VIDEO POST PRODUCTION GUIDE

PREMIERE PROJECT ORGANIZATION

To begin, make sure you have downloaded our team’s Multimedia Master Template a set of folders and files that help HRW keep data organized with naming and arrangement standards that are used through the production process and in our archive. This set of folders contains files such as consent forms, shotlist examples, and most importantly, our current Adobe Premiere project template, Premiere 2023_NEWS_Template25p.prproj

Note: Please ensure data is encrypted throughout production and data submission/delivery process

Feel free to create bins / sequences that work for you while keeping your Premiere project organized and labeled so anyone sharing your project can understand how it’s organized.

1. Use the Premiere 2023_NEWS_Template25p.prproj which is in the projects folder in the Multimedia Master Template. Rename it to match your project name, for example:

   202209ARMS_Syria_Weapons

2. When importing video, keep the same file structure as the original camera files. Make more bins if you want to reorganize things differently.

3. Please set the Color Space manually to Rec 709 by right clicking on your media files, then modifying / interpret footage. Change the setting as shown in this image. Here’s more background on it.

4. Use the horizontal template under Sequences / Templates. Sequences are 25p, 1920 x 1080 mono.

5. For shoots, sort footage by time / date and string all the footage together in the order it was shot by selecting the clips and dragging it to the timeline. Make a string out for each day. If someone else needs to go into your project, they can easily see all the footage arranged by day quickly.

6. Separate interviews and b-roll for the interviewee and label with names of the person.

7. There should be a video log provided by the videographer. If there isn’t a log, write the videographer and ask them to provide one. It’s in their contract and it will be very helpful in creating a shot list at the end of the project. There’s a sample in the template under documents / templates.

TRACK LAYOUT

The most important thing is to be consistent. Do not remove the video of an interview if you cover it. Keep it on V1 and put the b-roll on V2.

SOUND LEVELS For internet videos, audio levels should peak between -6 and -3 db.

CONSENT FORMS

1. Make sure there are signed consent forms for each person. Get these from whoever was on the shoot - the researcher, the videographer, or the producer.

2. Add a screenshot of each person to their consent form and add any special notes, such as the need to hide identities.

3. If on-camera consent was obtained, you can add the screenshot and special notes to the transcript you get of the interview. {lease make a sequence with the name of the job YYYYMMDIV_COUNTRY_TOPIC_CONSENT. Keep it in the sequences folder.

Note: Consent forms in multiple languages are located in the “documents” folder of the HRW Master Template

SUBTITLES

Please note that all HRW videos are subtitled

1. Using the captions feature in Premiere, align subtitles to the center and centered with the watermark, positioning it at 0, -33

2. Text style: Meta Pro Condensed Bold, size 60.

3. Maximum two lines.

4. Single line subtitles should be on the lower line.

5. Break up subtitles in easy-to- understand phrases.

6. There should be a few frames (4-5 frames) between subtitles. There should not be butted up against each other.

7. Subtitles should not run over the HRW logo or cross video cuts if unnecessary.

8. For Right to left writing system languages, such as Arabic, Pashto and Dari etc. please change the Text Engine to South Asian and Middle Eastern, found in Preferences > Graphics.

LOWER THIRDS Use the MOGART (motion graphic template) in Premiere under Essential Graphics. Drag the lower third to the timeline and edit the text as you wish. Lower thirds should cut on and either cut off with the picture or fade out 10 frames. Don’t make the fade out too close to the cut or it looks like a mistake.

LOCATION INFO has no effect on it except a fade out. Don’t have both the lower thirds and location info come up at the same time. Stagger them. Same with subtitles.

FINALIZING CAPTIONS

1. We use AP style. If you are unsure of a spelling, look at previously released pressers to see our accepted style. Numbers one through nine are written out.

2. Blocks of text should be justified left.

LICENSING AND PERMISSIONS

MUSIC

We are now buying our music from Audio Network. Please sign up for free with your own email. When you are ready to purchase, ask Franki (jenkinf@hrw.org).

THIRD PARTY FOOTAGE

For photos, we have the best contract with AP Images. Go to them first, then AFP, then Getty, then Reuters. We also have a footage contract with AFP. You can download comp photos and footage from either. Ask a staff person to purchase assets for you you. Some purchased items can be reused once purchased so please drop them in a named project folder for AP Photo, Pond 5 footage, and Pond 5 Sound FX, Pond 5 Photos.

PERMISSIONS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA

Our lawyers have directed us to get permission for use of clips on social media. We should have a record of our attempts to contact the owner of the clips. Please screenshot permissions / correspondence and put it in the documents/final permissions folder. Usually the researcher does this but it’s up to us to make sure it’s done.  Note the name and language and make notes of relevant information, especially if it’s in a different language.

