Love is Blind: UK

“Love is Blind: UK is one of the largest fixed-rig productions we’ve delivered at ENVY CAPTURE, with 62 HD and 2 UHD streams running for up to 10 hours a day. Before filming began, we carried out extensive kit testing to make sure everything would perform reliably on location. Working with Frameworks, we built a workflow that allowed us to record both main and backup copies without losing a single stream across the entire production.

I had previously worked on Season 1, so we were able to refine the workflow this time around. Using mRes servers, we recorded from a mix of Panasonic and Sony hothead cameras, plus Sony FX9s shooting in HD XAVC 100. Master Interviews were captured in UHD XAVC 300, all in V-Log and S-Log for HDR delivery. Every stream was recorded as an ISO, giving the edit team full flexibility in post.

On set, our Edit Assistants synced the PSC and Wirecams to the rig feeds, providing immediate feedback and grouping. Each pod and lounge was fitted with embedded audio across the first three streams which covered 32 radio mics and 10 atmos mics so the team could easily group by location.

The studio shoot was particularly unique, as there was no live-cutting or re-routing of streams during the 10-day run. For the retreats, apartments and weddings, filming switched to a PSC setup, with PDs and DVs capturing the couples on location. That material was then synced on set by our Edit Assistants to ensure a seamless transition to the offline.”

“Working on Love is Blind: UK was a real pleasure, especially getting to collaborate with the Executive Producers, Nazleen and Joe. The series presented a great mix of visual styles from intimate talking head interviews and dynamic handheld footage to the fixed rig setups in the dating pods and shared living spaces in the earlier episodes.

We aimed for a natural-looking grade that embraced the vivid, colourful set design and the bold outfits worn throughout. The tropical locations as the couples went on holiday together were a dream to work with as their warmth and vibrancy really came alive through the grade and I really wanted to embrace the tranquillity and natural beauty. The couples then returned back to the UK where they began living with each other and my brief was all about bringing the love to Manchester with the same style and emotional tone we saw in the earlier episodes – colourful, vivid, and full of fun.”

“The series takes place across very different locations, and each space came with its own unique characteristics. For example, the dating pods were filmed in a studio environment, so my priority was controlling the reverb and shaping the acoustics to feel warm and intimate. We wanted the conversations to sound as personal and close as the setting looked, these are moments where viewers need to feel completely drawn into the connection between the two people on each date. Dialogue was absolutely the heart of the mix because the people are the story in this series.

With 30 singles, each wearing their own radio mic, a lot of my work was about balancing levels so that every voice came through clearly and consistently, while also cleaning up any unwanted noise. I often layered several plugins within Pro Tools in combination, rather than relying on a single process, which gave me greater control and a more natural finish.

When the action shifted to the bar, where the couples met face-to-face, the brief was completely different. We wanted that space to feel alive and energetic, so I built up layers of background chatter and atmospheric tracks to give the sense of a busy social space, then blended in music to add to the buzz. It was about creating contrast: keeping the pods intimate and the bar full of life, so the audience could feel the difference in those stages of the couples’ journey.”