When it comes to hybrid work, it’s become crystal clear no one has the answer about the “best” and “most effective” way to approach bringing people back into the office. For the kind of creative collaboration editorial and other post specialties need, we may have been able to function successfully working remotely, but could we thrive and continue to evolve our craft and culture? The roster of talent we’ve built — and continue to grow — at Modern Post brings a shared passion for creative excellence to all of their work, which they can complete successfully both individually and as a collective. Therefore, it’s important to us to mindfully design flexible, inviting workspaces that support this cooperative spirit.
The way we see the functionality of our office spaces has shifted —we hope for the better. While continuing to prioritize edit and post suites with state-of-the-art technology and ample room for clients to comfortably work together, we are also breaking ground on renovations in our offices to allow optimized environments for both in-person and remote collaboration, with a focus on more fluid workspaces. While clients who came to our studio for edit sessions always toggled between various projects, they now constantly need space to take video calls. We are looking into ways to offer privacy while also maximizing flexibility. In our NYC plans, we have included an area with a retractable wall that will allow clients and staffers to meet more privately, or even just enjoy a moment of zen.
As we are working towards opening a new space, we deliberately chose a smaller footprint as we get our operations in that office underway, as we have gained an understanding of the unique needs of both work environments, allowing us to tailor the spaces to those needs with new and evolving technology aiding our agility in the way we work and collaborate in our industry. There is so much potential sparked by the tremendous growth and industry acceptance of remote collaboration, but we are also so excited to be working towards a future where we are once again able to work together in- person to learn, provide mentorship and challenge ourselves creatively.
Charlyn Derrick is an EP/Partner at Modern Post (https://modernpost.com) in New York City, which provides editing, color and finishing services for clients that include Gucci, Dior, Michael Kors, Zara and Ralph Lauren.