General Assembly is a leading post-production facility that specializes in documentary and unscripted content to streamline post-production and help filmmakers and content creators focus on storytelling. They recently worked with SMAC Productions, the content division of SMAC Entertainment, to provide end-to-end post-production services on several projects including “Evolution of the Black Quarterback,” “Black Comedy in America” and “Coach Prime” (Season 3). 

Editors Greg Louie and Peter Leininger walked us through their creative process and collaborative workflows using Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Media Encoder and Frame.io. With multiple editors all working remotely on these projects, Adobe Creative Cloud helps streamline everything from the passing back and forth of stringouts to building sequences, sharing radio cuts and rough edits, and more.

Read on for more from Louie and Leininger about how SMAC Productions and General Assembly approach creative collaboration as well as their advice for aspiring editors.

How and where did you first get into editing and post-production?

Louie: I first got into editing during college, producing and editing for public access television, and my first job editing was with MTV, doing dailies editing for reality shows. I would continue to pursue editing and post-production work as a freelance editor.

Leininger: When I was in high school, my mother gave me a small mini-dv camera and that was all it took. Instantly I was shooting childhood shenanigans with my friends and making little videos for fun. A passion was born.

How do you begin a project/set up your workspace?

Louie: I like to have my primary folder structure set up for organizing all the media associated with the project and then begin to organize timelines as needed. My workspace, as it results from my home setup, is simple; a little customization to my liking with regards to my track setups, workspace layout, etc.

Leininger: It may sound boring, but I am a bit of a neat freak when it comes to my edit projects. Everything is sorted into a very clear and concise folder structure. That is where I start every project. I set up my settings and folder structure within Adobe Premiere Pro and at the finder level. Then when assets come to my assistants, I know right where to organize them.

Tell us about a favorite scene or moment from one of the recent projects you’ve worked on and why it stands out to you.

Louie: My favorite scene from “Evolution of the Black Quarterback” is the discussion between Michael Vick and Doug Williams. The rawness and emotion from them was certainly one that stood out.

Leininger: One Coach Prime scene stands out that featured two of the much lesser-known athletes playing pickleball. Often on docu-style sports shows, the majority of the scenes are focused on the main talent and the main story arc of the season but every once in a while we get to live in a scene that has much lower stakes. I love scenes like this. Cutting this was fun because the characters were so real and natural.

What are some specific post-production challenges you’ve faced, and how did you go about solving them?

Louie: Specific to our “Evolution of the Black Quarterback” show was the GFX treatments and the amount of render time each ended up being. We were able to use an additional system to help alleviate the workflow.

Leininger: Sometimes the adage “fix it in post” can be a nightmare to hear. But often times the result can be something you are very proud of. This happened in a highly critical scene on Coach Prime where one of the main characters was returning from injury and this happened naturally in a practice and although we got it on camera, the character was not mic’d up. However, lucky for us, he had been mic’d up many times before. So through the magic of editing we were able to cheat a full scene’s worth of audio to make this scene feel more natural.

What Adobe tools did you use on these projects and why did you originally choose them?

Louie: We used Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Frame.io. We were using remote desktop systems that had Premiere Pro installed for editing purposes and After Effects installed for any GFX and rendering tasks. We used Frame.io mainly for uploading cuts for internal review, not so much for storing project elements since all media was being stored at a post-production facility we were remoting into.

Leininger: Premiere Pro, obviously, which is my absolute favorite NLE. I also use After Effects, Media Encoder, and Photoshop / Illustrator from time to time to create assets. The seamless workflow between these programs is incredible, especially for projects with less time or assistance. Also, Frame.io is great. Passing cuts back and forth between editors, producers, executives, and the client has never been easier. Wow, I sound like an advertisement but it’s true. The note-giving process often ends like a bad game of telephone and Frame.io alleviates a lot of that miscommunication. I truly love it.

What did collaboration look like on these projects?

Louie: We were fortunate enough to have four great editors splitting up the assignments on the three episode series. Each episode had a main editor, with everyone helping out across episodes where it was needed. This helped us maintain a consistency with the style and look of each episode.

Leininger: In television, there are often multiple episodes posted at the same time. Which means many editors and producers are working at the same time on the same material and constantly passing content to the editors; stringouts, selects, sequences, radio cuts, rough edits, etc. For Evolution of the Black Quarterback, we had a wonderful story team. They would prep scenes more than I have ever experienced, which allowed editors to focus on editing and making a scene great.

If you could share one tip about Premiere Pro, what would it be?

Louie: One tip for Premiere Pro is to customize your workspace and timelines to what fits you best. I see editors with different ways of organizing and working within Premiere, and I think Premiere’s biggest advantage is its ability to give editors that flexibility.

Leininger: Tweak your keyboard settings! Although Premiere Pro is meant to be used with the mouse as a primary input device, the keyboard is your greatest ally. Make sure and take a look at how the keyboard shortcuts can help speed up your process. It’s been a game-changer for me. When I’m really in the groove, I feel like I’m playing a concert on the piano. 

Who is your creative inspiration and why?

Louie: My creative inspiration goes back to the days of music videos by Michel Gondry. I always have liked the creative and out-of-the-box thinking that he uses with his videos, and it inspired me to bring that same perspective to each project.

Leininger: David Fincher! Maybe a pretty basic answer here but I truly love his work. I fell in love with movies at a very young age and he gave me a whole new appreciation for the process. He’s fearless, takes risks, and is even willing to walk away from a project when it doesn’t work for him, which is no easy task. He always tries something new, and he really puts in the work. I love that when you watch a Fincher film for the very first time, you can never see it the same way again. You could probably say this for a lot of films, but Fincher takes it to a whole new level for me. His thoroughness is inspirational, and I try to instill that work ethic in every project I do. Dig deep, look where no one else is and find gold. Those are words I live by every day I am in the edit.

What’s the toughest thing you’ve had to face in your career and how did you overcome it? 

Louie: Toughest thing I’ve faced in my career was being turned down for a feature film role. The disappointment of not getting the job allowed me to pivot to a different career in sports television which has benefited me to this day. I advise aspiring filmmakers and content creators to remain flexible and make necessary adjustments when it comes to job opportunities.

Leininger: Fighting against the deadline is always the struggle in post, but in my experience, to truly make great edits, you have to do your due diligence. Go through all of the footage. Finish a cut and walk away for 15 minutes, then come back and give yourself notes. Maybe do this a couple of times. How can I make this better? How can I elevate the scene? Find out what the ideal scenario would be and make it so. Sometimes it feels like speed is the only thing that matters, but quality is king. If you deliver a cut that everyone loves, no one is going to bat an eye at how long it took you. Editing is more about finesse than speed.