Collaboration Software Review - Frame.io

Sharing videos back and forth with clients for approval and feedback during the edit has always (and I assume always will be) a bit of a hassle. For every video or film production I’ve had to edit myself, hours were spent uploading videos on Vimeo or Youtube. Not to mention the endless stream of emails sent back and forth with feedback, changes, and time-codes regarding the film or video edit.

A tool I’ve been testing the past months in order to streamline the collaboration process with my clients and production team is frame.io. It basically allows the video production crew, editor, client, director, producer, vendor etc. to communicate freely in one platform. The interface is pretty straightforward and there are plenty of great tutorials online explaining the intricacies of the software so I won’t even begin. I simply wanted to share how the software has made my post-production process in the edit suite easier and more professional with my clients and video production team here in Vienna.

To begin with, a lot of my work requires the actual client to pick and choose which videos and/or specific sequences the cameraman or camera crew filmed on the shooting day. In the past I’d have to export my dailies, upload them to Vimeo or Youtube, send them to the client or video producer, and then wait to receive an email where they had manually written down time-codes of the particular sequences they liked. Not much fun or very practical for both the editor or the client.

Frame.io allows my clients to send me time-code based feedback without them even having to worry about it. Once they find a sequence to comment about, the time-code is automatically recorded as soon as they start typing their text. Back in the edit suite, the editor can then click on a comment and the software will take them directly to that specific frame of the video.

Frame.io has a web version, a phone App, a Premiere Pro panel, and recently they released an After Effects panel. I use most of them, but have especially found the Premiere Pro panel plugin to be extremely helpful for filmmakers and freelance editors like myself since it allows the editor to upload the sequence to Frame.io directly from Premiere Pro. Not to mention that the client/collaborator comments are directly linked to the timeline.

Another great feature is the annotation tool, which allows clients and collaborators to draw on the video and call attention to the editor on specific parts of the frame. So when it comes time for the client to send their feedback and/or modification requests, not only is the editor taken to the specific time-code, but he can also see the specific part of the frame the client is referring to.

Password-protected videos are extremely easy to send through Frame.io and a much more professional way of sharing videos with clients, you can even give them the option to download the media. There are also color-branding options to better match your video production company’s look:

In order to spare my clients' time and energy trying to figure out the interface of Frame.io by themselves, I’ve actually created a short video where I explain the basics of the software and how I expect them to use it during our video collaboration process. I then simply send this explanatory video to my new clients a few days beforehand, in order for them to familiarize themselves with the software before the actual video production and editing process begins.

Of course there are many more features in Frame.io which I will not get into such as different video versions, collaborators, team members, creating folders, different subscription plans etc., but the main idea here is collaboration and an easier post-production workflow. I would definitely recommend Frame.io to other filmmakers, editors, and video production professionals out there.

Posted by Vitor Goncalves