3 Automations to Future-Proof Your Media Career

Posted on: Aug 14, 2025

Photo Credit: iStock Photo | izusek

By Daniel Raybin

The unscripted industry is in turmoil. Orders are paused, budgets slashed and uncertainty hangs over every inbox. But here’s the thing: when the dust settles, the landscape won’t look the same. The question is, will you?

If you’re unemployed right now, this isn’t downtime — it’s your opportunity to get ahead. The shows that come back won’t operate like before. Teams will need efficiency, clarity and tools that cut through the noise. If you’re still managing your workflows with the same old spreadsheets and Slack chases, you’re already behind.

Key Insights

  1. The unscripted industry’s shift toward asynchronous work demands new digital workflows.

  2. Mastering automation tools like Airtable, Slack, Notion, and Frame.io can eliminate bottlenecks and confusion.

  3. Future job security relies on adaptability, self-learning, and streamlining processes.

Remote work has shifted the job market fundamentally toward asynchronous, task-based roles. You take a task, complete it independently, then deliver it back clearly and on time. If you’re uncomfortable with Slack, struggle with managing email attachments, or can’t adapt quickly, you’ll fall behind. Being adaptable and proactive is no longer optional, it’s essential.

Use this moment to arm yourself with new tools — practical solutions you can bring into your next job interview. We’re not here to provide generic résumé tips or rehearse tired interview questions. The marketplace can’t sustain people who outsource their thinking to their direct boss anymore. It requires self-education, a willingness to dive deep into support documentation and the courage to break things as you learn. Figure things out for yourself and get your hands dirty. Right now, you have the time; it’s worth it.

When a potential employer asks how you’ll add value, don’t just talk about your past experience. Show them you’ve learned how to streamline chaos, track approvals and cut out wasted hours. And if they don’t ask about efficiency and clarity, you should ask yourself if they’re equipped to survive.

Companies operating as if it were “business as usual,” are shutting down. If anyone tells you, “That’s the way we’ve always done it,” run.

Ready to separate yourself from the pack? Here’s how you can outsmart post mayhem with three simple routines that transform your workflow:

3 Automations to Learn Now

Routine 1: Instant Status Updates (Airtable + Slack)
Create a simple Airtable base to manage tasks and scripts, then link it to Slack. Status updates trigger automatic Slack notifications to the right people. This eliminates bottlenecks and manual follow-ups. Filter by role for tailored clarity, empowering your team to instantly understand progress.

Routine 2: Centralized Collaboration (Notion + Frame.io)
Embed Frame.io directly within a Notion page to unify revisions and feedback. This integration ensures everyone works from one clear, trackable source. Daily huddles reinforce accountability and maintain real-time alignment. No more lost notes or redundant revisions.

Routine 3: No-Code Request Tracking (Airtable Forms + Slack)
Build an Airtable form that automatically generates structured Slack alerts for requests like exports and footage loading. Every request becomes a clear, accountable ticket. This streamlined workflow ensures overnight and shift-change clarity, preventing lost tasks and boosting efficiency.

Be the Streamliner

Routine combo: Airtable + Slack instant status pings

Picture this: as soon as a script, export or deliverable moves forward, everyone who needs to know gets a heads up automatically. No frantic check-ins, no buried emails, no confusion about what’s next.

Step 1: Set up an Airtable base tracking your current shows, scripts and key tasks. Each record has a status field: “In Prep,” “Needs Notes,” “Ready for Edit,” “Locked,” “Delivered.”

Step 2: When anyone updates a status (one click), Airtable fires a Slack alert directly to whoever’s up next. Producers, AEs, editors, and PMs get notified only when it’s their turn. No more noise, just clarity.

Step 3: The entire team (from PA to VP) can open Airtable and see where every piece stands. One view shows what’s moving, what’s stalled and what’s coming due.

No more waiting for someone to reply, no more bottlenecks hiding out in a text thread. Handoffs happen instantly, and visibility is built in.

Extra Mile: Filter the view by role so each team member sees just what matters for their day, but leaders can scan the whole pipeline without chasing down status.

Payoff: You’re not just tracking tasks, you’re moving them. Every step is visible, every handoff is smooth, and nobody’s left in the dark. That’s how real crews avoid overtime, missed notes and the dreaded “Where’s that file?” scramble.

Clarity in Chaos

Routine combo: Notion shared notes + Frame.io time-coded comments

Few things in post-production cause more frustration than changes after “Picture Lock,” especially when your team isn’t on the same page. Producers, editors and showrunners often work from different documents, email threads and legal notes or comments that get lost or overlooked. Here’s a reliable way to keep everyone aligned:

Step 1: Set up a Notion page enabling clear “Pending/Resolved” toggles to easily track status.

Step 2: Embed your Frame.io review link directly into your Notion page (no more hopping between apps).

Step 3: Pull must-fix, time-coded comments straight from Frame.io into Notion. As edits progress, team members toggle comments between “Pending” and “Resolved.”

This routine creates a single, shared source of truth. Everyone works from the same playbook, no one gets blindsided, and relocks happen faster, with fewer headaches.

Extra Mile: Schedule quick daily huddles focused solely on the Notion page to keep everyone accountable and aware.

Payoff: Instant team alignment, reducing confusion, frustration and redundant revisions. One truth, no noise.

Automation Without Code – Requests That Never Get Lost

Routine combo: Airtable requests form → Slack actionable alerts

No more buried DMs, missed texts or waking up to “Who’s handling this?” chaos. The old way: editors and AEs scribble export or footage load requests wherever (Slack, email, a Post-it if you’re lucky). The new way? Everything is logged, tracked and answered, even if it lands at 2 a.m.

Step 1: Build a simple Airtable form called “Request.” Staff drop in export pulls, footage load needs or any handoff that would normally get lost in chat.

Step 2: Every request instantly triggers a Slack alert, tagging only the right channel or team member, and dropping action buttons like “Got it” or ✅ “Done” for quick claim and close-out.

Step 3: The next shift starts, opens Slack, and every request from overnight is sitting there. Nothing is lost, no surprises and no ping-pong back and forth.

Bonus: As this habit grows, you’re not just handling requests, you’re building a lightweight, no-code ticket system. Every request is trackable, searchable and accountable. Everyone from AEs to VPs can see what’s open, what’s done and where things stand.

Extra Mile: Set up filters or “priority” tags for rush requests or critical deliveries, so real fire drills are flagged, not buried.

Payoff: Handoffs land cleanly. Nothing slips through the cracks. Crew morale goes up, and your workflow starts to feel like it was built for professionals (because it was).

Simple Wins Compound

In the end, surviving and thriving in the unscripted industry isn’t about knowing how to format a résumé or rehearsing canned interview responses. It’s about embracing change, teaching yourself new skills and mastering tools that future-proof your career. The opportunity is now. Dive into documentation, break things, learn and adapt. The future won’t wait, and neither should you.

Ready to stay ahead of the curve? Start exploring support documents and mastering these essential tools today. Your future self (and your next employer) will thank you.

And if you’d rather outsource the wiring entirely? That’s exactly what we do at SAMEpg.

Key Takeaways

  1. Set up Airtable + Slack integrations for instant, role-specific status updates.

  2. Combine Notion and Frame.io to centralize feedback and keep teams aligned.

  3. Use Airtable forms + Slack alerts to ensure no request or task slips through the cracks.

Daniel Raybin is the founder of SAMEpg, the Post‑as‑a‑Service team already running post for premium and long‑form content. A former VP of Post Production, he builds systems that turn chaos into clarity.

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