Simple, sleek and elegant across a lovely mahogany table, or a chaotic mess of wire that only you can decipher?
All work from home setups are different, making it difficult to really land on what makes a truly ‘great’ home editing office. However, that’s just what we’re going to try and define today.
As many editors (both those that are employed by companies and who are already well versed in the world of freelance) find themselves staring down a future of permanent remote working post-pandemic, it’s important to know exactly what to do to optimize your conditions. Whether it’s a particular type of monitor or an inspiring lick of paint, the intricacies of an office often contribute to your ability to focus on and produce your best work, especially at home.
To make this task a bit simpler, here are some suggestions for a great home editing set up in 2021.
What has the pandemic taught us about remote working?
We’re more than a year into the pandemic now, and throughout this period many previously office-bound professionals have learned a lot of home truths about how their workspace contributes to their ability to perform.
But what exactly are those lessons? Before we get started with the article, it’s important to take the time to analyze these yourself, if you haven’t already. In short, remote working has highlighted:
- The critical nature of clear communication, whether it’s through video chat, messaging services such as Slack or rare in-person meetups.
- A flexible work schedule allows everyone to optimize themselves, even if they’re working different hours.
- Distractions take many forms. You might have hated those noisy co-workers, but a crying child or building work next door can be so much worse.
- Your home office should be a space for work, and nothing else.
With these lessons in mind, let’s look at the many different parts that make a great home editing setup work.
All the right gear
A good worker never blames their tools, but a great remote worker is fully entitled to demand the right gear.
Without the right tools to do their job, how can remote workers be expected to replicate their productivity in the office? Whether you’re completely new to the idea of remote working or looking to optimize your setup in the long term, it’s important to make sure you’ve got everything ticked off on your checklist.
In basic terms, this means:
- A robust desk, ideally with enough room for two monitors. An HDMI splitter can be a lifesaver when you’re managing multiple files or audio tracks, even if it can be difficult to find the right model for your machine. Fortunately, StarTech provides guidance for comparing the available options.
- Ergonomic computing equipment (that little extra cost for the basics makes all the difference)
- A strong stable internet connection (don’t forget crucial protection of VPNs to keep your files out of the hands of hackers)
- A good quality headset and headphones
Remote editing, as you might expect, requires a number of additional (often digital) tools. We’re not about to argue for Adobe over AVID or vice versa, but there are some tools we view as essential.
An editing-specific keyboard, color grading panels and bias lighting (never heard of it? How To Geek can help you out) will all immediately boost your productivity and output, allowing you to close off the outside world and enjoy hourly frustrations around the quality of your set up.
Oh, and when it comes to file management, a MAM (media asset manager) is perhaps the smartest investment in time and collaboration you’ll ever make.
Comfort is key
Like any work environment, a home studio should be comfortable. Comfort is one of the cornerstones of a healthy and happy work environment and can be achieved in a number of different ways.
We’ve already touched upon the importance of a comfortable desk with a multi-screen setup, but this thought process extends to every aspect of your remote working environment.
Proper back support from a robust chair, plenty of natural light and consistent airflow all sound like obvious solutions, but they can make a dramatic difference to not just your productivity, but your mental health.
When we’re looking for ways to be more productive, we tend to focus on digital solutions. While optimizing workflow is important (as we’ll come on to later), the physical side of how you work might be the invisible plight holding you back. Anyway, haven’t you always been curious about testing out a standing desk?
Workflow is optimized
Managing workflow has been one of the primary challenges of the pandemic for remote managers and business owners.
Not necessarily just a question of whether your staff is staying productive, workflow is just as much about everyone being on the same page and having access to the progress of a project.
Asset and project management tools such as Asana, ClickUp and Monday.com have been the standout software of the pandemic, allowing managers to stay abreast of where every project is at that moment in time. In the world of editing, where collaboration is key and team members find themselves waiting for the sign-off to begin the next task, this remote collaboration through tools becomes essential.
If you haven’t already, start thinking about gaps in your workflow. Are the admin team failing to alert clients you’re finished editing a project? Perhaps you’re not getting a thorough enough brief. That might not officially be part of your role, but we’re all cogs in a remote working machine, aiming to improve our work lives for the better.
Space for inspiration
Creative roles demand a creative space for that inspiration to truly flourish.
While many view editing as more of a structural task than a creative one, it’s true that editors (whether it’s video or audio) require a certain level of outside inspiration to craft a quality piece that stands out.
What does this look like? Well, ideally that’s personal to you. If you feel inspired to edit guidebooks, surround yourself with those. Need other films to offer you ideas on your next project? Have a selection of your favorites (and something a little different) within reach. If that means a third screen for ‘project research’, so be it!
When it comes to crafting an inspiring setup, the details are up to you! Creativity isn’t a box-checking exercise, so ensure you take some time to experiment and find the solution for yourself.
Editing is both an artistic and a scientific process. It demands the comfort to concentrate and a certain level of inspiration. Everyone will have a different idea of their own ‘perfect’ workstation, but these tips should help guide you towards a space where you feel 99% productive and happy while editing. The other 1% is up to you!
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