Harbor Picture Company welcomes Jason T. Morrow as Supervising Dailies Producer UK

Harbor Picture Company has announced the appointment of Jason T. Morrow as Supervising Dailies Producer UK, bringing with him over a decade of experience supporting major studio productions to Harbor’s growing global presence.

Jason previously led UK dailies operations at another major studio. A widely respected figure amongst the studio and filmmaking industry, his impressive portfolio includes recent titles including Andor (Seasons 1 & 2), Masters of the Air, Black Widow, and Here.

With a deep command of the dailies process and a reputation for cultivating strong creative partnerships, Jason has become a trusted collaborator for filmmakers and studios alike. His ability to blend technical precision with a people-first approach makes him the go-to collaborator for dailies projects of all scales.

Jason’s industry knowledge and hands-on experience are matched by his talent for building trusted, collaborative relationships with artists and executives alike. His people-first approach aligns perfectly with Harbor’s culture and our commitment to creative partnership.

Thom Berryman, UK Managing Director, Feature and Episodic at Harbor

Jason will lead Harbor’s UK dailies operations from the company’s London studio, overseeing a growing slate of high-end film and television productions.

This appointment comes as Harbor continues its strategic growth in the UK, including its recent expansion at Shepperton Studios, further reinforcing its commitment to delivering world-class post-production services at the heart of the UK’s production landscape.

Troubadour Studios announce launch of JFX

The newly created VFX company inherits the Jellyfish VFX team and trademark.

Troubadour, the independent company behind a collection of flexible studios and theatres for the creative industries, has announced the launch of JFX (Jellyfish FX), a new boutique visual effects studio formed by the former leadership team behind Jellyfish Pictures’ VFX division.

JFX is a fresh venture under the Troubadour Studios banner, having acquired the trademark and branding rights from Jellyfish. The company insignia incorporates the recognised Jellyfish name, with full support from Phil Dobree, original Jellyfish Pictures founder.

JFX reunites Phil Greenlow (Managing Director), Luke Dodd (Creative Director), Amber Ducker (Head of Production), Paul Baaske (Head of Technology), Jamie Wood (Head of 2D) and Pete Seager (Head of CG) as its founders and leadership team.

Operating from production offices on Shaftesbury Avenue in London, JFX will focus on film and episodic VFX initially. Built around a lean operating structure, the company’s future-facing pipeline is designed to access fast-evolving Computer Graphics software and leverage advancements in Machine Learning, staying agile to all forms of visual entertainment.

We’ve been incredibly fortunate to join forces with Troubadour Studios to launch JFX. There’s a great sense of legacy having come from Jellyfish Pictures, coupled with a getting-the-band-back-together excitement, so we’re highly motivated at the opportunity to build upon the values and working relationships we all enjoyed before. After a tough period for the industry, it’s a tonic to be collaborating again with our community of artists, as well as welcoming new faces, and working with some amazing clients to sculpt a VFX company designed for our fast-evolving industry.

Phil Greenlow, Managing Director at JFX

We’re thrilled to welcome JFX into the Troubadour family. The incredible legacy and talent behind Jellyfish is well storied, and we’re excited to support this outstanding team as they chart a bold, innovative path in visual effects. Their energy, creativity, and commitment to harnessing cutting-edge technology aligns perfectly with our vision of fostering creativity and excellence across all areas of storytelling.

Vince Woods, Head of Studios at Troubadour

It’s great to see the Jellyfish name back again with a new company backed with investment from Troubadour. This will generate new jobs after a difficult time for the sector. I look forward to seeing the talented and experienced team continuing to produce excellent and exciting work.

Neil Hatton MBE, CEO of UK Screen Alliance

It’s fantastic to see the launch of Jellyfish FX (JFX). Following a challenging period for the industry globally, the UK has made changes to ensure we’re in a stronger position than ever to accommodate VFX work on projects of all scales and sizes. Complementing our world-class VFX infrastructure and talent pool, our tax credit has been increased for VFX spend in the UK on features and HETV, and a nearly 40% credit for lower budget features introduced.

