5 Tools That Power Our Post Team (and the People Behind Them)
- James Barker
- 19 hours ago
- 4 min read
In post-production, tools matter, but they’re only as powerful as the people using them. At Edits Etc., we rely on programs like Slack, Frame.io, Notion, Adobe, and DaVinci Resolve every single day. These tools help us stay connected, organized, and creatively in sync across time zones and projects.
But at the end of the day, it’s not really about the software. It’s about the people behind the work. In post, it's who, not how, that makes the difference. The right tool helps, but it's the talent, instinct, and experience of the person using it that brings the story to life.
So instead of giving you a generic top five tools list, we asked the team to share how they actually use these programs — real workflows, favorite features, helpful tricks, and why they matter to us.
Slack – Staying Connected in Post
Why is Slack essential for your remote team?
“We’re spread across NYC, New Jersey, Kansas, Chicago, LA, even South Korea. Slack gives us a way to stay organized per project — but more importantly, it gives us a sense of community.”
Has it changed how you handle work-life boundaries?
“Absolutely. With email chains, things get messy. With texts… it just feels invasive. Slack lets us keep everything work-related in one place. And when the day ends? You pause notifications and log off. Done.”
Any custom setups or fun channels?
“Every project gets its own channel, and we have one private one just for the collective. That’s where we share project updates, movies we watched, memes, random thoughts — it’s our digital break room. And even though we’re remote, it makes us feel like a real team.”
Notion – Organizing Projects from Pitch to Delivery
How does Notion help you in post?
“Honestly, I mostly use Notion for personal organization — but it’s great for post too. It becomes a central hub where everything lives: notes, files, project contacts, you name it. You can click into a project and instantly see who’s on it and what they’re doing.”
Any templates or systems you’ve built?
“I’ve built out some databases and linking structures, but designing full page layouts is still a work in progress. I get more use out of the backend systems than the visual stuff right now.”
What sets it apart from something like Slack?
“Slack is great for quick communication, but things get buried. Notion feels more permanent and structured — it’s better for long-term tracking and shared reference material.”
Adobe – Crafting the Creative
Which Adobe tools do you use most — and why?
“Premiere Pro and Media Encoder, hands down. I’ll dip into After Effects when I need to, but those two are my daily drivers. Premiere is flexible and easy to jump into — I don’t need to load up a full Avid session to get something done."
"And Media Encoder? Totally underrated. I’ve built presets that saved us hours when we were exporting all those soap episodes.”
Any editing techniques you swear by?
“I’m big on selects reels and theme reels. I picked that up working in docs. When you’re drowning in footage, it helps to organize by day or theme and build those out as separate timelines.”
“Once those are done, I use pancake editing to build the final cut. I stack timelines, use custom keybinds, and just toggle between them. You’re not pulling from raw footage — you’re pulling from your own refined material.”
What helps you stay organized in Premiere?
Start with a full review of files and folder structures
Color-code: red = not done, yellow = in progress, green = complete
Keep edits traceable back to original sources
“Also: Keybindings. Set them up for everything repetitive. 'Toggle Source/Program Monitor Focus' is a favorite for my workflow. It makes navigating my timelines without a mouse a breeze.”
DaVinci Resolve – Precision Color, Everyday
What Resolve tools do you rely on the most?
“Waveforms and vectorscopes. Once you know how to read them, they’re essential. They guide every decision I make during grading in Davinci Resolve.”
Do you have a go-to process for starting a grade?
“I always begin by locking in exposure and balance. From there, I explore — I’ll push and pull the image until it supports the mood we’re aiming for.”
How do you stay organized across big timelines?
“Power grades and remote grades are my anchors. On massive projects with hundreds or thousands of shots, they keep things consistent without slowing me down.”
Frame.io – Our Go-To Tool for Post Review
How does Frame.io fit into your daily workflow?
“Frame.io makes it easy to share edits with clients and toggle between versions. What I love is that we can use the same link for sound, color, and editorial — so everyone’s notes are in one place.”
Most helpful feature?
“The cross-department visibility. I can share one Frame link with the whole team, and everyone sees what revisions need to happen. It makes collective work feel really streamlined.”
Tips for staying organized in Frame.io?
“Treat it like Premiere or Avid. Keep it clean. Label everything clearly — especially when multiple people are jumping in. If it’s an export, a note, or an upload... nothing goes unlabeled.”
At the end of the day, these tools are only as powerful as the people using them. For us, it’s not just about software—it’s about building smart, creative workflows that help our team stay connected, stay efficient, and deliver great work.
Whether you’re deep into post or just starting out, we hope this gives you a few ideas to sharpen your own toolkit.