Jamestown

Picture post
The Farm Group

Audio post
Hackenbacker

VFX
BlueBolt

Client
Carnival Films

Brief
Picture post-production, audio post and VFX on an eight-part drama about the first English settlers in America in 1617.

How it was done
Using ProRes 444 Log C rushes, shot on Arri Alexa, colourist Aidan Farrell graded the series using Digital Vision’s Nucoda, giving the show dynamic, powerful colours and textures, as well as a cinematic look. Sapphire plug-ins were used to distinguish the mood and tone of the series. In order to retain and complement the true tone and colour of the 1619 setting, special attention was paid to costumes, hair and make-up and set design.

Clyde Kellett completed the online edit and visual effects using Avid DS Nitris. The post producers were Nick Baker and Harriet Dale. BlueBolt completed the main visual effects.

BlueBolt VFX supervisor Richard Frazer and VFX producer Jan Guilfoyle led a team of artists to deliver 116 VFX shots in total. The work featured heavily in sequences at the Jamestown docks where a photoreal full CG ship was created and added. The VFX work was also key to establishing the geography of Jamestown itself.

Other notable contributions included creating the dramatic and wild landscape of the New World, and working together with SFX team to build a raging inferno inside the Jamestown candle store in episode 7.

Hackenbacker did the audio post work, creating an authentic, atmospheric and highly immersive track. Clarity of dialogue was key, with care taken to ensure both the 5.1 and the stereo versions of the show ran well in a variety of often less than ideal domestic listening conditions.

Oliver Brierley, largely using DPA, Sennheiser and Sanken microphones, recorded the ADR in-house. Edicue software handled the script for the actors. With a full orchestral score by John Lunn, the series was final mixed by Nigel Heath, Alex Fielding and Brad Rees, using AMS Neve. The sound effects editors were Darren Banks and Alex Gibson. The dialogue editor was Alex Sawyer.

Watch it
Fridays at 9pm from 5 May, Sky 1