The Pass You Do Want in Film: Quality Control

Quality Control reports are not my favorite reports at all. You charge to the finish line, get your finished product, sprint to your distributor all happy that you made it, only to have them give it back a week later and say, your film didn't pass QC. Here are the issues you have to fix.

Look at all the number 3s (QC reports number the severity of the problem with 3s being issues that must be addressed. 2s should be worked on but they are not as egregious as 3s.) And the fun begins.

You pick the tape back up, run it to your post house, they fix the issues, you run it back, and then you get another report saying, close but no cigar. Eventually it becomes a standoff between creative choice/"it is what it is" and what you can get by with.

These reports really are no fun. And the crazy part is that every time you run a new QC report on a film, there always seems to be a new issue that creeps in. It truly becomes an out of control merry-go-round until someone officially bails out and refuses to go around anymore. At that point, it's up to you and the distributor to say, "it is what it is."

As a perfectionist, it's tough to just say "it is what it is" but there comes a time in life when being just passable is perfectly acceptable. I'll take that pass anyday!