Continuing the legacy of its predecessor, Jellyfish, JFX offers the creative and technical expertise our international clients have come to expect from the UK. JFX joining forces with Troubadour Studios, another key BFC infrastructure stakeholder, is an exciting partnership that we look forward to introducing to clients. So this new addition to our VFX offer is a huge boost for our VFX community and for the UK.

Adrian Wootton OBE, Chief Executive of the British Film Commission

JFX is active on its first two projects, feature films for Netflix, with work on three series on order. Prior to the launch, the team recently delivered VFX for BAFTA-nominated Lee, Black Mirror Season 7, Gangs of London Season 3, The Rig Season 2, and upcoming series for Apple TV and Amazon MGM.

£75 million funding boost for UK’s world-class film and TV industry as part of landmark new Sector Plan

UK Screen Alliance welcomes the government’s investment in the UK’s film and TV industry to secure the nation’s position as a world-leading production hub.

• Funding will support new £75 million Screen Growth Package to develop UK film and TV industry.
• Funding forms part of the wider Industrial Strategy, which aims to grow the economy and deliver the Government’s Plan for Change.
• National Film and Television School to also benefit from £21 million funding from government and sector.

The Screen Growth Package forms a central pillar of the Creative Industries Sector Plan, designed to enhance the UK’s status as a global creative superpower by 2035. The strategic funding will deliver benefits across the UK screen industry by:

• Expanding the UK Global Screen Fund to £18 million annually (2026-2029) to develop international business capabilities, enable co-productions and showcase independent UK screen content worldwide.
• Investing £10 million to expand the National Film and Television School at its primary site in Beaconsfield, unlocking £11 million in investment from industry and private supporters, including from the Walt Disney Company, the Dana and Albert R. Broccoli Foundation and Sky. It will help to modernise its facilities, making them fully accessible for students with disabilities, and train 2,000 new trainees and apprentices over the next decade.
• Opening pathways for young people from underrepresented backgrounds through a significantly expanded BFI Film Academy, providing hands-on filmmaking experience and specialist training for 16-25 year olds.
• Investing £25 million in the businesses which are creating the next phase of augmented reality and motion capture technology, which has been used for productions including Wicked, A Picture of Dorian Gray and Those About To Die. This will fund five new CoSTAR research and development labs, which will help develop the next phase of augmented reality and motion capture technology. It will also fund two showcase spaces to demonstrate new createch, film, TV and games innovations to investors.
• On top of the bespoke £75 million in the Screen Growth Package, a new £150 million Creative Places Growth Fund will also be devolved to six Mayoral Strategic Authorities. From Manchester to Bristol, Birmingham to Sunderland this funding will allow local leaders to support development of regional screen agencies and production funds to boost our film and TV clusters across the country.

From Barbie and Killing Eve to Adolescence and Saltburn, the UK already has a stellar track record of producing award-winning films and cutting-edge TV which are enjoyed by millions at home and around the world.

But I want us to go further and to cement the UK as the best place on earth to make film and television, as we deliver our Plan for Change. This landmark Sector Plan puts the creative industries at the heart of our economic growth strategy and is key to making that ambition a reality.

Lisa Nandy, Culture Secretary

The package will also strengthen the UK’s international appeal through continued support for the prestigious BFI London Film Festival and funding for the British Film Commission to attract further inward investment.

The plan provides foundations for the Government to take action to support public service media and the wider television ecosystem, building on the Media Act and Ofcom’s public service media review which is due this summer. The BBC Charter Review will also launch later this year, to set the BBC up for success long into the future.

The Screen Growth Package is one element of the full Creative Industries Sector Plan, part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy, identifying the film and TV industry as a high-growth sub-sector along with music, video games, and advertising.

