How I rethought post-production while filming in a miniature world

I've been making films long enough now to know that the "correct" way to do things isn't always the best way. As an editor turned director, I've always been drawn to workflows that allow creative decision-making to be fluid rather than locked behind technical barriers. But when we started planning season two of Alfons Åberg, I realised our traditional post-production pipeline was holding us back.

The miniature problem

We're shooting everything in miniature sets, staying faithful to Gunilla Bergström's beloved illustrations. It's a world where long, narrow probe lenses thread through tiny doorways, and our motion control rig needs to execute precise, repeatable movements across multiple takes. For children's programming, the movements need to feel alive and natural – kids might not articulate the difference between smooth and jerky motion, but they absolutely feel it.

The technical challenges are considerable. When filming miniatures with long probe lenses, even the smallest movements on set or from the camera can create significant issues. Minor vibrations appear exaggerated at full scale, and small tremors are amplified as they travel along the length of a probe lens. The more complex scenes are shot with up to 5-8 different takes and plates to digitally remove support rods, track objects, and build VFX composites correctly. The ability to repeat the same motion over and over again becomes crucial.

The first series taught us we could keep everything tight - shooting on SSDs, cutting directly from camera files, no transcoding. But the post schedule was still rigid. We'd edit, lock picture, then hand off to VFX, then finally grade. Standard stuff. The problem? When you're working with miniatures and visual effects, you can't really judge timing until you see the composite. And by the time you see the final grade on a proper monitor, it's often too late to fix small artifacts or adjust an effect without starting an expensive round-trip between vendors.

Breaking the pipeline

For series two, we decided to try something different: what if everyone could work on the same project simultaneously?

The technical setup was straightforward enough; Blackmagic Cloud connected our editing, grading, and VFX departments through shared DaVinci Resolve project libraries. (Read this DaVinci Resolve review for more.) But the philosophical shift was bigger. Instead of assembly-line stages, we could work more like a jazz ensemble. The colorist could start grading scenes that weren't locked. VFX artists in three different locations could deliver directly into Fusion for compositing work, all within the same timeline. And I could jump into any part of the process at any time.

There was no resistance – everyone was immediately on board. Last season, I would cycle between my office and the post-production office to deliver the latest version or review scenes. This season, everyone appreciated being able to connect instantly whenever they had a spare moment and needed input.

The first time our colourist called and said, "That VFX shot in scene 12 has a slight color cast," and then fixed it himself in the same session - without emailing anyone, without version notes, without waiting days - I knew we'd found something valuable.

(Read a colourist's guide to shaping light and colour in animation for more insights.)

What actually changed day to day

The biggest practical difference was in editorial timing. Editing with green screens and missing effects is like trying to cook while imagining what the ingredients taste like. You're constantly guessing at pacing. With this setup, I could generate quick composites to feel the actual rhythm of a scene. Not final-quality renders – just good enough to understand if a moment was landing emotionally.

One of our VFX artists could pick up work for an hour between other projects, drop shots into the timeline, and we'd see them immediately. Our post house did the same with colour. It sounds simple, but it fundamentally changed how we made creative decisions. Instead of "we'll fix it in post" becoming a prayer, post was already happening alongside editorial.

The discipline problem

Here's what the workflow blogs don't tell you: this only works if everyone is maniacally organised. File naming, folder structures, proper media management – it all matters more when

multiple people are accessing the same project. When you're rushing, it's easy to dump a file in the wrong place, and suddenly someone across town has offline media. You need clear protocols, and you need everyone to follow them, every time.

We were fortunate – I can't think of any major hard lessons this season. Perhaps only in the very early stages, when we were concerned that using the Cloud features incorrectly might create duplicate files if media was imported or moved within the drive. But we never ran into any major issues. We quite quickly figured out how to stay organised within the file structure.

The learning curve for the team was real, especially understanding how layered sequences work when a colourist needs to isolate individual elements. But once everyone understood the system, it became second nature.

What it actually cost (time and money)

The financial argument isn't just about saving money – though we did stretch our small budget further. Being able to review work on a calibrated grading monitor and fix issues immediately meant we caught problems that would have been expensive to address later.

I didn't work on the previous season, but both Tomas and our other VFX artist, who worked on both, felt that the material this time was more visually complex, resulting in a richer-looking show compared to last season, even though the overall timeframe was similar. That's the real metric – doing more ambitious work within the same constraints.

The camera upgrade

We also upgraded from the Pocket 6K to the PYXIS 6K this season. The ergonomics and build quality made a tangible difference when rigging for motion control work.

More significantly, we upgraded to a new motion control system – a Bolt Jr on track – which dramatically reduced vibration issues. It can repeat the same movement during several takes with high precision, making VFX compositing between plates and takes more reliable. This allowed us to execute longer, more complex shots with more elements in a scene, such as floating objects, without worrying that VFX elements added in post would become too difficult to track, refine, or build upon.

Combined with the PYXIS, the camera work feels noticeably smoother – even if our young audience can't articulate how or why.

Would I do it again?

Absolutely. Though I'd be clearer upfront about what it takes. You can't dip your toe in with this; either the whole team commits, or you're better off sticking with what you know. Being really organised with files is also essential, otherwise the whole thing unravels quickly.

The creative freedom that this unlocked made it worthwhile. Knowing I could jump back into any shot, tweak the timing, fix a small problem, and adjust the grade completely changed how I thought about the edit. Instead of questioning if something was technically possible, the question became about whether decisions served the story in the best way, which felt like a much better question to be asking.

We're already talking about what we'd do differently next time, what we'd push further. Once you've worked this way, the old method can feel needlessly restrictive. I know film production runs on tradition; we trust what's proven. Every so often, however, you need to stop and question whether the way things have always been done is actually the best way right now. For a show about a kid who figures things out by trying new approaches, it seemed like the right spirit

Read our guide to the best video editing software and best animation software for more guidance, or visit Blackmagic Design for details on DaVinci Resolve 20.