The Post Production Coordinator

This Week's Film Crew 101 Guest:

Sue-Ellen Chitunya has worked as Marvel's Post-Production coordinator for "Ant-Man and the Wasp," "Avengers: Infinity War," "Doctor Strange," "Black Panther," "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2," "Thor: Ragnarok," "Spider-Man: Homecoming," "Captain America: Civil War." In this episode, she gives insight into the role of a Post Production Coordinator and shares valuable advice for navigating the industry as a whole.  

Listen To The Episode Here:

The Post Production Coordinator: 

A Post Production Coordinator works closely with the Vice President of Post Production and the Post Production Supervisor to help keep a show on track throughout post-production. Each show has a designated Post Production Supervisor and Post Production Coordinator. The Supervisor delegates tasks to the Coordinator, who then delegates tasks to Post Production Assistants. An in-house Post Production Coordinator can work at a studio on multiple shows at the same time. These shows can be in pre-production, production, and post-production.

A Post Production Coordinator’s daily tasks will vary. For shows in pre-production, the in-house Post Production Coordinator will assist as teams perform camera tests and help acquire crew for a show if needed. A large part of their job at this stage is to maintain physical assets for the visual effects and editorial teams, communicating with the supervisor to solve problems that arise, and distributing assets and equipment appropriately as shows go into production. An in-house Post Production Coordinator will spend most of their time with other in-house post-production teams as they edit and prepare a film for its theatrical release.

An in-house Post Production Coordinator begins with a show in pre-production and will stay with a show until its theatrical release, working with the show’s post-production supervisor and coordinator to complete its final wrap.

What’s a Post Production Coordinator good at? 

Organization: The Post Production Coordinator handles a lot of detailed administrative tasks and will need to be organized to keep up with the pace of post-production in a professional manner. 

Teamwork: Things change quickly and a Post Production Coordinator must be able to adapt to the needs of the production as various teams work to complete their tasks. This requires flexibility and the ability to anticipate and respond to the needs of others. 

Leadership: A Post Production Coordinator makes decisions based on the needs of the production, understanding how to prioritize tasks and delegate them to others. This requires confidence, a strong work ethic, an understanding of post-production workflow, and the ability to handle conflict if it arises. 

People-skills: The ability to remain compassionate, empathetic, forgiving, and kind even when times get stressful in post-production is key for this role. This requires staying calm under pressure, and the ability to keep a proper perspective as you work with others to complete the film.

Who does a Post Production Coordinator work with?

VP of Post-Production (link to episode)

Visual Effects Teams (link to episode)

Editorial Teams (link to episode)

Post Production Supervisor (link to episode)

Post Production Show Coordinator

Sound Team

Stereography (3D) Team

How do I become a Post Production Coordinator?  

If you’re interested in becoming an editor, always be practicing your editing muscle. Look for opportunities to edit and find networking organizations that will help you find ways to cultivate these skills.

If you’re interested in working in post-production, start out as a post-production pa. As a pa, you will learn the day-to-day needs of a production. Seek out mentors that can help you navigate the department as you work your way up.

What is the salary range?

The salary for this position can range from $40K-$70K per year.

Position Terminology 

Show:  In the context of this episode, “show” refers to a  movie.                                           

Stereo team: Refers to the stereography team (the 3D team).

Learn More: 

Learn more about Sue-Ellen Chitunya: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3821116/

Learn more about Amy Janes: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1834422/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1