Our Process | From Brief to Final Master

PHASE 01 · Week 1

Discovery

We take what you have — a script, a deck, a brief, sometimes just a problem — and interrogate it. Who is this for, what does it need to do, and what does it realistically cost to do properly. You get back a treatment, a line budget broken down by department, and a shoot window. If we think the idea needs to change, this is where we say so.

Brief interrogation sessionWritten treatment & approachLine budget by departmentIndicative shoot windowReference reel

PHASE 02 · Weeks 2–4

Pre-production

The unglamorous phase that decides everything. Casting sessions, location recces, permits and liaison, crew lock, storyboards or shot lists, and a shooting schedule built day by day. You approve the cast, the locations and the schedule before anyone loads a truck.

Casting & talent lockLocation recce & permitsCrew and department heads confirmedStoryboards / shot listDay-by-day shooting scheduleInsurance & compliance

PHASE 03 · Scheduled days

Production

Principal photography on our own camera and lighting package, with a first AD whose only job is protecting the day. Daily rushes go to you so nothing is a surprise three weeks later. Client attendance is welcome and a monitor is always set up for it.

Full unit & equipmentOn-set data managementDaily rushes deliveredContinuity & script supervisionContingency built into schedule

PHASE 04 · Weeks 5–9

Post-production

Offline edit first, locked with you before anything expensive happens. Then online, colour grade in the DaVinci suite, sound design and 5.1 mix, VFX and titles. Two review rounds at offline and one at online, collected as consolidated notes rather than a drip feed.

Offline edit & picture lockDaVinci colour gradeSound design & 5.1 mixVFX, clean-up & titlesMusic score or licensing

PHASE 05 · Week 10

Delivery

Masters cut to whatever spec the film needs to live in — DCP for theatrical, broadcast masters, OTT platform specs with QC, and social cutdowns in the correct aspect ratios. Subtitles and dubbing coordinated in-house.

DCP & broadcast mastersOTT specs with platform QCSubtitling & dubbingSocial cutdowns & trailersFull project handover

PHASE 06 · Ongoing

Aftercare

Projects do not end at handover. We archive the project, cut additional versions as the campaign runs, and handle festival submissions where relevant. Your material stays accessible rather than disappearing into someone's dead hard drive.

Project archivalAdditional cutdowns on requestFestival submissionsCampaign supportSource material access

What to expect

Typical timelines.

Indicative only — every project gets a real schedule at the quoting stage.

Project type	Pre-production	Shoot	Post	Brief to master
Single-location brand film	3–5 days	1 day	1–2 weeks	2–3 weeks
Commercial with talent	2–3 weeks	2–4 days	3–4 weeks	6–8 weeks
Music video	1–2 weeks	1–2 days	2–3 weeks	4–6 weeks
Documentary (short form)	2 weeks	5–12 days	4–6 weeks	8–12 weeks
Feature film	6–12 weeks	30–45 days	12–20 weeks	Project-specific

Working with us

The practical questions.

When do we lock the budget?

At the end of the discovery phase, before pre-production starts. You receive a line budget broken down by department, not a single lump figure. Anything that would change it later comes to you as a written variation before we spend.

How many rounds of revision are included?

Two rounds at offline edit and one at online, which covers the large majority of projects. Revisions are collected as one consolidated set of notes per round rather than trickling in, which is what keeps post schedules honest.

Who owns the footage and the final film?

You do, on final payment, as set out in the production agreement. We retain the right to show the finished work in our showreel and portfolio unless the project is under embargo or NDA, which we are happy to accommodate.

What happens if a shoot day is lost to weather?

Contingency days are built into the schedule at the planning stage and priced transparently. Because the equipment is ours rather than rented by the day, a weather hold costs far less to absorb than it would elsewhere. If we lose a day, we tell you the same evening what it costs and what the options are.

Brief to master.