Low-cost post-production for indie features and documentaries.
Fifteen-plus years of post-production behind films that do not have a studio budget. Re-edit, grade, sound, 2D VFX, distributor deliverables, tailored to an agreed budget.
Colour grade and clean-up.
Drag each slider to compare the as-shot frame against the graded master.
2D VFX, paint-outs, and set extensions.
In-house effects work done at indie-film prices, on the same kit that finishes our own features.
Everything between a first cut and a distributor master.
Re-edit and scene editing
Tighten a flabby cut. Restructure a scene that is not working. Rebuild from the rushes if the first edit went off the rails. We will tell you straight whether the film needs surgery or just a trim.
Colour grading
Professional grade pass. We match across scenes, lift the look where it needs lifting, and pull it back where it is trying too hard. Your grade should not look like a YouTube preset.
Sound design, foley and mix
Dialogue EQ and noise reduction first, then build the world around it. Foley where it needs foley, music sat properly in the bed, full 5.1 surround mix where the deliverable asks for it.
2D visual effects
Explosions, fire, muzzle flashes, set extensions, paint-outs, screen replacements. The kind of 2D VFX low-budget productions need but cannot afford to send to a full house. We do them in-house, properly.
Subtitles, posters, art
Closed captions and burned-in subs to spec. Poster design with the right print and key art for distributors who will ask for it before they say yes to anything else.
Distributor deliverables
The boring, important part. DCP, ProRes, broadcast-spec masters, M&E stems, QC reports, the lot. Built to spec so the distributor signs off without a back-and-forth.
From your first cut to a distributor
master.
What working with us looks like. Four steps, no surprises.
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1. Send us the film and the budget
A Vimeo link or Frame.io invite, your current budget, and a short note on where you think the film needs help.
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2. We watch it and write back
Usually within one working day. Straight assessment: what we would do, what it would cost, what we would leave alone.
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3. We finish the film
Grade, sound, 2D VFX, deliverables. You review at agreed checkpoints. Fixed scope, fixed price.
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4. Hand over to the distributor
DCP, ProRes, broadcast-spec masters, M&E stems, captions, QC. Built against the distributor sheet so the file leaves the room signed off.
Filmmakers finishing other filmmakers' work.
Every project we take on goes through the same room that finishes our own films, on the same kit, to the same standard. The difference is the price.
We work in person with UK filmmakers from a post room outside Watford, and remotely with US and European crews. Past the first-cut stage with dialogue in sync is ideal. Earlier than that, talk to us anyway, we are flexible on stage.
Currently finishing: Born to Die in Liverpool.
- 9 features
- finished in this room, across documentary, horror and thriller
- Platforms
- films delivered to Tubi, Amazon Prime Video and Fawesome across UK, US and Europe
- Same kit
- DaVinci Resolve, Pro Tools, calibrated reference monitor, the lot
Films we've finished.
Every released film in the Stuffed Monkey catalogue went through the same kit, the same grade, the same mix. The work we do for other filmmakers is the same work we do for ourselves.
Finishing The Man Who Flew to Earth.
The wingsuit documentary came to us 90% finished and without distribution. Three weeks later it was a Janson Media release.
The picture was largely locked. The audio needed a full pass and EQ. There was no music over the final jump because the composer had run out of time. The grade was due an update.
We did a full audio pass: dialogue and effects EQ'd and cleaned across the film. Regraded top to tail. Music written and laid in for the main jump sequence to close the gap the composer had left. Subtitles produced to spec.
Three weeks from first delivery to finished master. We sent the film to Janson Media, who took it on immediately. It now streams on Fawesome and Tubi, and rents on Amazon Prime Video.
What we get asked.
- What stage of the film should we be at before we contact you?
- Past first-cut with dialogue in sync is the sweet spot. If you are still in the edit, we can help there too, but the price assumes the picture is locked or close to it.
- Do you take projects from outside the UK?
- Yes. Films for US and European crews finish here regularly. The work moves on Vimeo links and Resolve project files. Final sign-off happens here on a calibrated reference monitor.
- How long does a feature take to finish?
- Picture lock to distributor master is typically six to ten weeks, depending on grade complexity and how much sound design the film needs. We give you a realistic timeline before you commit.
- What if the rushes have problems, bad audio or sync drift?
- We will tell you what is salvageable and what is not, and what it costs to fix. Better to know early than three days before delivery.
- How does pricing work?
- There is no fixed rate card. The work is provided as a comprehensive package, tailored to an agreed budget. We will talk through what the film actually needs, what your budget actually is, and where the two meet.
- How are you cheaper than a full post-production house?
- We are a small operation with minimal overheads, working out of a post room outside Watford. The savings get passed on.
- Can you create DCPs for festival submission?
- Yes. DCI-compliant DCPs, encrypted or unencrypted, tested on a cinema server before they leave the room. Festivals in the UK, US and Europe have accepted DCPs from us.
Tell us about the film. We'll tell you what we'd do with it.
Stage, genre, budget range, and what you need help with. We aim to reply within a working day.