AI DISCLAIMER

If generative artificial intelligence was used in the production of your work, a disclaimer must be added to the final video. Please work with HRW to ensure any form of generative AI used during production is vetted during the Legal review process. If HRW Legal approves the use of AI, please discuss the language to be added as a disclaimer to your video.

END SCREENS

HRW uses three end screens which can be downloaded in our Master Template.

END SCREENS WITH CREDITS 

An After Effects (AE) template for credits can be found in the Multimedia Master Template under graphics. Rename the AE project using our naming convention of YYYYMMDIV_Country_Topic. There are two subfolders: _EDIT CREDITS HERE and FOR PREMIERE with multiple language options.

• Edit the credits using the compositions in the folder_EDIT CREDITS HERE. This will change the credits for both the Share and YouTube end screens.

• Our researchers either get a narrator or producer credit. Please ask them if there are any security issues with having their names public.

• Import the compositions from the folder FOR PREMIERE and place them in your Premiere project under GRAPHICS / AFTER EFFECTS/_Credits.

• For a full feature video, generally 3:00+ you’ll need both the “Share” and YouTube end screens.

• For the YouTube end credit (Subscribe/ Watch More) , there is a choice of a blue end screen with logo animation or a transparent end screen overlaid with some b-roll (preferred if possible.) DO NOT CUT DOWN THE YOUTUBE CREDITS. They need to stay up long enough for the end cards to appear. Other credits an be trimmed.

REVIEW PROCESS

We use Frame.io to upload videos for review. Ask your HRW multimedia contact to add your name to our “HRW Collaborator Projects” folder. Send links for review through Frame.io using HRW emails (@hrw.org) of staff. If an HRW staff member does not have an account, explain to them that they need to open an account to view the video. (It’s simple. They just need to log in with their HRW email and create a password.)

FINAL MASTER EXPORTS

All final master export files from Adobe Premiere are ProRes 422 / QuickTime .MOV format. Name all master ProRes exports using our naming convention YYYYMMDIV_Country_Topic and save them in the exports > finals folder of the Multimedia Master Template.

An example of a possible set of exports for an HRW project

derivatives for PUBLICATION & upload to social media

Compress ProRes master MOV files to MP4 files for web publication using HRW’s Apple Compressor droplets or Media Composer presets, which are compatible with HRW’s distribution platforms and social media. These applications strip out metadata for security and privacy.

Please store these additional “derivative” files, such as compressed MP4s in the distribution folder and clean your final Premiere timelines to eliminate extra shots you may have saved while editing.

Here is an example of a distribution folder containing all derivative files…

PRODUCT TYPES // DELIVERABLES

All finished projects will include Product Types 1 and 2 — Full length video and Clipreel. Some finished projects will also include Product type 3, Social media version. Please reach out to your point of contact at HRW for a complete list of products for your project.

1) Full length video, generally 1:30 +

a. YouTube version - YouTube End screen

b. Final Full version - Share This with Credits.

c. Web Editors version - Share This with Credits. No subtitles. Keep lower thirds and move any text cards so they do not interfere with the subtitle area.

c. Clean version - Share This with Credits . No subtitles, no lower thirds, no text on screen, no logo, no music.

2) Clipreel

a. For footage that belongs to HRW, we create a clip reel to distribute to media outlets. Organize the footage with visuals / b-roll first with extended handles, then interviews. Put all the interview clips from one person together. Keep subtitles on the sequence. If a sound bite is edited heavily, try to find a relevant sound bite that is not.  Check with legal that it is fine to distribute.

b. Export one version with subtitles and another without.

3) Social media version or for short videos

a. Final social version with “Share This” end tag (no credits).

b. Web Editors version with “Share This” end tag (no credits) No subtitles. Keep lower thirds and move any text cars so they do not interfere with the subtitle area.

c. Clean version with “Share This” (no credits). No subtitles, no lower thirds, no text on screen, no logo, no music.

Shot list

Using the videographer’s log, describe each shot in the clip reel with the date it was shot and location. You can find a sample shot list in templates / docs. Send it to the researcher along with the clip reel so they can verify the information.

DIstribution FOlder

Give your HRW staff producer the following, saved in the distribution folder:

1. Using the 2023_YouTubeNews_Thumbnail in the graphics folder as a template, find a shot that captures the idea of the video, ideally a close-up of a face with eyes in focus. Save a 1280 x 720 image.

2. Script - a word document of narration and sound bites.

3. SRT file from your finished video. Download this from Premiere in the Text Window.

4. Shot list - pdf of the clip reel, if there is one.

5. The exports of all the mp4 compressed versions of your finals.

FInishing UP

1. Clean up your timeline so extra shots are not at the end of the sequence.

2. Put a final music list with their source in the documents / final permissions folder.

3. Check to make sure that all permissions for third party sources are in the final permissions folder.

4. Look in the folders and make sure that your final projects for both Premiere / After Effects are clearly labeled and the master template is organized overall.