView Flex extensively to iterate the shots. Mark used the tool in ClearView to annotate on a specific frame. For example, to explain his ideas to the showrunner (Carol Barbee) and director for a VFX shot that had yet to be created. As the shot iterated, we could all jump on ClearView Flex at the same time and see the exact frames and talk it through.”

- ClearView Flex for Editors – Taking the cutting room online

- Remote video editing workflow: Best practice effectiveness and efficiency

- See how ClearView Flex works in 6 simple steps


Flexible workflows

Having also worked for the first time with Editor Leo Trombetta on Raising Dion, Crosby was invited by the Emmy®-winning editor to assist him on AMC Studios’ supernatural drama series Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire where, once again, ClearView Flex was called into action.

“They were using another tool on this show, but it quite evidently did not have robust real-time playback. There was considerable latency with video streams playing out of sync. That was very, very frustrating for the director who said they couldn’t work this way. That’s why we turned to ClearView Flex. We had to make sure we got the work done and it was the answer.”

On ‘Interview’ and on his current production, season 1 of AMC shows Parish back assisting Statuto, the producers are operating a flexible workflow to give the team the best of face-to-face interaction and the greater productivity of work from home.

“Depending on how the show-runner or director likes to work, it is always useful to share reviews together in the cutting room but for the most part, I am working at home,” notes Crosby. “The production can save money too by not having to hire office space for a length of time. This is the way forward if everyone is comfortable with remote collaboration.”

Ultra-low latency and new HDR live streaming features have been added to ClearView Flex. Want to start a live evaluation of creative work with impeccable frame rate, colour accuracy, and audio for up to 40 viewers?

ClearView Flex provides creators and storytellers with a real-time creative review and remote collaboration service, now in HDR. Click the button below to book demo

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