This extensive funding package for the screen sector, follows on from competitive incentives for visual effects, animation and independent film introduced over the last couple of years. Together they put the UK in a strong position to cement our world leading position as a creative powerhouse, with growth and jobs in these high tech, high innovation and high productivity sectors.

Neil Hatton MBE, CEO of UK Screen Alliance

The UK is home to highly skilled and exceptionally creative artists, technologists, and thinkers who push the boundaries of what’s possible. The Creative Industries Sector Plan is a powerful show of support to those working in visual effects, film, TV, advertising, and immersive experiences. It will release unlocked potential and open doors to a new wave of talent across the country, giving them the confidence to build their skills, ideas, and innovations here, cementing the UK’s position as a global leader for years to come.

Mel Sullivan, Framestore

We’re pleased the Government recognises that our world-class screen industries drive regional growth and add billions to the UK economy—and that the BFI plays an important part in that success. Through the BFI Film Academy we open doors for young people from under-represented backgrounds.

The UK Global Screen Fund helps UK screen businesses expand into overseas markets, while our work with creative clusters, partners providing industry support services and the CoSTAR research labs attracts fresh investment. And every autumn, the BFI London Film Festival brings global cinema and international filmmakers to audiences here and shines a light on UK creativity worldwide.

Ben Roberts, Chief Executive of BFI

The real world impact of the Sector Plan in action will be felt through the NFTS’s expanded ability to train world-class, diverse talent and fuel growth in a sector where the UK is a global leader.

In a challenging climate for the creative industries, the support from the government isn’t just welcome, it’s strategic. This investment in the NFTS reinforces a commitment to skills, innovation, and the long-term future of the creative economy.

Jon Wardle, Director of National Film and Television School

The full Creative Industries Sector Plan can be downloaded here.

Digital Orchard appoints Craig Parker to lead Orchard Film client services

Digital Orchard welcomes Craig Parker to their Orchard Film team in a newly-created client-focused role.

Digital Orchard has announced the appointment of Craig Parker to the newly created role of Producer – Film Services, designed to enhance support for their clients across the board.

In this new role, Craig will act as the primary point of contact for all Digital Orchard and Kodak Film Lab London clients, ensuring they are fully supported and informed at every stage of their journey. Based at Kodak Film Lab London, Craig will manage communications and workflows between Orchard Film, Kodak Film Lab London, and the wider Digital Orchard team, ensuring seamless collaboration for all clients.

With over two decades of experience in post-production, Craig brings a deep understanding of both the creative and technical processes behind high-end film and television. Originally from South Africa, his career includes work on notable titles such as Bridget Jones, Maze Runner, Black Sails, and Strike Back. His career has developed from dailies colourist, final colourist, technical manager, workflow supervisor and most recently a senior dailies producer working on big budget productions.

We’re very pleased to welcome Craig to the team. His depth of experience and technical knowledge make him an incredible asset, and his appointment marks an exciting step forward in our commitment to delivering the highest level of service to our film clients.

Callum Just, CEO of Digital Orchard Group

This position further strengthens the strategic partnership between Kodak Film Lab London and Digital Orchard, enabling us to combine our expertise and deliver a seamless, unified workflow for all our valued clients. Together, we’re continuing to raise the standard of service and innovation in film production’.

Antonio Rasura, Director of Motion Picture Services at Kodak

This appointment marks a continued investment in the future of film, reinforcing our commitment to celluloid excellence and ensuring the highest level of service for productions working on film. Craig’s blend of creative insight and technical know-how makes him the ideal person to support our clients and help them get the most out of their projects – from shoot through to post.

Union go intergalactic for Black Mirror: USS Callister

Union was the lead VFX vendor for the finale of Black Mirror’s seventh series, USS Callister: Into Infinity.

This feature-length episode is a sequel to the acclaimed series four opener, USS Callister, first released in 2017. Written by Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker and directed by Toby Haynes for Netflix, the episode revisits the original characters and storyline. The plot resumes with Captain Nanette Cole and her remaining crew struggling to survive within the Infinity game while grappling with the consequences of their digital existence on their real-world counterparts.

