DISAUTHORITY: The Integrated Indie Model Challenging Fragmented Workflows

By BlockReel Editorial Team Post-Production, Industry Insights January 21, 2026

DISAUTHORITY: The Integrated Indie Model Challenging Fragmented Workflows

How many times have we sat in a wrap meeting, everyone patting themselves on the back, only to hear the post-production supervisor lamenting “If only I’d known that on set”? It’s a refrain as old as filmmaking itself, a testament to the persistent chasm between shooting and finishing that has plagued even the most meticulously planned productions. Now, an independent entity named DISAUTHORITY aims to bridge that gap, unifying production and post-production under what they term a “next-generation studio” model, and in so doing, potentially rewriting the rules for how independent features get made.

This isn't about simply having an in-house editor or a staff colorist. It’s a philosophical commitment to treating post-production not as a series of technical hurdles to clear once principal photography wraps, but as a critical, integrated component of the storytelling process from day one. I've heard the chatter, seen the initial projects, and while the industry is littered with outfits promising to revolutionize everything, DISAUTHORITY's approach merits a closer look, especially for those of us who have navigated the often-agonizing handoff between departments.

The Genesis of Integration: From Frustration to Foundation

The story begins, as many compelling ventures do, out of frustration. Marcus Hundsnes, DISAUTHORITY’s managing director, came up through the indie trenches, a path he carved himself. He wasn't born into industry connections; he earned his way in, like so many of us, through sheer grit and an almost obsessive dedication to the craft. What he, along with early collaborators Zain Haris (now colorist) and Raiyan Chinoy (VFX supervisor), identified was a staggering inefficiency inherent in the traditional independent filmmaking pipeline, particularly when it came to post-production. It was often an afterthought, something rushed or outsourced to the cheapest bidder, sacrificing creative intent at the altar of budget constraints and tight schedules.

This isn't a new observation, of course. For decades, the independent sector has struggled with the practicalities of post. The big studios, with their sprawling lots and vertically integrated systems back in the Golden Age, had facilities that could handle everything from dailies processing to final prints. Even today, the larger players have extensive in-house post-production capabilities for their tentpoles. But for the indie filmmaker, the journey often involves a frantic leap from the chaos of production to the often-disjointed world of third-party post houses, each a separate vendor, each with its own workflow and communication protocols. Think of the amount of time lost simply coordinating between an editorial outfit, a VFX vendor, and a color suite. It’s not just about turnaround times; it’s about a diluted creative conversation.

Hundsnes and his team started by tackling those breakdowns head-on, initially just cleaning up edits for other students. It was a baptism by fire, forcing them to develop efficient workflows and, crucially, to understand the interplay between various post-production disciplines. Haris, with his expertise in color science and image systems, and Chinoy, with his technical acumen in VFX, weren’t just service providers. They were collaborators, embedded from the outset, evolving a shared language. This "trial-by-fire" approach is often where the most enduring solutions are forged; necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention. It reminds me of the early digital days, before the current robustness of NLEs and grading software, when every indie feature was an exercise in creative problem-solving just to get it out the door. The difference here is that DISAUTHORITY formalized that problem-solving into a repeatable process.

The Integrated Model: Production, Post, and Creative Continuity

Where DISAUTHORITY truly differentiates itself is in its deliberate move to unify production and post under a singular umbrella, divided into DISAUTHORITY Originals (for their own productions) and DISAUTHORITY (for post-production services offered externally). Their debut feature, Sticks & Stones, a supernatural horror, is currently undergoing post-production entirely in-house, a real-time stress test of their stated philosophy.

Maria Shevtsova, DISAUTHORITY’s VP and producer, highlighted the core benefit: “Being able to carry a project from development through to post with the same creative team means nothing gets lost along the way.” This isn't just fluffy marketing-speak. Anyone who has participated in a project where the director has to re-explain their creative vision to a new team of colorists or VFX artists, often weeks or months after original photography, understands the immense value of this continuity. So much gets lost in translation. The nuance of a specific lighting choice, the subtle performance beat for an optical effect, the subtext conveyed by a particular grade, these are all elements that benefit exponentially from a shared understanding and ongoing dialogue.

Consider the technical implications alone. When the post team is involved from pre-production, they can contribute to crucial decisions that impact the final product and budget.

Workflow design: From camera choice and codec selection to dailies processing and editorial handoff, a unified team can design a pipeline that minimizes conversion, reduces errors, and optimizes for the final deliverables. No more discovering in the grade that the production format wasn't quite what the distributor requires.

