Empire with David Olusoga traces the history of the British Empire from Elizabeth I to the 20th century and examines its ongoing legacy.
The 3×60 documentary was commissioned by the BBC, directed by Francis Welch, and produced by Voltage TV and Hillgate Films. Cinematography was by Steve Robinson, editing by Dilesh Korya, and color by Michael Lansdell.
Doghouse Post Collaboration
Doghouse Post, having previously worked on Union with David Olusoga, refined the creative process and streamlined the technical pipeline for editorial and picture finishing.
DaVinci Resolve Studio in Editing and Color
Editor Dilesh Korya used DaVinci Resolve Studio for complex sequences and longform timelines. Colorist Michael Lansdell emphasized a naturalistic, consistent look, maintaining details like David Olusoga’s blue suit across multiple setups.
Technical Workflow and Efficiency
Offline edits were carried out using proxy media within Resolve, allowing seamless relinking to native files without roundtrips. Resolve’s color management normalized camera formats and enabled grading in a wide gamut color space, with final delivery in Rec. 709. Minor corrections, such as a visible power line, were handled directly on the Color page without VFX.
Integrated Delivery and Versioning
Managing grading and online within the same project allowed efficient versioning for international markets. Prior collaboration between the production team and Doghouse Post maintained speed and consistency.
DaVinci Resolve as Post Backbone
Resolve now serves as the primary tool for picture finishing across multiple genres at Doghouse Post, from complex factual projects like Empire to long-running factual entertainment like Antiques Roadshow and Mammals.
