Media collaboration software allows team members to manage assets, schedule production, give and receive feedback, and secure approvals. It has transformed the industry by enabling creatives and other video team members to work remotely and non-linearly using well-orchestrated and efficient workflows.
Video production teams can be assembled from talent worldwide, reducing the need for costly travel. Teams can reduce production time as producers, editors, VFX artists, and other members can access media assets on demand from any location.
It’s not only the small shops that are embracing Cloud-based media collaboration. The team behind Amazon’s Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power fully embraced Cloud-based postproduction workflows, working with a team of 1500 artists in 12 VFX shops worldwide. These artists had access to assets in the Cloud and effectively collaborated and communicated with each other throughout the process.
Cloud-based collaboration in video production effectively streamlines workflows and reduces costs. But there are strategies you should adopt to ensure that you are making the most of your media collaboration software.
9 Critical Tips on Effective Media Collaboration
Start with a comprehensive roadmap.
Take the time to draft a detailed project brief and share it with all team members to align everyone with the vision and timeline for the project. An effective video project brief will include essential details like background information about the client or the brand, target audience specifications, tone, key messages, timelines, budget, and distribution channels.
Allocate resources for video project management.
Your road map won’t do you much good if you aren’t committed to managing the project, solving problems, and communicating changes with the creative team.
Delineate roles and responsibilities.
Effective collaboration requires clear roles and responsibilities. All creatives need to know their deliverables and understand who is involved in the review and approval processes so the team doesn’t get bogged down in inefficiencies. Without clearly delineated roles, you risk confusion, redundancy, and missed deadlines.
Set standards for file formats, naming conventions, enhanced metadata, and notes.
These standards will ensure all team members can quickly search for and retrieve assets. Many media collaboration software packages can automate adding tags through artificial intelligence.
Understand and utilize the features of your media collaboration software.
Modern media collaboration software is optimized for remote and hybrid teams. But collaboration and efficiency take a hit if your team doesn’t know how to use the features. Prioritize training so that everyone gets the most out of your software. If you have a Software-as-a-Service solution (SaaS), partner with your provider so you and your team members get the most out of your platform.
Make sure you are not running two workflows.
Some creative teams have an official workflow based on the media collaboration software but rely on informal ones that bypass the system. For instance, feedback given outside the tool may never make it into the system – leaving the rest of the team in the dark. Bypassing the official workflow may feel like a shortcut and a timesaver, but this practice undermines collaboration.
Keep communication flowing.
Centralize communications and feedback so everyone on the team is up to date. Approach feedback with curiosity and ask clarifying questions. Don’t assume everyone is speaking the same language.
Harness the power of the Cloud.
Cloud-based services allow team members to collaborate wherever they are working effectively. Use Cloud-based tools and keep all assets in a centralized location. Teams increase efficiency when all creatives can search and retrieve the right assets.
Make sure that your infrastructure is ready.
Ensure that on-prem and remote workers have systems that will work with your media collaboration software.
Learn How Your Creative Teams Can Benefit from Acorn Cloud
Acorn Cloud is a Cloud-based media workflow and management platform for creative team collaboration and has been designed from the ground up to help creative teams thrive working remotely.
Acorn Cloud was designed by CHESA, experts in systems integration for video production. We have pulled together the best components and tools in a Cloud-based solution. Our SaaS system is a turnkey managed, fully supported solution, so your creative teams can quickly get to what they do best, creating high-quality videos.
Book a demo to find out if Acorn Cloud is right for your team.