VFX integration: Instead of VFX being an expensive fix in post, an in-house supervisor can inform on-set practices. Knowing what can be achieved practically versus what requires digital intervention, and how to shoot for those interventions, can save significant time and money. Proper greenscreen pulls, clean plates, tracking markers (or the lack thereof), all these elements are far more efficient with early input from the VFX side. See On-Set Scanning for VFX: Photogrammetry, LiDAR, and Actor Capture for a deeper dive into on-set prep.

Color consistency: A colorist embedded from pre-production can advise on LUTs, monitor calibration, and even lighting choices that anticipate the final grade. This ensures a consistent look from dailies to delivery, preventing jarring shifts in aesthetic or wasting time trying to "fix it in post." A real discussion about the director’s and DP's intent for the final look, established early, avoids weeks of back-and-forth later. This brings to mind the discussions I've been privy to where a director will walk into a color suite and say, "Make it look like that," pointing to something shot on entirely different stock, with entirely different lensing, under entirely different conditions. This integrated model aims to eliminate that kind of disconnect.

This model is less about a single individual acting as a jack-of-all-trades and more about a truly collaborative team, operating under one roof, sharing a common creative objective and technical infrastructure. It’s an elegant solution to the perennial problem of atomized departments.

A Curated Approach: Quality Over Quantity

DISAUTHORITY isn't chasing volume. Shevtsova stated, “We’re selective because we want to be deeply involved. If we take on a project, we’re committing our time, energy, and creative care to it.” This curated approach, focusing on a limited number of projects that align with their creative vision and technical capabilities, is a sensible strategy for an emerging studio. An industrial pipeline, pushing out dozens of projects simultaneously, often leads to generic results and a loss of creative oversight, precisely what they're trying to avoid.

They also emphasize genre storytelling, particularly with female-led narratives and women in key creative positions. This is a smart move both creatively and commercially. Genre films, especially horror, have historically offered a viable path for independent filmmakers to find an audience and secure distribution without ballooning budgets. Furthermore, focusing on diverse voices isn't just about social responsibility; it unearths fresh perspectives and stories that resonate with underserved audiences. The market is always hungry for something new, something that doesn't feel like another sequel or re-imagining.

This deliberate curation also extends to their internal growth. From three people working out of a garden shed (a cinematic origin story if I ever heard one) to a team of 15, they've scaled with intention, investing in infrastructure like server capacity, backup systems, calibrated color suites, and VFX pipelines, but critically, without sacrificing the collaborative culture. Maintaining a cohesive team and clear communication becomes exponentially harder as an organization grows. The bureaucracy Shevtsova mentioned, the very thing that slows down larger entities, is a constant threat. Their emphasis on hiring for both skill and compatibility speaks to an understanding that the best technology is useless without the human element to drive it effectively. It’s a lesson that many startups, across various industries, often learn too late.

Implications for the Independent Landscape

So, what does this mean for the broader independent filmmaking community?

- Increased creative control: For directors and DPs, having direct access to the entire post-production chain from the outset translates to unparalleled control over the final image and sound. No more compromising because a vendor can't quite achieve the look or effect envisioned.

Potential cost efficiencies: While specific numbers aren't detailed, the efficiencies gained from streamlined workflows, reduced communication overhead, and proactive problem-solving should translate into more effective use of budget. Avoiding costly fixes in post, often the result of miscommunication during production, is a significant win.

A new talent pipeline: By creating a unified environment, DISAUTHORITY cultivates talent that understands the entire filmmaking process, not just their isolated specialty. A colorist who has a deep understanding of production lighting, or a VFX artist who comprehends storytelling through performance, is an invaluable asset. This kind of cross-disciplinary knowledge is crucial in an industry where convergence is the operating principle.

Challenge to traditional post-houses: If this model proves scalable and consistently delivers high-quality results, it could pose a challenge to smaller, more traditional post-production houses that offer only isolated services. Why hire three separate vendors when one can offer a cohesive, end-to-end solution?

However, integrating production and post isn't a panacea. It requires not just technical proficiency but also an exceptional degree of organizational discipline and, perhaps most importantly, a team that prioritizes clear, transparent communication above all else. Missteps are amplified when all departments operate under one roof; there's nowhere to hide a mistake or pass the buck. But the potential upsides, particularly for financially constrained independent projects, are undeniably significant.

DISAUTHORITY is still in its early stages, with Sticks & Stones serving as its flagship project. But their blueprint, built on creative obsession, technical integration, and a shrewd understanding of industry pain points, offers a compelling vision for a more efficient, creatively robust, independent filmmaking future. It’s a model that says, loud and clear, that budget size shouldn't dictate creative ambition, and that the fragmented workflows of yesterday don't have to define the films of tomorrow. We'll be watching, as will countless other independent filmmakers, to see if this integrated approach can truly deliver on its promise.

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Originally published on BlockReel DAO.