LONDON – Unit Film & TV (unit.tv), the Fitzrovia-based independent creative facility, provided color grading and VFX services for Mountainhead, the new satirical comedy/drama from writer/directer Jesse Armstrong. The project marks Armstrong's feature directorial debut and premiered on May 31st on HBO and Max, and on Sky and streaming service Now in the UK on June 1st.
Mountainhead follows a group of billionaire friends that get together against the backdrop of a rolling international crisis. It stars Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Cory Michael Smith and Ramy Youssef.
The feature's visual effects were produced in-house by Unit head of film & TV Louise Stevenson and senior post producer Devan Vimal, who collaborated closely with the Unit creative team to deliver the finished product. Unit delivered a portion of the film’s VFX, led by VFX artist and online editor Sion Penny, with additional VFX contributions from Simon Giblin, Ben North, and Alex Antonio.
Filming took place on location in Park City, Utah in March 2025, with a five-week shoot and a fast-turnaround for its May release. According to Penny, the studio's VFX work involved complex paint-outs in which Unit removed all traces of other habitation in the location.
Grading for Mountainhead was completed offsite by Unit senior colorist Dan Coles, who crafted a subtle, cinematic look that enhanced the film’s dark comedic tone.
“I loved grading this project and can’t wait for people to see it," says Coles. "Getting to collaborate with the brilliant Jesse Armstrong on his first TV movie as a director, as well as being reunited with cinematographer Marcel Zyskind, having been just over 15 years since our last project, was an amazing experience for me. We went for a naturalistic and cinematic feel in the grade, emulating the look and feel of film with the LUT we created for shooting. This look was further enhanced and finished with the use of the Livegrain system.”