From over 1,500 hours of footage to 2 Emmy nominations—right here’s how the workforce behind Chimp Crazy used Frame.io to remain on monitor and in sync to create HBO’s most-watched documentary within the final 5 years. Consider voting for Chimp Crazy on this 12 months’s Emmy Awards.
Without Frame.io, the times would have been longer…and the frustration would have been considerably greater.
Evan Wise, ACE, Supervising Editor for Chimp Crazy
Chimp Crazy is a four-part HBO documentary about Tonia Haddix—who took care of seven chimpanzees—and the large thriller that adopted when one in all them disappeared. The present turned HBO’s most-watched documentary in 5 years and was referred to as “jaw-dropping” by The New York Times.
We sat down with supervising editor/author/producer Evan Wise (ACE) and editor/author/producer Adrienne Gits (ACE) who had been half of a bigger distant crew that included Doug Able (ACE, BFE), Chuck Divak (ACE), Sascha Stanton-Craven, and author/producer Timothy Moran — unfold out throughout New York, Los Angeles, Kentucky, and even Argentina.
Despite the gap, they had been in a position to put collectively a robust and emotional story that earned them the ACE Eddie Award for Best Edited Documentary Series and two Emmy nominations: one for Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program and one for Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program.
Not pictured: Sascha Stanton-Craven, Timothy Moran © Evan Wise
When a wild unedited story met a distributed workforce
Before Evan joined the mission, he had simply completed one other present with HBO and was trying ahead to a break. But when a producer despatched him a brief preview of Chimp Crazy, he couldn’t look away:
“And as soon as I saw it, I was like, ‘Oh, I have to work on this.’ This is the best story I’ve ever seen. Amazing access. Unique animals. There’s no world where I can’t work on this.”
When Evan formally joined the workforce, that they had two years of footage within the can. The catch? It was utterly unedited. As he put it, it was like getting ‘dropped into the ocean.”
The team was also spread across time zones, adding an extra layer of complexity to their collaboration. Two editors were based in New York, another was in Kentucky, with Adrienne and the production in Los Angeles—as well as a writer‑producer in Argentina.
On top of that, the Chimp Crazy story continued to unfold throughout the edit. New scenes, new characters, and even old footage from a storage unit had to be worked into the story—even after editing was “finished.”
That’s why it was essential for the workforce to have one place to gather all suggestions, and a method for that suggestions to stick with the edit.
Choosing to make use of Frame.io because the central collaboration layer
Zero ramp-up time for the crew
The workforce selected Frame.io for his or her collaboration hub. Although most had beforehand used the platform, those that didn’t—like Adrienne—discovered it straightforward to be taught to make use of. “I don’t remember needing any ramping up,” she mentioned. “It was pretty intuitive.”
It’s by no means been laborious to persuade individuals to make use of Frame.io.
Defusing the ‘note bomb’
Adrienne remembers each editor’s lament: When the primary suggestions is available in from emails, chats, and even spreadsheets, referring to the chaos as “the note bomb.” Notes get repeated or missed altogether—generally they didn’t line up with the timeline, resulting in confusion and delays.
“There’s nothing worse than sending something out and everybody watches it, and then you just start getting emails with everybody’s notes separately, like this note bomb…So having everything marked on the picture was a major game-changer.”
With Frame.io, everybody left feedback straight on the video, which had been tied to the precise time within the lower. Everyone’s feedback had been organized in a single place and might be rapidly and simply addressed.
Evan particularly beloved that Frame.io allowed him to filter feedback by function.
“I can uncheck the archivist or the lawyer and whoever else—so I only have the director’s notes and can first process those. Then when I’m ready, I recheck everybody else, and I can get started on the other things.”
I really like the flexibility to filter feedback on Frame.io.
Hundreds of overview cycles
Evan says there have been so many rounds of suggestions that it was “incalculable.”
But Frame.io stored it manageable by enabling the workforce to trace, prioritize, and reply to suggestions with out confusion.
[T]right here’s lots much less frustration utilizing Frame.io within the course of, as a result of it actually does streamline everybody’s ideas.
Delivering the ultimate—a combination of aid, disappointment, and pleasure
Finishing the ultimate episode introduced out a variety of feelings for Evan. He was proud, relieved, and sure, a little bit unhappy that it was over. He mentioned he knew whereas engaged on the present that it was going to be one thing particular. Seeing the viewers response confirmed that.
“There’s a sense that I’ve had a pair occasions in my profession after we had been simply engaged on one thing and also you simply go, ‘Oh, I know this is going to be good,‘” Evans says.
Chimp Crazy became HBO’s most-watched documentary in 5 years. It received the ACE Eddie Award and was nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys.
Frame.io performed an enormous half in making that occur. It helped the workforce keep organized, save time, and pivot rapidly when the story modified. With all their suggestions in a single place, Evan and Adrienne might concentrate on what mattered: telling an amazing story.
On any mission the place you will have a very tight schedule or you will have an air date that it’s important to hit, no matter you are able to do to be extra environment friendly and to take advantage of out of the time is tremendous vital. If Frame.io can shave off a few minutes or an hour, or cumulatively a day or two, that’s extra time it’s important to be inventive.
Looking forward: New tasks with even higher methods to work with Frame.io
The workforce has since moved on to new tasks, however they’re already fascinated with how the newest model of Frame.io can additional streamline their workflows. They’re particularly enthusiastic about Anchor Comments, which convey much more readability to actual factors on the picture, and Comment Attachments, which permit including full-resolution stills, paperwork, or graphics to feedback for exact references or context.
Emmy voting for Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program and Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program is open by August 27. If Chimp Crazy earned your vote, now’s the time →
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