Big news, our recent work with EcoTrust in Uganda has been featured on the Dehancer blog! They just published an incredible, in-depth look at one of our films from our recent documentary series with the charity. The film they chose, The Land Trust, profiles the vital work of EcoTrust in the extraordinary Rwenzori Mountains National Park in Uganda.
The article dives deep into our studio’s creative philosophy and reveals exactly how we overcame the challenges of filming across Uganda’s diverse environments to achieve a cohesive, cinematic vision.
A Zero-Compromise Approach to Storytelling
From the outset, we approached The Land Trust with a singular vision: how do we bring the very best studio value, with zero compromise.
This meant treating the production like an expedition, hauling cinema lenses and heavy camera packages (including the Sony FX6 and Wally Dollies) up steep mountain paths and deep into the rainforest. The goal was to ensure the visual quality and emotional presence mirrored the monumental efforts of the people featured in the film.
As Creative Director Oliver Couch noted, our intention was to create a “tactile reality for the viewer… a visual language that speaks to the lovely, human complication.”
The Challenge of Consistency: Seeking the Film Look
One of the biggest hurdles was maintaining a unified aesthetic across five distinct climatic zones, ranging from rainforest to high-altitude savannah. Our project vision demanded a rich, film-inspired look, drawing heavily from the classic aesthetic of Kodak Vision3 500T.
To solve the challenge of scale and consistency, especially with multiple editors working in parallel, we integrated the Dehancer plugin directly into our Adobe Premiere Pro workflow.
The Film Aesthetic Stack
Using Dehancer allowed us to embed our signature look directly into the color pipeline, enabling us to consistently achieve:
- Film Profile: Kodak Vision3 500T
- Grain: Varied use of 65mm and 35mm grain to add texture and depth.
- Halation & Bloom: Used strategically to deliver distinctive, organic highlights and a rich density to the shadows.
This integration was key, proving that, as Ollie highlighted, “ultimately, it gives us a different flavour to other production companies,” allowing cinematic ambition to thrive even with documentary budgets.
Read the Full Case Study Now!
We are honored that Dehancer dedicated such a comprehensive article to our work. It’s an insightful read for anyone interested in documentary filmmaking, remote production workflows, and color grading for a filmic look.
Click the link below to get all the details on our project philosophy, the logistical challenges, and the specific tools we used:
