LATEST NEWS
We’ve been featured in the 117th edition of British Cinematographer!
30th May, 2023
Playing Politics
Merkel, an astonishing documentary feature on Germany’s erstwhile chancellor, has kept the team at OnSight busy. Cinematographers Reinhold Vorschneider and Konrad Waldmann lensed the story of how a triple political outsider - a woman, a scientist, and an East German - became one of the most successful politicians in the world. Colourist Andy Lee graded the film with Andrew Fisun providing the online edit and picture post overseen by Jeff Halsey. Fisun worked closely with director Eva Weber on conforming and replacing the archive footage throughout the fine cuts, as well as credits and titles creation. The project was complex, due to a multitude of archive sources, and an incredibly fast turnaround for festival deadlines.
BLUE WHALES: RETURN OF THE GIANTS is here!
26th May, 2023
"It was an absolute pleasure to work with the fantastic team at Onsight on the 3D Giant Screen film Blue Whales - Return of the Giants. Their huge experience of delivering previous 3D Giant Screen films was critical to the success of this ambitious film and was hugely reassuring to me as a newcomer to this demanding and highly specialised format. At every stage of post-production, from the grade and online to creating the 3D version, Onsight were incredibly creative, collaborative and organised - the images look incredible on the giant screen and with the 3D shots it’s like you’re swimming with blue whales." - Hugh Pearson, Director (Oceanic Films)
Blue Whales: Return of the Giants follows the unbelievable journey of Blue Whales from near-extinction to rising populations, and the scientists committed to learning more about the elusive animal - the biggest to have ever lived.
At the heart of this film is a passion for these animals, our oceans, and conservation. Narrated by award-winning actor Andy Serkis, the film revolves around two scientific expeditions discovering more about blue whales. One concerns a population of blue whales that have not been seen for 50 years, and the team leading the high-risk search for them. The other features Diane Gendron, “The Blue Whale Whisperer”, and her team in their task of deciphering the role of blue whales in the ocean health and ecosystem by listening in to their ‘whale conversations’.
“We need to find out more about creatures like these because they inspire us to have hope. The film is a wonderful marriage of storytelling, fact-giving and entertainment.” - Andy Serkis
The film is directed and produced by Hugh Pearson, with senior producer Myles Connolly, Oceanic Film's Production Manager Zoe Webb, and is scored by Steven Price. It is partnered with HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, California Science Center, SK Films, Oceanic Films, and the NSF.
An uplifting, inspiring success story, the stunningly shot Blue Whales: Return Of The Giants opened globally in select Giant Screen and IMAX Theaters on May 25, 2023.
OnSight provided full Picture Post for this project, using our unique OPR (OnSight Picture Remastering) service. This covered full 6K picture post, 2D to 3D conversion, visual effects, shot extensions, bespoke giant screen deliverables and colour grading for both xenon and laser projection. The project was completed with colourist Andy Lee, Senior Online Editor Adam Sample, Stereo Supervisor Rik Tester, Online Editor Dan Bourne, VFX Artists David Wigram and Chris Panton, Edit Assistant Alfie Mitchell, and Digital Asset Coordinator Danielle Kidd. The project was overseen by Senior Post Producer Joana Coelho.
Special performance by Ed Sheeran kicks off new season of Apple Music Live
25th May, 2023
Ed Sheeran performed his new album, - (subtract) for the first time in full on the 10th of May, streaming on Apple Music and Apple TV+. The performance takes place at the Eventim Apollo in London, alongside a 12-piece band that includes Aaron Dessner of The National.
OnSight were pleased to deliver conform, online and deliverables by Alfie Mitchell, and hosting of the grade, all overseen by Post Producer Jade Townsend. Alfie handled conform, VFX returns, coordination of deliverables and technical know-how for the Dolby Vision grade. Challenges of format and timescales were met smoothly. The 90 min show was graded in Dolby Vision, with remote signoff for the look. Tight deadlines meant conforming and making deliverables were pushed right up to the wire. The project was finished in 4K Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and is one of only a few concerts in the market available in 4K Dolby Vision with a matching immersive audio experience.
The 14-track album is now available to stream, and was produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner. In the Apple Music Live performance, Sheeran explains the inspiration and story behind the album.
“I’m delighted to share my Subtract album show with you, I was really nervous on the day, as it was my first time performing the new album tracks. The show was brought to life by Aaron and the incredible band, and it was an honour to stand beside them. It was an emotional night, but I’m so pleased we got to document it.” - Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran is one of the world's best selling music artists, having sold more than 150 million records worldwide. Two of his albums are some of the best selling in UK chart history, with hits such as Shape Of You, Thinking Out Loud, and Perfect.