Union’s extensive VFX work encompassed over 200 shots – many of them complex, fully CG – and delivered by more than 90 artists across Union’s London and Montréal studios. DFX Supervisors David Schneider in London and Iain Read in Montréal led the charge, supported by Tallulah Baker producing across both sites. Together, they worked closely with overall VFX Supervisor James MacLachlan and VFX Producer Josie Henwood to bring the episode’s striking visuals to life.

Union’s remit covered the entire episode – from hero spaceships and teleportation to respawning effects, expansive galactic environments and a climactic showdown around the colossal Heart of Infinity.

Spaceships and battles

The episode’s epic space battles bring a distinctly Black Mirror spin to the genre. Union was given access to the original USS Callister model and brought it up to date for their cutting-edge USD-based CG pipeline.

The final battle, staged in the dark and dangerous heart of the Infinity game, was realised with strong, hard lighting and atmospheric effects to create an ominous, charged atmosphere.

We took the designs of the fighter jets, modelled them and accentuated them with coloured emissive lights reflecting the costume design of each character. This really helped the audience follow the action and added that retro game feel.

The action constantly evolved through collaboration with Toby, Charlie and the VFX production team. Union was supplied with previs mapping out the action beats which was ingested into our pipeline once we entered full production. We were then able to iterate on the animation until we achieved a clear, exciting action sequence true to the Black Mirror world.

David Schneider, DFX Supervisor at Union

Heart of Infinity

The Heart of Infinity was the largest CG build of the episode. The team began with a concept supplied by Toby Haynes, Charlie Brooker and Production Designer Miranda Jones. The brief involved large concentric rings rotating around one another in an ominous fashion. Union modelled and animated the Heart of Infinity, presenting various iterations before settling on enormous concentric rings constructed from computer parts, passing around one another at high speed, chopping like guillotines.

Teleportation and fragging

Teleportation is a key element of the episode, with characters using it to travel between the spaceship and planets. The teleportation effect is visually distinct, with characters dissolving into digital cubes, reflecting the game-world aesthetic. David Schneider worked closely with the production’s creative team to establish the look.

We came up with the idea of how, in games, you have elements that progress from low detail to high detail as more data is loaded. We used this as the concept behind the teleporting. The first thing you see is a low-resolution, blocky structure, roughly the shape of the character. It then refines through several levels, resolving into the exact scan of the character’s body. It was a lot of fun to develop, and you really get the feeling of being in a video game. We carried that concept through to the design of what happens when somebody gets killed in the game – players explode into a shower of digital cubes.

David Schneider, DFX Supervisor at Union

Environments & LED screens

To create the show’s expansive galactic environments, the shows production team drew on the work of artist Mark Kolobaev, whose concepts were adapted into animated, moving images by Union.

The production also embraced a large LED wall for the Callister Bridge’s viewport, giving the cast real images to interact with and enabling natural lighting from the on-screen visuals. This approach created realistic reflections on the chrome surfaces of the set, reducing reliance on green screens and cutting down on green spill.

Union delivered high-resolution sequences of space environments, planets, hyperspace and laser fire effects for live playback on the LED wall, with green and grey screens available at the push of a button.

Union have recently completed work on 28 Years Later (Sony/Danny Boyle) and the newly released Mountainhead (HBO/Jesse Armstrong).

Black Mirror Season 7 is streaming now on Netflix. Watch the VFX breakdown reel below.

From fossil to frame: Lola reimagines the age of dinosaurs for BBC Studios’ Walking With Dinosaurs

BBC Studios’ Science Unit has reimagined one of its most iconic titles with a bold new vision in Walking with Dinosaurs, a six-part series that blends the latest scientific discoveries with natural history storytelling.

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The production was created in close collaboration with Lola Post (now marking its 25^th year), who crafted the visual effects and animation for the series. Working together with the BBC Science Unit throughout production, Lola delivered scientifically authentic sequences that bring the prehistoric world to life.

