Feature Film · CinefestOZ 2025 · Santa Barbara IFF
Two Ugly People
A low-budget Australian feature with a world premiere at CinefestOZ in September 2025 and an Official Selection at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival — brought to the screen through a full end-to-end post pipeline built and managed by Xenon Post.
The work
Two Ugly People, written, directed and edited by first-time feature filmmaker Peter Skinner, was produced by Julia Gardell and Orla Doyle at Seymour Pictures. With a UK-based cinematographer, a distributed crew, and the demands of a low-budget feature schedule, the production required a post workflow that could flex across geography and deliver a cinema-ready result.
Xenon Post came on board as the primary post facility, covering the full pipeline from rushes through to Digital Cinema Master. We established a RAID-backed data management and rushes workflow from day one of principal photography — ensuring everything was ingested, verified, and accessible as production moved. Proxy editorial was conducted in DaVinci Resolve, with cloud collaboration via Blackmagic enabling a distributed post environment between the director and facility.
With Peter Skinner taking editorial credit alongside the director chair, we worked to support his vision while maintaining the technical rigour required for a theatrical deliverable. VFX cleanup was handled in-house via Fusion, keeping the workflow contained and reducing round-trip delays. We also provided sound facilities, coordinated closely with UK-based colour graders Black Kite Studios, and managed the conform and online finishing once the grade was returned.
“Low-budget features live or die in post. The workflow has to be airtight from day one — because there's no room to redo it.”
The final deliverables included an LTO archive, a Digital Cinema Master, and a DCP — meeting the technical requirements for festival exhibition and onward distribution. Credit roll, QC passes, and all ancillary finishing were completed in-house.
Congratulations to Peter, Julia, Orla and the entire Two Ugly People team — from a strong world premiere at CinefestOZ through to an Official Selection at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
Festival selections
CinefestOZ
World Premiere — September 2025
Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Official Selection
From the production
“The team at Xenon Post were incredibly professional and supportive throughout the entire post process. Their expertise and collaborative approach made a complex production feel manageable.”
— Julia Gardell, Producer — Seymour Pictures
“Working with Xenon Post on Two Ugly People was a seamless experience. Their technical knowledge and problem-solving ability were invaluable on a low-budget feature with an international crew.”
— Orla Doyle, Producer — Seymour Pictures
“As a first-time feature director, having Xenon Post behind us in post gave me the confidence to focus on the creative. They handled everything — from rushes to DCP — with precision and care.”
— Peter Skinner, Director
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