Sheeran’s Apple Music Live performance directed by Paul Dugdale, produced by Simon Fisher (SiFi Films), and with colour by James Tonkin debuted on Wednesday, May 10 on Apple Music at apple.co/AMLEdSheeran.
Everybody Dies… Sometimes receives rave reviews, and the awards to match!
23rd May, 2023
“Working with On Sight has been incredible for me as a first time filmmaker. Jeff and the team have helped me so much and imparted such wisdom in the process. It has been such a treat making Everybody Dies… Sometimes with them!” - Charlotte Hamblin, Director
Everybody Dies… Sometimes has been selected for Tribeca 2023, after winning 4 awards (Audience Award, Best Comedy Performance, Best First Time Filmmaker, The Big Pitch Award) in the KINO Short Film Festival, along with The Best British Short at the British Short Film Awards and Best Comedy Director at the London Director Awards!
Directed by Charlotte Chamblin, and Produced by Leonora Darby, James Harris, and Mark Lane from Teashop Productions, Everybody Dies… Sometimes is a dark comedy about death anxiety that follows Mara as she grapples with the belief that she has killed everybody she's gotten close to.
OnSight delivered Picture Post for this project, with Senior Colourist Andy Lee, Senior Online Editor Adam Sample, and Senior Post Producer Jeff Halsey.
“Arguably one of the best films ever entered into our festival, Everybody Dies… Sometimes is a model short. Other filmmakers pay attention - there's a reason why it's received the most amount of award nominations in the history of our festival.
It’s entertaining and easily programmable, utilising every moment of its short running time without overstaying its welcome. But… what's even more annoying about this near perfect film is that it is Charlotte Hamblin’s debut as writer/director. It’s bafflingly impressive that someone could deliver such a tightly structured, entertaining, and well-crafted short on their first shot out of the gate.” - Dustin Curtis Murphy, Festival Director KINO Short Film Festival
One Bullet won BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY at the Galway Film Fleadh!
17th May, 2023
“The creative staff and the support staff at OnSight is world class. The documentary I made had footage spanning nearly 18 years of technology and an equally wide ranging skill set of the shooters. Andy gave it a look throughout, an aesthetic cohesion that I did not think was possible. It is one thing to make the good look great, but to make the bad, the good and the great look like they all belong in the same movie is quite something.” - Carol Dysinger, Director
One Bullet tells an epic story on an intimate, human scale. Two decades of war through one bullet, one death, one Afghan mother. This incredible documentary had its world premiere at Doc Edge in New Zealand this year. It has also just won BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY at the Galway Film Fleadh!
Director Carol Dysinger is an multi award-winning director, filmmaker, artist, and educator, and also acts as Co-Cinematographer and Producer on One Bullet. Dysinger’s work is defined by a counter-narrative lens to traditional stories of conflict. Her team also consists of Producers Su Kim, Ashim Bhalla, and Jesper Jack, Primary Editor Steen Johannessen, Co-Cinematographer Kristen Johnson, Executive Producer Jeff Wolk, Co-Producer Tamana Ayazi, and Associate Producer Javed Rezayee.
We are very proud to have worked on this important and inspiring film, completing Picture Post. The film was entirely shot on mini handheld domestic cameras and needed a lot of post work to get it up to film release standard. We carried out the conform to original rushes, image processing, and treatment including colour grade and fixing image defects. This was performed by our Senior Colourist Andy Lee, and was overseen by Post Producer Jade Townsend.
‘This story of intimate female friendship forged amidst America’s longest war is told by a filmmaker who spent fifteen years in and out of Afghanistan.
The battlefield lies behind the curtains of an Afghan home as Bibi Hajji struggles to survive the loss of her youngest child and the impact of a brother’s death on her remaining sons. A haunting image of that boy surviving a bullet wound prompted Director Carol Dysinger to investigate, what happened to him, who fired the shot?
One Bullet evolves from procedural to an excavation of the human experience, of loss and redemption. It asks: how might we make peace across vast social, cultural and religious divisions? One cup of tea at a time.’
One Bullet is rich in its exploration of human character; it’s devastating and charming, blunt in its display of suffering and survival. Fahim’s story, and that of his family, is told with honest, affectionate care - the result is an eye-opening, educational, superbly told documentation of one family in the shadow of the enormity of war. Coupled with the friendship between Carol and Bibi that grows with the film, there is a sincere message of love, hope, strength, and overcoming, in stark contrast to the profound grief and raw anger expressed.