Led by Executive VFX Supervisor Rob Harvey, VFX Supervisors He Sun, Sam Reed, and Cesar Nunes, Executive Producer Katherine Smith and VFX Producers Lizzie Hill, Sam Rocca and Rebecca Kelly, Lola completed 791 shots. More than 200 VFX artists contributed to the project, working across every stage of the pipeline, from preproduction to final frame, to deliver a scientifically accurate prehistoric experience.

Lola’s work began with storyboarding and real-time previsualisation in Unreal Engine. Using the series director’s vision and scripts, the team planned out sequences ahead of global location shoots in the UK, Portugal, Canada, Scotland, and Spain. Lola’s data capture team visited each location to gather reference photos, lighting information, and details about the local environment and vegetation, everything needed to help the digital dinosaurs blend naturally into the real-world scenes.

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Working closely with the BBC Studios Science Unit, Lola created 21 unique dinosaur species — including Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Albertosaurus, and Gastonia. Each creature was meticulously built from the inside out, layering bone, muscle, skin, scales, and feathers. Guided by the latest scientific research in close collaboration with leading palaeontologists, the team realised the dinosaurs based on the most current understanding of their anatomy and behaviour.

For each shot, Lola’s animation team followed extensive studies in real-world animal behaviour, allowing even the subtlest gestures, a head twitch, an alert posture, a cautious glance, to convey credible emotion and intention. Custom animation cycles, reviewed and approved by scientific advisors, were developed for a wide range of behaviours including hunting, herding, and courtship rituals. These cycles fed into Lola’s crowd systems, enabling realistic simulations of mass migrations involving thousands of independently behaving Edmontosaurus and Pachyrhinosaurus.

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Several key sequences pushed the boundaries of creative and technical execution. The pond sequence was especially complex, spanning three environments, above water, underwater, and shoreline, and required precise environmental blending and FX integration. The burning forest sequence combined practical fire elements with dense CG foliage and volumetric effects, rendered in Unreal Engine. For the climactic Triceratops battle, Lola stitched together multiple live-action plates in Nuke to create expansive environments that supported dynamic dinosaur movement and staging. The series culminates in the final hunt, featuring CG stampedes and dramatic creature interactions.

Walking With Dinosaurs marked a milestone for Lola, with Unreal Engine used not only for previsualisation but also for some shot’s final pixel renders. Full sequences, including underwater and forest environments, were developed entirely in-engine, accelerating workflows and enabling rapid iteration while maintaining cinematic quality. To ensure visual cohesion between live-action and CG, lens data from physical cameras was applied to Unreal-rendered shots, allowing seamless cuts between formats.

ADRENALINE Studios expand into France

The London-based dubbing specialist further strengthen their offering in Europe.

The prolific dubber and producer of audio description has announced the addition of a new facility in the French city of Lyon, growing their service offering in the process. Carole Tranchand will run and provide the creative direction within the facility.

The creation of ADRENALINE Studios France adds a further four studios to the growing group, and will play an important role in bolstering much needed capacity in voice origination and dubbing for animation, live action, audio description and post production.

Carole Tranchand

Emanuele Latina, operations director at ADRENALINE Studios, has spent the past two years overseeing the rapid growth of the company’s original voice origination (pre-lay), and ADRENALINE Kids. He is particularly excited about one element the new studios provide the group.

The magnificent Foley stage in the new facility will make a valuable contribution to our sound design both for animation and live action.

Emanuele Latina, Operations Director at ADRENALINE Studios

It marks a major step in the company’s strategic international expansion, providing a springboard for future developments that will support our ability to serve clients with even greater flexibility, creativity and local insight.

John Harley, Founder and Group CEO of ADRENALINE Studios

All inquiries or collaboration opportunities should be directed to ADRENALINE Studios’ global head of sales, Jean-Luc Bertin jean-luc@adrenaline.global.

