DISAUTHORITY is a London-based production and post production company working with innovative emerging filmmakers to bring their projects to the screen.
Providing grading, VFX, online QC and delivery DISAUTHORITY is the brainchild of Marcus Hundsnes, who established the brand at the age of 16 in his native Norway after leaving high school to pursue a career in film. Seven years later, he had saved enough to take a place at MetFilm School in 2021, where he met Zain Haris and Raiyan Chinoy, and together the team focused their sights on the world of high-end post production.
Little acorns…
From humble beginnings working from a small garden shed, the company has evolved into a thriving operation and now inhabits a sleek, purpose-built facility in East Croydon with a growing team of 12 professionals. Responsible for much of the building work and technical engineering behind the new facility, Hundsnes is also a prolific film producer whose work has screened and won awards at prestigious festivals including the BIFA-qualifying Bolton Film Festival, NEIFF, and Sunrise Film Festival.
Experienced post producer Louis Holder joined the team at the end of last year and is responsible for the company’s output through quality control, workflow management and departmental research and development.
The team currently has three features in post, and their own self-funded feature planned for November through DISAUTHORITY Originals, their production arm. With this mix of talent, ambition and drive, DISAUTHORITY have already made bold steps to prove they are a strong contender in the post-marketplace. Looking to qualify for TPN certification by the end of their first year, the team are also working on meeting compliance standards for Warner Bros and Amazon.
But what sets them apart from the pack? Louis Holder explains: “We are a new player in the post market, but one that’s agitating the game. We’re passionate about doing things differently; we are refreshingly authentic, creatively open, and reliable. Not to mention, we are also much more cost-effective, as we don’t carry Soho rent with us. This really gives us the edge and capacity for very competitive rates.
“At DISAUTHORITY, we like to keep things fresh and fun. As a smaller studio, we have an agility that larger production houses can’t match. It’s actually quite different, and we understand that our dynamic ethos is one of our biggest strengths. That said, an important part of our values is proving ourselves as an independent studio in a strong legacy industry. We want to do things our way, cutting out the noise and setting ourselves up for success. We really are obsessively dedicated to delivering any kind of format for the high-end theatrical, short films, short form, and independent co-production markets.
“Knowing how highly competitive the post production market is, it was important to me from the moment I joined DISAUTHORITY as head of post that our QAR, mastering and delivery stages were supported by an industry-recognised tool working in parallel with eyeball QCs and watch-throughs. This would also mean operators and post producers were reassured too, knowing that two sets of eyes (operator-led and machine-led) were on the same job—and that’s where Telestream’s Vidchecker came in.
“In my previous professional chapter working in an established Soho Post facility, the need for a reliable AQC system felt paramount to the successful operation of the facility, as it was able to deliver content functionally and at scale. Especially for a young company, scalability and forward-thinking are crucial for growth, which is partly why I recommended a full implementation of Vidchecker in-house.
“The other important factor to consider was our diverse range of deliverable types. Our most common deliverables, being a theatrical-first vendor for the independent sector, are Digital Cinema Packages (DCPs) or ProRes 4444/XQ Masters. We also author other flavours of ProRes and Viewing Files like most other facilities. Additionally, we author master and viewing-spec files to suit an ever-increasing range of social media specifications, which are always evolving and can result in us tweaking and designing new test plans as time goes on.
“We’ve got a very solid list of people who are DPP / AS-11 / DCP trained QCs, that complement the technology, so they are qualified individuals who have QCed in other environments and other industry types – the human side complements the tech really beautifully. The idea was not to make it a factory line, like a lot of other post houses can become, but the technology is there to give you that confidence.
“In the beginning, when we were getting Vidchecker working and everything singing within our infrastructure, Boxer Systems was great. They were consistent and didn’t use jargon that put me or the team off. They were very nice and approachable, and I thought, yeah, this is the DISAUTHORITY way.
“Alex Kruszelnicki and Mark Jones from Boxer Systems were our liaisons for the Vidchecker install. When we first reached out to them, they were informed about what Telestream’s Vidchecker could do for us as a new facility entering the AQC game. Every time we needed help, Mark was there to log in, and there was no faff; the communication was lovely, and we felt very looked after.
“Because it’s certified, people recognise it, from Warner to Netflix, our clients use Vidchecker in their own workflows, so we knew we needed an automated QC system that complements a high turnaround business model, and that’s where Vidchecker fits so wonderfully, because it does a lot of that heavy lifting for you.”
Ensuring authenticity
Authenticity is clearly important to DISAUTHORITY, as founder and CEO Marcus Hundsnes explains, “We will go that step further, bringing the human touch, sitting and watching our projects and saying to ourselves, is this something that we’re proud of as a company to submit and to deliver?
In an industry where precision is everything, this young post production company stands out through its unwavering commitment and meticulous attention to detail. Though new to the industry, the team brings a seasoned discipline to DISAUTHORITY, combining fresh creative energy with a deep respect for process, which is quickly earning them a reputation as a trusted partner and a rising force in post-production.
The team have put in many long hours and sleepless nights, but are clearly proud of what they have achieved, with their commitment more than matching their ambition. In a very short space of time, the DISAUTHORITY team has created a flexible, open approach to post with some impressive work under their belt. They’re carving out a bold new space in post production – and the exciting part? They’re just getting started.
