Broadcasters, facilities and key independents thrashed out the issues of desktop editing and in-house production at Broadcast's first post-production forum last week, held at London's Vinopolis.
Broadcasters, facilities and key independents thrashed out the issues of desktop editing and in-house production at Broadcast's first post-production forum last week, held at London's Vinopolis.

UK Post chair Mike Luckwell insisted in his keynote speech that desktop editing was not a threat to post-production, while BBC factual and learning's chief operating officer, Gary Marven, faced a grilling from delegates about the timescale of its creative desktop rollout and whether it would signal the beginning of F&L's move into the facilities business.

Marven insisted that the department did not intend to become a facility and would continually inform the post industry on the development of the rollout which, he added, "is not happening as quickly as most of the staff would like".

Heads of production from key indies including Tiger Aspect and Celador who attended the conference - many of whom have already dabbled with in-house editing - said that they preferred to farm out onlining and finishing work. The overriding message from the indies was that staff worked better in a proper post-production environment.

RDF head of production Jane Wilson said: "It's not cost-effective to give expensive office space [to build edit suites]. The volume [of space edit suites need] outstrips what you could provide."

Wilson discussed the limitations of in-house post, saying that, although RDF does its own reversioning, it relies on facilities for the majority of its post. RDF had installed a facility in Latimer Road, but closed it down after four years.

She added: "Our business is making programmes - [editors] are usually dissatisfied working in a place that is not specifically designed for post-production."

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