Why “fix it in post” is the four most dangerous words in video production

If you work in video production, there’s a good chance you’ve muttered the phrase “fix it in post” at least once. Maybe twice. Maybe… 472 times. It’s the duct tape of digital storytelling. The problem is, unlike duct tape, it doesn’t hold anything together—it just transfers the mess to someone else. In my case? My wife. Who happens to be our editor.

We run Episode 11 Productions together. I’m the director and lead creative on set. My wife, Beth, is the post-production sorceress. She color grades, sound mixes, and edits until your boring talking-head interview looks like it belongs in Cannes. But every time I hear myself say “we’ll fix it in post,” I also hear the sound of our marriage unraveling. Softly. But steadily. Like a thread being pulled from the back of a wedding dress.

The Day It All Went Too Far

We were on location in Statesville, North Carolina. Shooting a promo for a dog food brand. Easy, right? Until the golden retriever ate the prop steak, the CEO forgot his lines, and the boom mic fell into the shot. I, ever the optimist, waved my hand and said, “Don’t worry. We’ll fix it in post.”

Beth was not on set that day. But when she opened the footage later, her scream registered on the Richter scale. I believe the neighbors thought we were reenacting a Godzilla film.

She walked into my office, holding a USB drive like it was evidence from a crime scene, and said: “If you say ‘fix it in post’ one more time, I’m going to edit your face onto a screaming goat and upload it to our website.” Fair.

Why “Fix It in Post” Hurts Everyone

The phrase “fix it in post” sounds like a solution. In reality, it’s a time bomb. What you’re really saying is:

  • We didn’t light this scene properly.
  • We didn’t record clean audio.
  • We forgot a crucial shot.
  • We didn’t plan this out at all.

And now the editor has to spend twice the time, triple the caffeine, and four times the therapy bill to salvage it.

When you say “fix it in post,” you’re not saving time. You’re borrowing trouble from your future self—or, in my case, your spouse.

A Marriage-Saving Solution

We made a pact. If I say “fix it in post” more than once per shoot, I owe Beth a spa day. If I say it twice, I owe her a vacation. And if I ever say it during a wedding shoot again, she gets to Photoshop me into the background of all the family photos. Wearing Crocs. With socks.

This simple system has dramatically improved our workflow, our marriage, and our footage. I now plan better, light better, and direct with an eye toward post. Because I like sleeping indoors.

The Final Cut

“Fix it in post” isn’t just a phrase. It’s a slippery slope. A slow-motion car crash with Davinci Resolve open in the passenger seat. It might feel like a safety net, but more often, it’s a trap door. A funny one. But still a trap.

So next time you’re tempted to whisper those four cursed words, ask yourself: do you want to make life easier? Or do you want to spend the weekend explaining why your editor-wife replaced your voice with a rubber chicken?

The answer should be clear. Because some things can be fixed in post. But marriage? That one you have to get right in pre-production.

Citations

Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow
American Cinematographer Magazine. (2020). “Why Pre-Production Is the Best Production.”
Adobe Blog. (2022). “Top 10 Things Editors Wish You’d Stop Saying”