From Bandages to Breakthroughs: A Smarter Approach to Post-Production

A few weeks ago, I had a conversation that perfectly illustrates the “point solution to point problems trap” that most post-production houses fall into.

One of our resellers wanted us to meet a potential customer, but expressed concern Strawberry might be too expensive compared to the renewal costs of the media asset management (MAM) system the customer was looking to replace.

I had a feeling there might be other areas where we could simplify things, so we dug a little deeper into how things had evolved there:

• •They wanted to work in a shared environment, so long ago they bought a NAS storage designed for editing.
• •That storage filled up, so they bought more storage. Then later they bought more, because–you guessed it–it had filled up again.
• •They couldn’t find anything on the storage, so they invested in a MAM.
• •They needed remote access, so they installed a PC-over-IP solution for virtual desktop connectivity.
• •They wanted to streamline approvals, so they signed up for a review and approval platform.

At first glance, these all seem like reasonable, practical decisions. Best-in-class tools were chosen to solve specific problems.

Yet, when I zoomed out just a bit, I saw significant pain points within their overall system:

• •The storage was cluttered with duplicates, making it nearly impossible to locate files or manage archival and deletion processes.
• •The editors avoided using the MAM because it “got in the way” of their actual work. They wanted to drag rushes directly into the workspace, not waste time checking them into yet another tool.
• •The PC-over-IP solution worked in principle, but proved complicated for editors. It depended heavily on consistent bandwidth and had issues with color accuracy and audio sync.
• •The approval platform was helpful for streamlining feedback, but operated completely separately from the work-in-progress. This added an extra step to manage, and upload times became an issue, especially on projects with many iterations.

And this is without factoring in the everyday baseline chaos of post-production. Editors are overwhelmed with manual tasks on top of their creative work, while admins are stuck manually creating workspaces, managing security, and constantly putting out fires.

At this point, the customer is considering swapping their MAM for another, hoping this will solve their issues. To me, though, this is just replacing one bandage with another. It’s addressing symptoms, not the root cause. The MAM wasn’t the problem, it just wasn’t addressing the root cause. 

Here’s what I’ve learned from years of working with workflows like this: most post-production challenges don’t result from individual tools failing. They stem from not having a cohesive foundation that connects everything. Piecing together solutions in isolation leads to:

• •Multiple licensing fees
• •Integration headaches
• •Training overhead on multiple platforms
• •Siloed and scattered data

The better solution is to start with a robust project framework that automates foundational workflows. This approach creates a system that works seamlessly, allowing additional tools to complement it, rather than just patch holes.

It demands a shift in thinking—from “What tool fixes this specific problem?” to “What’s fundamentally broken about how we work?” Zoom out just a bit, and a real solution can take place.

Cure the disease, and the symptoms take care of themselves.

This philosophy is exactly why we built Strawberry’s project framework. Instead of another MAM that gets in the way, Strawberry automates project workflows on storage, establishing a foundation for improving everything in post-production. It saves admin time while improving security. Editors receive clean, preconfigured workspaces for each project, eliminating guesswork and streamlining preparation so that they can get into the edit faster.

Rushes are automatically indexed, metadata is extracted, and proxy previews are created without interrupting the creative process. Strawberry supports editors rather than hindering their creativity.

With Strawberry Skies combined with our LucidLink integration, teams can collaborate in real-time from anywhere—in the facility, at home, on location, or even in a cafe. Managed cloud storage handles everything seamlessly, reducing overhead and keeping teams focused on their work.

There’s even an integrated approval platform. If teams like their existing review and approval solution, they can stick with it. But if they choose to consolidate workflows further, approvals can be handled directly within Skies.

For me, this is the true solution to combating the chaos in post-production. By reframing the approach and building on a solid foundation, you not only solve the immediate problems, but also prevent new ones from cropping up.

Cure the disease, and the symptoms go away.

To help cure your post-production woes, we’ve put together a handy guide with 7-steps to efficient post-production.

Download it here.