The Command Force

The Brief

The Command Force was an action-drama serial for DD National featuring a paramilitary force storyline. The production required A Plus Edits to handle not just the editorial pipeline but also the finishing of action sequences — wire removal from stunt shots, muzzle flash additions, practical explosion enhancement, and impact effects — alongside the standard colour and audio post workflow.

The Challenge

Action drama requires an editorial tempo significantly faster than family or romance drama. Stunt sequences often have limited coverage — action shoots are expensive and risky, so reshoots are rarely possible. The editor must work with what exists, using creative cutting, sound design, and VFX to sell moments that were not fully captured on camera. The VFX workload — primarily wire removal and muzzle effects — needed to be integrated into the episode schedule without creating a bottleneck that would delay delivery.

Our Approach

We routed action-heavy episodes through a dedicated VFX review pass immediately after assembly, so our compositing team could flag and begin work on complex shots while the editor was still working through the dialogue scenes. This parallel VFX-editorial workflow eliminated the bottleneck that would otherwise occur if all VFX were handled in the finishing phase.

Sound design was particularly important on this project. Our audio team built a bespoke library of action sounds — impacts, weapons, crowd, and environment — tailored to the visual tone of the show. This library was used consistently across episodes to create a coherent sonic identity for the series.

The Outcome

The Command Force completed its full broadcast run on schedule. The action sequences, which were technically the most challenging element of the production, were noted by the broadcaster as significantly better than comparable DD National content of the same period. The production company returned for the next action project they commissioned.