If 2025 exposed the fragility of the UK’s post-production ecosystem, it also clarified where its future might lie. As agencies and brands accelerated their in-housing post efforts, generative AI matured from small experiments to become a normal expectation on jobs, with some of the industry’s largest players unable to sustain their scale.
Tim Wetherall, partner and head of production at WASH, says the shake-up was less of a singular collapse and more a convergence of pressures that had been building for years.
Now, as the industry edges further into 2026, Tim sees opportunity emerge out of this disruption. He reflects on why heavyweight post houses bore the brunt of last year’s instability, how AI is settling into a more pragmatic role, and why independent, creatively agile companies are best placed to thrive in a landscape that demands speed, flexibility, and above all, story.
LBB> 2025 was a destabilising year for post-production in the UK with the closure of many post houses. What do you think was the main reason for all of this change?
Tim> I don’t think there was any one reason but rather a series of reasons. Business models have changed with agencies and clients taking production and post production in-house. Technological changes have come onto the scene in the shape of generative AI among other things, which have made companies and agencies reassess their dependency on large post houses. Changes in media consumption by all of us has meant there’s been a downturn in long format creations. These reasons along with an overabundance of post production crew has meant something had to give. And it seems large post production houses with seemingly huge overheads took the brunt of it.
LBB> As we move further into 2026, how do you see the industry evolving in terms of stability and creative opportunities?
Tim> Now is the time for nimble and dynamic post production companies to thrive. Using the new technologies wisely with incredible talent has its draw. Being creative while understanding the budgetary constraints we have now, in comparison to ten or 20 years ago, is where it’s at. The whole industry has been turned on its head with everyone working with everyone else, and to be honest, post production should do the same. We have the best talent to be able to make visuals that really stun people, so it makes sense to spread our wings and open our collective talent up to everyone.
LBB> How do you view the balance between larger, networked post houses and independent operations? Where do you see each thriving or struggling?
Tim> I'm biased obviously, but honestly, I only see a real future for the indies. I think the larger networked post houses are just too heavy and antiquated, too many systems and too much admin to get stuff done quickly and beautifully. We live in a world where everything is wanted now. We have to get used to that and I think independent operations can only really do that as they are free to really use the best tools for the job.
LBB> AI is becoming increasingly normalised in post production. Are you using AI more frequently, and if so, how do you integrate it into your creative process?
Tim> We’ve been using it from day one. Generative AI is a tool which we integrate on a project-by-project basis. For us, the talents we hire and the types of projects we get speak for themselves. If we think generative AI will help elevate the project or the way of working, then great, but it’s not a replacement. You may be able to get 80% of a project done quicker but that last 20% will take as long as the 80% would’ve been done normally, so it's really a balancing act. We ensure that we’re across as many of the tools as possible, so we know what is and isn’t possible and when to employ what, but that knowledge and awareness is very much an intrinsic part of the process.
LBB> Are you seeing more productions that heavily rely on AI? How involved do you tend to become on projects that significantly use AI?
Tim> Sometimes, although it feels less this year than last. The bubble may already be bursting a bit. It’s great in some ways, but the limitations are real and you need talented artists to know how to fix or augment generative AI. There have been some projects in which clients have mandated the use of AI. We show them where it fails and then how we can fix it.
LBB> What currently excites you most about the UK post-production scene? Are there any particular trends or shifts that have caught your eye?
Tim> What excites me is narrative. Story is everything. Our job is to help that story to be told and pull the viewer into the narrative. I think the technological explosion of gen AI has helped free up creatives to think outside of the box. Irrespective of whether gen AI is the answer, I love seeing more ‘out there’ scripts which need help realising their vision.
LBB> What advice would you give to people looking to enter post production today? You and Jon [Evans] entered the industry from production backgrounds, how valuable do you think it is to have experience in other parts of production before coming into post?
Tim> That's a tricky one. I think having a holistic view of production overall helps massively and also improves empathy across a project. There are pinch points everywhere; if you have just worked in post or production, then you will never really understand the knock-on effect that everything has.
Everyone in post should go on a shoot and understand the crazy time pressures that are standard when working on a shoot. The main advice over and above is to understand that all the software and tools at our disposal are just that, tools. Narrative and character should never be governed by a technical imperative. Know your tools and what you can do with them. At the heart of our industry, we’re creative problem solving. That's super exciting because there we’ve always got more to learn and adapt to, to truly create something original.