Cinelab Film & Digital acquires fluent/image to enhance post-production infrastructure and workflow services

The acquisition brings trusted imaging and media workflow expertise to Cinelab’s growing service portfolio.

Cinelab Film & Digital the UK’s only full-service film laboratory, digital dailies, and postproduction facility, has acquired fluent/image, a respected provider of imaging services, media workflows, and developer of Coherence, a powerful automation platform for managing VFX pulls, QC and submissions.

With a reputation for innovation and reliability, fluent/image joins Cinelab to offer expanded support across feature films, episodic productions and high-end content creation. The move reflects a shared commitment to removing friction from complex workflows and providing greater clarity and control to production teams at every stage.

fluent/image brings a depth of expertise that complements our existing services perfectly. Whether you’re working on a tentpole feature or a high-end series, joined-up thinking between picture post and VFX is essential. fluent/image shares our obsession with quality and efficiency. Their team strengthens our ability to support clients across the full production pipeline, whether working on film, digital or hybrid projects. Together, we’re offering smarter, more scalable support at the point where it’s needed most.

Adrian Bull, CEO of Cinelab Film & Digital

fluent/image has delivered media and VFX workflows on major productions including The Martian, The Matrix Resurrections, Prometheus, The King’s Man, The Last Duel, Argylle, and Mission: Impossible – Fallout. The team specialises in high-performance media management across the full content lifecycle, including ingest, metadata indexing, editorial media oversight, version control, VFX turnover and submission workflows, archive creation, and secure infrastructure design. Their review solutions and automation tools have become trusted components of post pipelines for studios, streamers and production companies alike.

At fluent/image, we’ve always built tools and services that keep pace with the real-world challenges of production. Joining Cinelab allows us to scale those services and offer even closer support to our clients.

Jon Ferguy, founder of fluent/image

The integration is already underway, with fluent/image’s tools and expertise now integrated into Cinelab’s infrastructure, clients can expect faster turnarounds, fewer handover headaches, and greater confidence in managing complex workflows.

UK Screen Alliance at Cannes 2025

Earlier in May, UK Screen Alliance was kindly invited by the British Film Commission to attend the Cannes Film Festival to speak about the UK’s new visual effects tax credit in two special panel sessions.

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On Friday, 16 May, UK Screen Alliance’s CEO Neil Hatton MBE participated on the panel “Crossing Channels: Production and VFX in the UK and France”, which was presented by the British Film Commission (BFC) in partnership with Film France-CNC. Neil was joined by Laurens Ehrmann (Founder & Senior VFX Supervisor, The Yard), Michael Illingworth (Founder & Creative Director, Vine FX), and Daphné Lora (Head of Film France – CNC) in a session moderated by Adrian Wootton OBE (CEO of the British Film Commission), which looked at the production, post-production and VFX strengths of the UK and France, and the many benefits of cross-border collaboration.

Speaking on the UK’s appeal, Neil highlighted recent reforms to the Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC) and the new VFX tax credit uplift. With the UK now offering a 29.25% net rate for VFX, enhanced by an exemption from the 80% cap, and the new independent film tax credit of 39.75% for projects under £15 million, these offerings have strengthened the UK’s position as a global destination for VFX work.

My members in the VFX community are starting to see more enquiries and more people booking in. There are many reasons why you would want to use the UK, we’ve got the depth of talent and the track record of excellence.

Neil Hatton MBE, CEO of UK Screen Alliance

Apart from tax incentives, the discussion also covered topics such as continued decentralisation, and also looked at two case studies of cross-Channel collaboration in action.

Watch the full session below.

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On Saturday, 17 May, the BFC and UK Screen Alliance presented “Working with the UK: A New Opportunity with Post-Production and VFX” panel at the UK Pavilion. The session included presentations from Neil and the BFC’s Adrian Wootton OBE and Gareth Kirkman (UK Business and Industry Development Manager), to introduce independent producers and filmmakers to the UK’s VFX and post-production infrastructure and highlighted how to access our tax incentives via the post and VFX spend.

