How Studios Manage EPK Photos in 2026

TL;DR: Getting EPK photos from set to press release means coordinating 8+ departments, tracking talent approvals, and meeting strict streaming platform requirements. This guide covers the complete workflow for 2026, from capture to secure distribution.

Ask any assistant director about acquiring photos for a production and you'll hear some version of "it's an absolute nightmare." One AD described needing signatures from the photographer and everyone in the photo, convincing camera operators to take shots when the still photographer isn't scheduled, and ultimately begging the propmaster to help by arguing the photo is technically a prop. When a single image can require input from hair, makeup, costumes, camera, and talent, the complexity adds up fast.

That's the reality of EPK photo management in modern productions. Budget cuts mean still photographers often work just 2 days a week. Streaming platforms expect 4K assets delivered yesterday. And one leaked image can derail an entire marketing campaign. This guide walks through how studios actually handle EPK photos in 2026, including the workflow that works, the specs you need to hit, and the security practices that prevent disasters.

What Are EPK Photos?

Electronic Press Kit (EPK) photos are the production stills, portraits, and behind-the-scenes images that studios provide to media outlets for coverage. They're the visual assets journalists need for articles, reviews, and features about your film or series.

EPK photos typically include:

• Unit stills: On-set photography capturing scenes during production
• Cast portraits: Headshots and character photos for press use
• Behind-the-scenes images: Director at work, crew on set, production moments
• Key art: Hero images used for posters and marketing

What many people don't realize is that EPK content often gets altered before public release. As one ILM compositing supervisor noted, "it is now standard practice to alter pieces of documentary footage from EPK making-of b-roll for public consumption." The same applies to stills. What looks like a candid on-set moment may have been carefully staged, lit, and post-processed.

Why EPK Management Has Changed

The digital asset management market hit $6.59 billion in 2025, with media and entertainment holding the largest segment at 27.9% of that market. That growth reflects a real shift in how studios handle visual assets.

The Volume Explosion

Productions generate thousands of photos per project. Larger features can produce 10,000+ images across a shoot. Here's the catch: to cut costs, most productions limit their still photographer to just 2 days per week (typically when the big names are on set).

That creates a cascade of problems. When you need a photo and the photographer isn't scheduled, you end up improvising. Camera operators get asked to take shots. Propmasters get roped in. Photos get taken in front of grey seamless backdrops outside trailers, in outfits from the wrong scene.

Streaming Platform Demands

Netflix, Disney+, Amazon, and Apple TV+ all have specific requirements for publicity assets. Gone are the days of delivering whatever resolution you happened to shoot. Platforms expect 4K minimum, print-ready delivery, and assets that work across everything from mobile thumbnails to Times Square billboards.

Security is Non-Negotiable

The Disney breach in July 2024 exposed over 4 million Slack messages, 18,800 spreadsheets, and 13,000 PDFs. The average data breach now costs $4.88 million. 68% of breaches involve human error, like someone clicking a phishing link or sharing access with the wrong person.

As one creative director put it, "Trust is the new currency, even more so than creative, with every single project being scrutinized to the penny." Studios can't afford leaks. That makes secure photo management a requirement, not a nice-to-have.

The Modern EPK Photo Workflow

Here's how the process actually works, from set to distribution.

Step 1: Capture on Set

The unit still photographer documents production during filming. They capture scene moments, actor performances, and the visual elements that will represent your project to the world.

Smart photographers apply metadata at capture or during daily downloads. Scene numbers, episode codes, cast members present, location tags. This information becomes searchable later, saving hours of manual sorting. Following IPTC metadata standards ensures your files carry this data wherever they go.

The challenge: most photographers work limited schedules. When they're not on set, productions improvise (poorly).

Step 2: Ingest and Organize

Daily downloads from set need to go somewhere organized. This is where the right tools make a real difference.

Modern automatic tagging can analyze images and apply relevant labels. Instead of manually tagging 500 photos from a day's shoot, the system identifies scenes, recognizes faces, and categorizes content. Studies show proper organization reduces asset search time by up to 40%.

Face recognition specifically helps with cast identification. When you need every photo of a particular actor, you shouldn't be scrolling through thousands of images. The system should surface them instantly.

Smart collections take this further by automatically grouping related assets. Photos from Episode 3? Cast photos for the lead? BTS from the practical effects day? Collections build themselves based on rules you define.

Step 3: Talent Approval

This is where things get complicated. Talent contracts often specify approval rights over their likeness. Some actors approve a percentage of images. Others have kill rights on everything.

The practical reality, as one AD described it: "You need the photos ASAP so you're literally asking for personal photos right after introducing yourself, which is a tough ask."

A proper talent approval workflow tracks:

• Which cast members need to approve which images
• Contractual approval percentages
• Kill tracking across both solo and group shots
• Secure review access for talent and their representatives

Without this tracking, you're exposed. Using an image that talent rejected (or never approved) creates liability.

