Most Financially Damaging On-Set Error for Indie Post: Your Experience?

Hey everyone,

I'm Sara, a Post-Production Supervisor, and I'm currently prepping for an indie feature that's shaping up to be quite ambitious, even with our leaner budget. We'll be shooting with a mix of an ALEXA Mini and a KOMODO, and I'm pushing for thorough data capture on set, using tools like the MixPre-6 II for sound and ensuring robust DIT protocols. We're planning for some VFX-heavy sequences, so things like clean plates and lens grids are on my radar.

I've seen the usual list of on-set errors that can cause headaches in post, missing reference photos, messed up frame rates, audio issues, poor data wrangling, or failing to get that crucial clean plate. While all of these are problematic, I'm trying to identify the absolute worst-case scenario for an indie production with tight margins.

From your experience, which single, avoidable on-set mistake, if missed, typically results in the most financially devastating cost or delay in post-production for an indie film?