The multi-camera show is shot in 4K HD at 23.98fps using RED digital cameras in Portland, Oregon. Dailies are shipped overnight to Los Angeles as RED R3D files, transcoded via REDCINE into Apple ProRes 4:2:2 proxy files, and picture is linked to sound. Three editorial teams rotate to cut an episode every seven days (season three comprises 16 episodes) using Apple Final Cut Pro systems running on a 40TB SAN. All dailies, color correction, mixing and visual effects are done in house.

AJA KONA 3 and KONA LHe video capture cards and a host of converters play a key role in the all-digital workflow. AJA converters are used to view signals pulled off camera directly on set, and KONA cards accelerate ingest of ProRes files into Final Cut, handle the 24-to-30-frame conversion and are integrated into all editing and playback systems to monitor postproduction and color correction.

Electric Entertainment postproduction engineer Bill Ritter says, "We've been working with AJA gear for years. It's incredibly reliable equipment, and we're really happy with the level of support we get from the company."

Leverage editor Brian Gonosey says, "We've been using an all-digital workflow since the very first episode. Once Dean Devlin got a taste of cutting in HD with KONA-enabled ProRes HQ, he wondered why anyone would ever cut in SD again. He adopted this workflow for all of his shows and movies, and he's all about taking risks to get to the next great thing. AJA has always supported us in doing that."

During the off season from Leverage, Electric Entertainment took some time to investigate a 3D playback workflow for features and shorts. They beta-tested the version of AJA's KONA 3 driver that supports 3D stereoscopic output through CineForm's Neo3D software on an animated 3D short that Devlin created for the Cannes Film Festival, and established the solution as its 3D playback workflow going forward.