Step 4: Curation and Selection

Not every photo goes to press. From thousands of raw images, you're selecting the dozens that represent your project.

Curation means identifying:

• Key art candidates (the hero shots)
• Platform-specific needs (Netflix wants different crops than Instagram)
• Spoiler avoidance (that background detail might reveal a plot point)
• Production value (the shots that showcase your work best)

Step 5: Secure Distribution

The final step is getting approved assets to the people who need them, and only those people.

Role-based access controls determine who sees what:

• Publicists get full access
• Talent reps see only their client's images
• Journalists get time-limited, watermarked downloads
• Internal teams see everything, external partners see approved selections

Watermarking with user identification means you can trace any leak back to its source. Audit trails record every view and download. If something gets out, you know who had access.

Platform Requirements in 2026

Each streaming platform has specific requirements for publicity assets. Here's what you need to know:

Universal Requirements

Across all platforms, you'll need:

• Print-ready output: No manual upscaling. Assets should be natively high-resolution.
• Clean backgrounds: Temporary backdrops and grey seamless don't cut it for hero images.
• Consistent color grading: Your publicity stills should match your project's look.
• Multiple formats: Social crops, vertical stories, horizontal heroes, square thumbnails.

Netflix specifically requires assets that work for "OOH, print, film, stunts, and digital" without waiting for additional processing. Their design system emphasizes "precision studio lighting" and "premium brand presentation."

Security Best Practices

With breach costs averaging $4.88 million and organizations taking 194 days on average just to identify that a breach occurred, prevention matters more than response.

Access Control

Start with the principle of least privilege. People should have access to exactly what they need for their role, nothing more.

• Publicists: Full library access
• Talent reps: Their client's images only
• Press: Approved selections with watermarks and time limits
• Internal teams: Tiered by department and project involvement

Audit Everything

Every view, every download, every share should be logged. When (not if) something leaks, you need to trace it. Watermarks that identify the downloader make this possible.

The Human Factor

68% of breaches involve human error. That means:

• Training people to recognize phishing attempts
• Not sharing login credentials
• Being skeptical of unusual access requests
• Reporting suspicious activity immediately

Technology helps. But people are usually the weak link.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using unauthorized images: When budgets get tight, teams sometimes use candid or stolen images instead of commissioning proper shoots. As one senior concept designer put it bluntly, this means "photographers, makeup artists, hair stylists, set crew, all that stuff out the window because cheapskates didn't wanna pay anyone for professional-grade photos." Beyond the ethics, it's a legal and PR liability.

Treating photo management as an afterthought: Start during pre-production. Define your workflow, set up your systems, brief your photographer. Don't wait until you're drowning in thousands of unsorted images.

Ignoring talent approval tracking: If you can't prove an image was approved, assume it wasn't. Contractual violations carry consequences.

One-size-fits-all delivery: Netflix has different specs than Disney+. Instagram needs different crops than theatrical posters. Build platform-specific exports into your workflow.

No audit trail: If you can't trace who accessed what and when, you can't investigate leaks or prove compliance.

FAQ

How many photos does a typical production generate?

Thousands. Larger features can produce 10,000+ images across a shoot, which is why organization and searchability matter so much.

What's the standard turnaround for EPK delivery?

Major press events and premieres often require same-day delivery. Streaming platforms expect print-ready assets without manual processing delays.

Do talent always need to approve every photo?

It depends on their contract. Some actors have kill rights on everything, others approve only a percentage. Productions track these requirements per cast member.

What resolution do streaming platforms require?

4K UHD minimum across the board. Netflix specifically requires 14 stops of dynamic range and print-ready delivery without upscaling.

What happens if EPK photos leak?

Leaks can derail marketing campaigns, damage relationships with talent, and erode trust with platforms. With average breach costs at $4.88 million and 194 days to even identify breaches, prevention is the only viable strategy.

Key Takeaways

• EPK management is a team sport: A single photo can require 8+ departments. Build your workflow around coordination, not heroics.
• Proper organization cuts search time by 40%: Automatic tagging, face recognition, and smart collections turn thousands of images into a searchable library.
• Platform specs are non-negotiable: 4K minimum, platform-specific formats, print-ready delivery. Know the requirements before you shoot.
• Security is about people, not just tech: 68% of breaches involve human error. Train your team, limit access, audit everything.
• Start early: The best time to set up your EPK workflow is pre-production. The second best time is now.

The tools and workflows will keep evolving. As one creative director observed, "The only thing that truly matters now is resilience, taste, and the ability to adapt." The studios that thrive are the ones that build systems flexible enough to handle whatever comes next, while keeping the fundamentals solid: organize your assets, secure your access, and deliver what platforms need.

Ready to streamline your EPK workflow? ReelStorage combines automatic tagging, talent approvals, and secure distribution in one platform built specifically for production teams. See how it works or get started today.

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Sources: Netflix Partner Help Center, Mordor Intelligence DAM Report, NordLayer Data Breach Report