Screen Scotland’s Isabel Davis (Executive Director, Screen) and Cheryl Conway (Head of Screen Commission) then followed up with a presentation on their recently launched Project Post Fund, designed to encourage large-scale film and TV productions to undertake their post-production and VFX work in Scotland. The competitive fund will support live-action and animated features, and live-action and animated high-end television drama or factual returnable series that demonstrate the ability to boost Scotland’s economy by bringing in high-value post-production and/or VFX work to Scotland; create inclusive employment opportunities for Scotland based crew and technicians; use Scotland’s post-production facilities for services such as editing, sound, VFX, and music scoring; support diversified skills development and career progression in Scottish post-production sector; and align with Screen Scotland’s broader strategic goals.

Watch the full session below.

Following the presentations, international producers, and representatives from award-winning UK post and VFX companies – including many UK Screen Alliance members – mingled over a networking breakfast in the Cannes sunshine.

Behind the post: Walking with Dinosaurs

ENVY takes us behind the scenes of BBC Studios’ latest series on which they provided a full range of post-production services.

More than 25 years after it first stomped onto our screens, the ground-breaking Walking with Dinosaurs is back in a major new BBC Studios production for BBC and PBS, co-produced with ZDF and France Télévisions. This six-part series reimagines the much-loved original with cutting-edge science, cinematic storytelling, and state of the art visual effects.

Walking with Dinosaurs reflects the most up-to-date discoveries about the biology, behaviour, and environments of these extraordinary creatures. Fresh insights into how dinosaurs hunted, fought, and died, this series offers an unparalleled window into a lost world.

Each episode explores the dramatic life story of a different dinosaur, drawing directly from real- time fossil discoveries made by the world’s leading palaeontologists. As these ancient bones emerge from the earth, the show uses the latest scientific evidence and stunning visual effects to bring their prehistoric stories vividly to life, guiding audiences back through the Mesozoic Era like never before.

To help bring this historic era to life, ENVY played a big part providing a full range of post-production services. Guiding us through the post process are Colourist, Sonny Sheridan; Online Editor, Adam Grant; Re-Recording Mixer, Bob Jackson; and Technical Operations Manager, Matt Cole.

Laying the bedrock

Bob Jackson, Re-Recording Mixer, also mixed the audio of the 1999 series.

This latest series has come a long way both in terms of technology and production. I began working on this new series in May 2024 where we set out how we would deliver the most accurate series we could.

During this process, ENVY and the BBC Studios Production Team were in regular contact with academics who advised us on sounds that would have been true to the time, such as birds and insects that would have been living. As an example, we could use the sounds of crickets but not cicadas. This consultation period was ongoing for the first 6 months that I was involved in the project and we were able to build up a collection of sounds to design the environments.

Bob Jackson, Re-Recording Mixer at ENVY

Prior to ENVY working on the series, BBC Studios had already begun storyboarding and previsualising sequences in collaboration with VFX vendor Lola Post Production. ENVY and Lola subsequently worked together to facilitate the turnover of plates and delivery of VFX.

During this period, which lasted between 12-18 months, we turned over more than 2000 plates as well as the lens grids and photogrammetry Lola needed for their work.

Matt Cole, Technical Operations Manager at ENVY

Sequences were shot on location with a crew going out to record clean plates. Lola would ‘de-age’ the location before adding the dinosaurs into the environment.

Sonny Sheridan, Colourist at ENVY

State of the art colour management and imaging workflows guaranteed quality and consistency across a range of camera formats that were used to shoot the plates.

These workflows played a vital role in maintaining interoperability between parties and ensured our artists had the latitude they needed to achieve the creative ambition of the project.

Matt Cole, Technical Operations Manager at ENVY

The edit received multiple submissions of each VFX shot to review milestones and provide feedback to Lola. Once the edits were picture locked and final VFX approved, ENVY’s online and grade support teams prepped material for Sonny Sheridan and Adam Grant to begin their work.

Mixing the mesozoic

For each of the 6 episodes, unique atmospheres and environments were created, comprising of various audio elements including sound effects, atmos layers, foley, voiceovers and music, across 200 different audio tracks. Each soundscape having differing characteristics to represent the time and the location on the planet.

Well renowned for their work within the natural history genre, Wounded Buffalo designed and created the sounds of each of the dinosaurs, from every roar, screech and cry. Providing foley on the series were Mahoney’s, providing extra layers of sound to enrich the bed of sounds.

It is really impressive how they were able to add depth to the sounds to emulate the size and weight of the dinosaurs, you can truly feel it.

Bob Jackson, Re-Recording Mixer at ENVY

We also added in camera shakes to amplify the sound effects and add to the drama. As a dinosaur gets closer to the camera, the shakes increased in magnitude and became more intense.

Adam Grant, Online Editor at ENVY

Guiding us through the prehistoric past was Tony and Olivier award-winning actor, Bertie Carvel. His narration blended with the amazing score, composed by Ty Unwin truly adds to the drama and the tension that the dinosaurs face.

To differentiate between modern day and the prehistoric past, the flashback sequences were mixed in Dolby 5.1 surround sound but when we transition back to present day, the audio changes to stereo which the audience will pick up on and subconsciously be brought back to today.

Bob Jackson, Re-Recording Mixer at ENVY

There were different versions delivered for BBC, PBS, in addition to mixes for other countries including France, Germany and China – each have their own specifications for delivery.

Grading a prehistoric palette

With the grade taking place in parallel to the mix, Colourist Sonny Sheridan explains the technical differences with the series, whilst also taking audiences on a journey into the prehistoric world. VFX shots were supplied with embedded mattes allowing Sheridan more control over the grade.

Having access to the mattes was so beneficial to the grade and it gave me closer control of all the individual elements. I was able to create an even more realistic grade on the dinosaurs and how the lighting on their bodies would change as they move across the shots and engage with their surroundings.

Sonny Sheridan, Colourist at ENVY

Finessing the timeline, bone by bone

Working with the final sequences, Online Editor Adam Grant was one of the final steps of this colossal production.

My primary focus was working on the final plates, ensuring any objects that didn’t belong in the time period were removed, stripping it back to prehistoric times. In some instances, I was painting in layers such as sand and dirt to build up the environment.

Adam Grant, Online Editor at ENVY

To add to the realism of the scenes, shots were made to look handheld which added to the drama and tension of the sequences without being made to feel static and disconnected from the stories.

Grant completed a thorough quality control (QC) check of all 6 episodes paying particular attention to the dinosaurs and VFX elements.

To make the series feel as real as possible, we needed to make sure the dinosaurs were interacting with the plates correctly. For example, making sure the dinosaurs were in contact with the ground when the terrain changed.

Adam Grant, Online Editor at ENVY

The post-herd

In order the deliver to project to the highest standard possible, a great deal of planning and collaboration was required.

This was a very technical project for everyone involved. The implementation of different workflows gave us a solid structure to work from.

Sonny Sheridan, Colourist at ENVY

There were plenty of discussions between us and BBC Studios with Mahoney’s and Wounded Buffalo throughout the entire process and together we created a rich and authentic mix.

Bob Jackson, Re-Recording Mixer at ENVY

The entire project was a real team effort. You can see all that work and collaboration paid off on screen!

Matt Cole, Technical Operations Manager at ENVY

Brand new Walking with Dinosaurs begins Sunday 25th May at 6:25pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, with new episodes released weekly/all episodes available on BBC iPlayer on release.

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ENVY Post Production Team

Colourist: Sonny Sheridan

Online Editor: Adam Grant

Re-Recording Mixer: Bob Jackson

Technical Operations Manager: Matt Cole

Post Producers: Jannine Martin, Edith Rivers C Emelie Bjork

VFX: Lola

Foley: Mahoney Audio Post

Additional Sound Effects: Wounded Buffalo Sound Studios